Category: Business Daily

The value of gold held by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) jumped the fastest in over a decade to Sh309.71 million at the end of December last year, amid a rally in the global price of the precious metal.

The CBK’s latest disclosures show that gold holdings rose 63.9 percent from Sh188.9 million

Last weekend, hundreds of runners gathered in Kitui for the inaugural Kitui Green Run, Kenya’s first climate-conscious half-marathon built around a simple but powerful idea: turning every kilometre run into support for water resilience in dryland communities.

At first glance, it may have appeared like another sporting event on Kenya’s athletics calendar, but the marathon reflected something much deeper about Kenya’s climate future, particularly for arid and semi-arid lands (Asals), which cover more than 80 percent of the country’s landmass and support nearly 40 percent of the population. Kitui sits firmly within this fragile ecological zone.

The implementation of sustainability by organisations is often likened to a journey. This analogy is apt for many reasons, chief among them being the deliberate phasing of implementation based on priority and material areas that impact value creation over time.

Therefore, compliance should go beyond box-ticking and focus on delivering tangible value for the organisation. Making the shift beyond compliance requires the organisation to deliver a highly effective sustainability compliance programme. Some of the areas organisations should consider to achieve high, effective sustainability compliance are as follows.

An sustainability compliance should go beyond laws and regulations. It should be aligned with the organisation’s strategic objectives and priorities. Organisations should tailor their sustainability compliance to their business case for sustainability and how compliance delivers sustainable business growth for the organisation.

Organisations should leverage technology to achieve highly effective sustainability compliance. Having a technology-enabled compliance programme ensures the organisation can build efficiencies and design processes that enable a business-as-usual environment that embeds sustainability compliance.

Technology is important in the sustainability compliance agenda, spanning baselining, data management, processes, policies, and reporting.

Another aspect to consider is ensuring that sustainability compliance enhances the customer experience and fosters proactive stakeholder engagement.

Some organisations have data gaps for their sustainability compliance that need to be sourced from customers or partners across their value chain.

While organisations would need to engage their customer and partners to address these data gaps, an opportunity to enhance the customer experience and deepen relationships with partners and stakeholders.

Therefore, sustainability compliance aimed at solving data gaps are an opportunity to enhance customer experience and stakeholder engagement. Sustainability compliance needs to be predictive, preventative, proactive and detective.

The ability to move from a detective-only approach to an approach that provides organisations with insights and enables better decision-making beyond regulatory compliance. For example, sustainability risk management needs to evolve from risk monitoring and reporting to a predictive approach that supports better decision-making and anticipates risks.

Finally, organisations must invest in developing their human capital. Having the right talent equation to drive sustainability compliance is crucial to achieving an effective outcome for an organisation.

A chaebol is a large, family-owned business conglomerate in South Korea, typically made up of many affiliated companies across different industries. The word comes from the Korean terms chae (wealth) and bol (clan), reflecting the idea of a wealthy family group controlling diverse enterprises.

South Korea’s chaebol families, specifically Samsung, LG, SK Group, and Hyundai, have built global empires that dominate electronics, automobiles, telecoms, energy, semiconductors, and heavy industry.

A parliamentary committee has backed the creation of a Sh5 billion public participation fund to finance projects proposed by citizens during budget hearings, opening a new spending vote even as the government implements austerity measures.

The allocation, included in the National Treasury’s 2026/27 budget estimates, will finance projects and policy interventions raised during parliamentary public participation forums, including stalled development projects, teacher recruitment and medical staffing.

The new spending vote, dubbed Strategic Response to Public Initiatives/Public Participation, has been approved by the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning after its review of the Treasury’s budget estimates.

Treasury officials say the programme is intended to ensure proposals made by citizens during annual budget consultations are not ignored once public hearings conclude.

‘This relates to projects identified through public participation through the parliamentary process. This list is normally approved by Parliament,’ Albert Mwenda, director-general for Budget, Fiscal and Economic Affairs at the National Treasury, told the Business Daily.

Citizen proposals

Each year, Parliament’s Budget and Appropriations Committee (BAC) compiles recommendations collected during public hearings held across the country while reviewing budget estimates.

The submissions typically include fiscal proposals, policy directives and development priorities raised by citizens, lobby groups, professionals and community organisations.

In previous budget cycles, many of the proposals adopted by Parliament remained unimplemented because of funding constraints despite being incorporated into committee reports.

In its report on the current 2025/26 budget, for instance, the BAC directed the Treasury to conduct a comprehensive audit of stalled and slow-moving projects by March 2026 to determine whether they should be terminated, consolidated or fast-tracked.

The committee also backed funding for the Teachers’ Service Commission to transition intern teachers to permanent and pensionable terms to address staffing shortages in junior secondary schools. The proposal was not implemented after the Treasury cited a lack of funds.

Read: Paradox of teacher shortage despite record recruitment

Similarly, the Ministry of Health had been directed to prioritise the deployment and funding of medical interns and confirm more than 8,500 Universal Health Coverage workers employed on contract terms.

Spending scrutiny

‘The committee recommends an allocation of Sh5 billion under Strategic Response to Public Initiatives/Public Participation,’ the Finance and Planning Committee, chaired by Molo MP Kuria Kimani, said in its report.

The proposal now awaits debate and approval by the National Assembly as part of the 2026/27 budget estimates.

If passed, attention will shift to how the Treasury operationalises the fund, including project selection criteria, accountability structures and oversight mechanisms governing expenditure.

The allocation has, however, drawn scrutiny over the Treasury’s spending priorities at a time when ministries and State agencies are facing deep cuts in travel, training, hospitality and office operations as part of efforts to contain expenditure amid below-target tax receipts and rising debt-servicing costs.

The Finance and Planning Committee has consequently reduced the Treasury’s training budget from Sh250 million to Sh9 million, while expenditure on office supplies has been cut from Sh485 million to Sh12 million.

Hospitality spending was similarly reduced from Sh232 million to Sh12 million as lawmakers intensified pressure on ministries to curb recurrent expenditure and redirect resources towards development priorities.

Jagat Shah has a few things to say about money. ‘It is only a commodity.’

‘Money buys experience; experience winds up with the money.’ Money, he says, adds no real happiness to life. He should know. As the driving force behind Mitsumi Distribution, he has made plenty of it. ‘Enough for my children’s children not to run out of,’ he says.

But he hopes his children choose differently. He knew only work. Nearly 200 days a year in the air. Living out of suitcases. Chasing growth across continents.

Has it been worth it? ‘It has,’ he says, yet there are moments when he hears the bell tolling. He cannot stop. But he can spend more time with family.

He still lives with his brother, his right-hand man, Mitesh Shah, since their days back in a living room on Mutithi Road – a stone’s throw from where Mitsumi stands today.

The bill for success, he admits, is often paid at home. ‘My daughters say, ‘Dad, you have not been giving us time.” This, he does not deny. He is not so much a guilty man in torment as an innocent man tormented by guilt.

Jagat, when I pop open the hood, what will I find?

I am an electronics engineer who came to Kenya in 1994 as one of the first Windows engineers in the country. I worked for a company for three years before starting my own repair shop, Mitsumi Computer Garage.

As we built relationships and repaired people’s computers, customers started giving us orders. Slowly, I moved into selling computers.

In 2007, we diversified into distribution. That gave us a chance to expand into East Africa, then West Africa and later the Middle East. We put up a team in Dubai and shifted the headquarters there. I built a strong management team that is now running the business, and that has worked very well for our expansion.

You started in a living room on Mutithi Road. What do you miss about that man now?

Oh, that man was freer. Today I am so tied up. I cannot give time to myself. I came here when I was 25 years old. Of course, life was different. You had less of everything, but there was much more me-time , which is not there anymore.

But I am really happy because we have more than 1,000 employees. Their families are growing. Their children are joining us. I am proud of what we have built.

What were you worried about then?

How I would succeed because there was no capital. I came to work for somebody else. My monthly pay started at about Sh8,000 and I was wondering how I would grow and meet my monthly expenses.

Opportunities came along the way, but I worked very hard and people appreciated the ethical way we did business. That is what brought repeat customers and success.

What are you still worried about now?

[Chuckles] Health. The way we keep travelling and running around without giving ourselves enough time. Health is one of the things I worry about.

How are you keeping healthy?

I am currently healthy, but I have some lifestyle diseases, such as high blood pressure. That comes with age, but it is also part of business. You need to spend time on yourself to maintain yourself.

Speaking of that, how do you spend time on yourself?

There are social moments with friends. I meet them once a week for Koroga.

As far as health is concerned, I do not get enough time. I try to go to the gym once or twice a week. Saturdays and Sundays are family time.

Most of my happy moments are spent with friends.

Do people ever tell you no?

Yeah. Even my team tells me no. We like people who tell you face-to-face and say, ‘No boss, this is wrong’. And then correct us. Because you do not know everything.

What can you tell me about success that only you can?

There is no shortcut to success. You need to work hard. Most importantly, you need to be ethical. As people grow and become bigger, they want to work with ethical companies and ethical people. There is no substitute for ethics.

We see the successes, what do we not see?

The failures. I started call centres, which failed. I started a shoe manufacturing company and a textile business, which failed. I started an internet company, which actually did well and we sold it to Zuku. We succeeded in distribution, but many other businesses failed.

What is your view of a good life?

The reason I left Dubai and came back to Kenya is that life there felt very artificial. It is first-world living. But the closeness I see among people here and the friendships we have built in Kenya are what I value most. That is why Mitesh and I stayed here, despite our management team being based in Dubai. I want to meet people, make friends and spend time with them. Life is not only about business and money.

What is the best thing a friend has done for you?

There are many so many down times a businessman faces, when you are stressed and need somebody to talk to. That is when your friends help, you know. My friends are very close to me. Whenever we are down, I say, ‘Okay, don’t worry.’ Sometimes you need connections. Your friends may know somebody who knows somebody. It is not one thing. Friends do everything.

If I were to read only one chapter of your life, what would it be?

I was born in Uganda. My father was a school teacher. But when I came to Kenya, that is when my life really started – the struggles, the twists and turns of business and the growth that followed. And, of course, many friends helped along the way.

Your father was a teacher. What kind of father are you?

I am a businessman, but I spend a lot of time in the evenings with my children. I really love them. We are now training Mitesh’s son to take over.

What do you wish you had done differently as a father?

Give more time to my children. [Chuckles]

If you did that, you would not be here, right?

That is the balance we need to strike. When children have school activities, you are often stressed and distracted by work. I do not remember a single day when I dropped my children at school. I have never done that. I may have attended one or two school meetings, but it was mostly my wife who handled those responsibilities.

Is that a regret?

Of course.

What do you hope your children remember about you when they are your age?

I have given them a platform. They should balance their lives better than I did. Not like me, rushing and rushing. They should give more time to their own children.

Do you think you can stop?

No, stopping is not an option. Because I, Mitesh, or most businessmen, are not the type who would sit back and do nothing. I want to spend more time giving back to society. We have started many charitable initiatives and CSR programmes. I want to spend more time on those.

If I stripped away all your titles, what remains?

My identity is tied to my work. That is what my life has been about. Outside work, there is very little. In fact, when I am free at home, I still want to do something – whether it is charity, education or community work. So, if you take work away from me, there is very little left.

How has your meaning of life evolved?

What we could not do ourselves is what we want our children to do. Spend more time with people, friends and family. Have a balanced life.

Success is not only measured in business. It can be measured through community, society and giving. There are many ways to define success. When we did not have money, we did not understand that. Now that they do, I hope they understand it.

Were you always an ambitious child?

My father was a primary school teacher. We had a very thin budget. We were expelled from Uganda and left everything behind. The ambition to do something big was always there. Mitesh and I started our first business while we were still in school. He was in Year 10 and I was in Year 12. We bought and sold things. That early, we understood that you needed to earn.

How lonely is success?

My life is not lonely at all. I am always with my work, my family or myself.

When you look back at your 54 years, what feelings come to you?

Well, I am very happy with what I have done. I could not have done better. I have no regrets. In every phase of life, for myself, for society and for my children, I am proud of what I have achieved. The only thing missing is the time that was never given.

What life lessons do you swear by?

Have a balanced life. Give more time to your children. Show them the value of life, not only the value of money and business.

What have your children taught you about life?

It is this one thing: ‘Dad, you have not been giving me time.’ One of my daughters got married a year and a half ago.

How does that make you feel?

You know, every time my daughter leaves, I do not like it. They have been with me all my life. Of course, I want to see them get married and settle down, but I still do not like it [chuckles]. In our Asian community, children do not really leave home. They stay with us.

You run this business with your brother. In most family businesses there is always infighting. How have you managed?

We still live together in one house. It is a big house in Kyuna. We still have one kitchen and one dining room. He has two daughters and a son. I have three daughters and a son. Everybody is one family.

Is this something you decided?

Yes. It comes from childhood. We have always been like that. Mitesh and I never fight. Of course, he respects me a lot. Sometimes we may disagree, but he takes it positively.

Sometimes we do not get time to meet during the day, but every evening, after dinner, we sit together, watch television and discuss work.

How has that been for both your families?

They love each other. They do not like being alone.

What matters less to you now?

Money. I cannot spend what I have in this lifetime. So I am not earning for myself anymore. Of course, I still have more than 1,000 families depending on the business, so I have to continue. But even if I retired, I think the next generation would do well.

What does money mean to you now?

It has become a commodity. It is no longer a need. I have come to understand that money comes and goes. It does not add any real happiness. Once you get it [chuckles], you realise that.

When we were struggling and starting out, money was the only thing that mattered. Today, I know it does not add even a single thing to your happiness.

What is a mistake you made about money, and what did you learn from it?

Well, I made many bad investments. I tried to make money very quickly and got conned. Somebody comes and tells you, ‘I will multiply your money.’ You give it to them and they disappear [chuckles].

I have learned that only hard-earned money grows.

What do you have that money cannot buy?

Friendship, happiness and family time.

When money comes, family time goes. To manage money, you must give it time, and that time is usually taken from your family.

With all this money, how did you know who to trust?

That is a bit of a problem. Take a charity organisation, for example. If you want to donate, you are not always going to the ground to verify everything yourself. You look at the person running it. If you believe they are ethical and trustworthy, then you trust them and move forward.

But what if it is someone who wants to be a friend?

You know what? I think I am losing more and more friends as I become more successful. My circle keeps shrinking.

Why?

That is what success brings. People assume you are busy. They say, ‘Let us not call him.’ So you end up having to look for your friends rather than the other way round.

How is that for you as a man?

My inner circle is made up of four or five very close friends. Those are the people I spend most of my time with now.

Of course, you know many people in the market. But when you are out, it is usually those same four or five faces you see every day.

Have you kept the promises you made to yourself as a young man?

When I was young, my only goal was to be successful. I did not have anything else in mind because I came from very humble beginnings. If you had asked me 15 years ago, I would still have said the same thing: work, work, work. Business, business, business. Money, money, money.

What has success not fixed?

Success does not fix many things.

It brings its own problems, your health, the lack of time and not being able to do what you actually want to do. If I wanted to play golf every day, I could not. I have the money, but I do not have the time.

Why is there no time? I imagine you can delegate.

It is always like that, but my mind keeps asking: ‘What is new? What is next?’

It has become a habit. You cannot just sit and do nothing.

What tips do you have for surviving adulthood?

You need to be very focused on what you want to do.

Life gives you many opportunities, some good and some bad. The choices you make in your 20s define who you become.

I have seen many friends choose different paths. Mitesh and I chose work, work, work. I think that decision created a huge difference between where they are and where we are today.

Decide what you want from life.

What is something most people misunderstand about leadership?

Haha! People often think that if you are sitting at the top, you must be arrogant. They assume all you think about is money and that success automatically makes you arrogant.

What is the most important question someone has asked you?

‘When are you retiring?’

Haha! I do not think I ever will. I love working. I may slow down and focus on different things, but I cannot sit back and do nothing.

What do you think that 24 or 25-year-old boy in that living room on Mutithi Road is telling the man sitting across from me today?

He would probably say that the excessive pressure and running around was not necessary.

Every other day I was on an international flight. For nearly 200 days a year I was out of the country. Looking back, a lot of that was not needed.

Covid slowed us down and taught us that work can still happen without constant travel. These days we have reduced that to about 150 days a year.

And what would you tell that boy?

Organising your life is more important than money. Once you become successful, you understand that.

Jagat, what do you wish people understood about you more?

I am very strict when it comes to management. I have more than 50 companies. If I ask you to do something, it is your responsibility to come back and report on it. It is not my job to chase you for updates.

I am tough on that, and some people are genuinely afraid of that side of me.

Do people ever see you beyond the money?

Yes. I have many friends.

For years, informal ‘lifting’ has quietly existed across Kenyan estates and highways. Neighbours heading in the same direction share rides, motorists stop to pick stranded commuters, and lately, WhatsApp groups are coordinating transport during peak hours.

Now, a Kenyan mobility startup is attempting to formalise that culture into a structured

Investors have been urged to tap offshore investment opportunities on the back of technology that has opened doors for individuals to diversify away from Kenyan government securities and local stocks.

The Business Daily’s fourth investor conference turned the spotlight on the future of investing, with industry leaders highlighting technology and artificial intelligence as key drivers in the assets diversification push.

Local fund managers have created applications that allow investors to directly buy foreign assets such as shares and commodities, including gold, oil and silver.

The technologies also allow local investors to buy Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF), a pooled investment vehicle that holds a basket of securities-such as stocks, bonds or commodities-and trades on a stock exchange just like a regular company stock.

Buying a single ETF allows investors to instantly spread their money across hundreds or thousands of different assets, lowering their risk.

Mobile and web trading platform Hisa’s Chief Operations Officer, Leah Wakarima, said technology has lowered barriers to entry and has widened the investment options for ordinary Kenyans through smartphones.

‘Technology has done for investing what M-Pesa did for payments. It has created access to investment,’ she said at the conference.

The conference, themed ‘The Future of Investing: Diversifying Portfolio in a New Era,’ brought together investors, policymakers, entrepreneurs and financial market players to discuss emerging investment opportunities amid the shifting global economic and trends.

Ms Wakarima said investment in assets such as ETFs was no longer limited to wealthy individuals, adding that digital tools had enabled younger and first-time investors to tap the global financial markets.

M-Pesa was one of the global pioneers of mobile-phone-based money transfer services in 2007. The mobile money platform’s user base has grown to 35 million customers in Kenya, and it now offers an array of financial services, including savings, banking, investment products and direct trading shares on the Nairobi Securities Exchange without the need to open a brokerage account.

Nation Media Group CEO Geoffrey Odundo said the conference had evolved over the last four years from a financial literacy forum into a major platform for conversations around investment, economic transformation and market trends.

‘Business Daily has continued to provide trusted reporting, analysis and insight that helps readers understand not only what is happening in the economy, but what those developments mean and how they should respond to them,’ said Mr Odundo.

Centum Investment CEO James Mworia said the future investment growth would come from financing productive ecosystems tied to the global demand.

Participants at the conference urged Kenyan investors to think global.

He argued that Kenya and Africa stood to benefit from the shifting global supply chains, digitisation and changing geopolitical dynamics, which are pushing manufacturers and investors to seek alternative production and investment destinations.

He also cautioned against policy unpredictability, saying frequent tax changes risk undermining investor confidence and long-term capital allocation.

The rise of digital investing platforms has also transformed how fund managers acquire and interact with clients, according to Arvocap Asset Managers’ Head of Business Development, John Kamau.

‘Today, a lot more people can participate in the investment space. Thank God for technology and access to information,’ said Mr Kamau.

He revealed that nearly all of Arvocap’s clients currently join through their digital onboarding platforms, reflecting the growing shift towards technology-driven investing.

‘As a company, 98 percent of our clients have come from self-onboarding, digital onboarding,’ he said.

With artificial intelligence increasingly influencing financial markets globally, panelists also debated the opportunities and risks presented by AI-powered investing tools.

‘AI is a tool. It is not a pilot, it is a co-pilot,’ said Mr Kamau.

The recent tragedy at Utumishi Girls High School in Gilgil, where at least 16 students were tragically lost their lives and more than 70 others injured in a dormitory fire, is not only shocking but a painful reminder of why we must treat the safety of our students, in both day schools and boarding schools, with the seriousness it deserves.

While the cause of the fire is still under investigation, with authorities examining whether safety protocols were followed, it is time to rethink security as a whole. Tragedies such as this serve as a warning. A warning that it is high time, not just for school managements but for all of us to think about safety protocols and measures every day.

Protection of every individual in Kenya is guaranteed in the Constitution under the Bill of Rights, including the protection of our children.

Sadly, it is not the first time that we are witnessing these occurrences. In 2024, 21 boys were killed at a boarding school.

In 2017, 10 girls died while a fire blazed through their school. In 2016, there were about 120 incidents of students setting fire to their dormitories. A 2022 report by the Auditor-General also found that most of the public schools were not prepared to deal with fires.

While we wait for the report on whether safety protocols were followed, we must have an honest conversation about safety. Safety is no longer how well we react when a tragedy happens. It is now about reducing the chances of the tragedy happening.

In the case of the fire in the dormitory, we must insist that we have mandatory regular fire-risk assessments, clear and unobstructed emergency exits, functioning alarms, smoke detectors, accessible fire extinguishers, fire sirens, locking mechanisms integrated with the fire alarm system to allow automatic unlocking during emergencies, and proper inspection of the types of windows fitted to ensure they do not hinder escape or rescue efforts.

It also calls for regular fire drills and safety training, which should not just be a tick-the-box activity but a serious exercise to gauge the preparedness of both students and staff. It is also worth having fire marshals in every institution.

These fire marshals should be trained on how to guide the students in the event of a fire. These marshals don’t just have to be the staff in the schools. The student leaders can also be trained. This will allow them to take ownership and encourage other students to be marshals to help in the event of a fire.

Additionally, schools should consider having designated supervisors sleep within dormitory areas to enable faster response and coordination during emergencies, especially at night when students are most vulnerable.

Boarding schools already demonstrate commitment to health and cleanliness through regular inspections; it is time that dormitory safety is afforded the same level of scrutiny. Fire drills, too, should go beyond routine practice to incorporate broader emergency response training, ensuring that clear evacuation routes are established and known by every student and member of staff.

But it is not just the schools that need to think about safety measures. Most of our homes are death traps. We build beautiful homes, but with no plan for what happens in the event of an emergency like fire. When we think of security, we are quick to get a guard, an electric fence or CCTV cameras.

We don’t think of the danger that lurks in the event of a fire breaking out in our houses, yet we are prone to having these emergencies because we are always dealing with fire in our kitchens. We rarely have firefighting equipment at our homes, smoke detectors, and worse still, little to no knowledge of what to do in a fire emergency.

We have seen school officials and government officials read out statements after the tragedy. However, statements on what will be done while expressing sorrow are not enough.

We must have someone take responsibility for the fire safety, especially in our schools. Who is in charge of the inspections? Who follows up on defects? Who can we point towards when the emergency happens and we lose lives again over something that we could have prevented?

It also calls for partnerships between schools, government agencies and the private security industry. We must work together in preventing risks, especially in schools. Security should go beyond manning gates.

Fire is a serious security threat that we must anticipate. We must support schools to install and maintain safety equipment, help them ensure they are well prepared for the fire by carrying out their drills, and help them develop response procedures.

The lives of the young girls cut short in the fire tragedy must be a wake-up call, and we should never wake up to such news again, not when we have the capacity and knowledge to prevent these disasters. When designing any school, building or home, we should ask ourselves whether we are likely to get out alive if a disaster were to strike.

You reached for your third coffee in the morning before drinking a single glass of water. It has been nearly four hours since your last bathroom break. A mild headache is creeping in, but you are blaming it on Monday meetings. Sound familiar?

If you work in an office, spend hours in traffic or sit most of the day in an air-conditioned building, there is a good chance you are not drinking enough water and may not even realise it.

A snap poll of urban workers showed just how widespread the problem is. Asked how many glasses of water they drink on a typical workday, 48 percent said between zero and five glasses, while 22 percent said they simply do not keep track.

Plain water ranked only third among drinks consumed during working hours. Some 38 percent reported drinking a mix of beverages, 27 percent relied mainly on tea or coffee, and 14 percent on soda or juice. Only 21 percent said plain water was their primary drink at work.

Similarly, only 44 percent said they always keep water at their workstation. A combined 41 percent said they rarely or never do so.

More than half of respondents also reported feeling fatigued or lacking energy during the workday. Some 47 percent experienced frequent headaches, while 43 percent reported brain fog or poor concentration, often attributing it to heavy workloads or long weeks.

Silent habit

‘That is exactly the problem,’ says Dr Peris Koge, a nephrologist at The Nairobi Hospital.

‘When your body gets used to not drinking enough water, your counter-regulatory mechanisms adjust. You stop feeling thirsty, and you lose the signal. So you don’t drink, and you don’t even realise you’re not drinking.’

The poll also asked workers why they fail to drink enough water during the day. The most common reasons were being too busy, forgetting and attending back-to-back meetings.

Some respondents admitted deliberately limiting water intake to avoid bathroom breaks during long commutes or busy schedules.

Dr Koge says the consequences of this habit can be significant.

‘When you are not taking in enough fluids, your kidneys respond accordingly. They produce less urine, and the urine produced is highly concentrated and full of waste products such as uric acid, calcium and phosphate. When you don’t have enough urine to pass, those substances begin to form stones.’

Kidney stones are not the only risk.

‘When you don’t pass urine regularly, it sits in the bladder for too long, creating an environment in which bacteria can grow and thrive,’ she says. ‘So recurrent urinary tract infections are another possible outcome.’

The longer-term concern, she says, is the effect of chronic low-level dehydration on kidney function.

‘Think of it like a wound. You get a cut; it heals, but it leaves a scar. When you’re dehydrated, the kidneys experience what we call acute kidney injury. Eventually, you drink, and it recovers, but it recovers with scarring. This process happens repeatedly. In the long run, you end up with chronic kidney disease.’

Coffee culture

The poll found that 31 percent of respondents never use infused water, while only 18 percent do so regularly. The findings suggest many urban workers depend heavily on caffeinated and flavoured drinks as their primary source of fluids.

‘You need at least 1.5 litres of plain water. Tea and coffee don’t count as your water when you add them on top of that to reach two to three litres a day. They are extra,’ says Dr Koge.

She adds that the sugary and caffeinated drinks many office workers rely on come with additional health costs, including excess calorie intake and poor weight management and the high salt content of fast food eaten between meetings.

Desk-bound lifestyles also contribute to inactivity.

‘Inactivity carries the same risks as smoking,’ she says. ‘The same diseases, such as hypertension and heart disease, can result from sitting all day as from smoking.’

Brain pays the price too

The effects are not limited to physical health.

Dr Koge says persistent dehydration can affect concentration, memory and mood.

‘Some of these workers are persistently fatigued. They have mood issues and memory problems. The body’s mechanism for coping with reduced fluid intake is also affected, including the brain’s role in managing blood volume. When you are chronically low on water, these things have a real impact.’

Constipation is another often overlooked consequence.

‘If you’re not active, not drinking enough fluids and eating food with no fibre, you get constipated. This can lead to problems such as haemorrhoids and fissures.’

Hydration also affects appearance.

‘Your skin reflects your level of hydration. You can lose moisture and elasticity, develop deep wrinkles and prematurely age.’

Sparkling, infused, hot or cold water?

The poll showed that 36 percent of respondents occasionally drink infused water. Dr Koge, however, advises consumers to pay attention to what is actually being infused.

‘You have to look at what is actually infused. Some are carbonated, and some have added flavours with sugar. Carbonation can cause bloating, reflux and acidity, and some of those drinks have a pH level that can irritate your stomach lining.’

On the debate over hot versus cold water, she says there is little evidence to support either side.

‘There are no studies to confirm one is better than the other. Water is water. If cold water works for you, that’s fine. If you prefer hot water, that is also fine.’

When asked whether their workplace actively encouraged hydration, about 54 percent of respondents said no or were unsure.

Dr Koge says the solution begins with building simple habits rather than waiting for thirst to signal a problem.

‘Be intentional. Carry your own water bottle so you know how much you have drunk. Take it with you to every meeting. Keep one in your car. If you haven’t had a bathroom break in three to four hours, that’s a sign that you need to drink.’

She recommends at least 1.5 litres of plain water spread throughout the day as a baseline.

‘Your smartwatch can alert you when you’ve been sitting for too long. Set a reminder. Take the stairs. Do at least 150 minutes of physical activity a week. Go for a wellness check to find out your blood pressure, blood sugar and BMI.’

She says the reason many urban workers are dehydrated is not that water is unavailable, but that it is absent from their daily routines.

‘You can’t leave the room to go to the bathroom, but you can carry water with you into the room. That is where it starts.’