Category: Business Daily

A technology firm has sued the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), seeking to block the roll out of a digital cargo pre-arrival declaration system amid claims of ‘copycat’ of a similar idea it had shared with the tax agency.

The tech company, Greenworld Big Data Limited, seeks urgent orders blocking the implementation of the Advance Cargo Declaration (ACD) customs platform from August 3, 2026, pending determination of the suit.

Alternatively, the company wants the court to compel KRA to pay it an ongoing royalty equal to 30 per cent of all revenue, gains, cost savings and efficiencies generated by the ACD platform if the tax authority is allowed to continue operating it.

The new ACD platform by KRA is a mandatory digital pre-arrival system requiring a 15-digit alphanumeric reference code for all containerised sea cargo destined for Kenyan ports before loading at the point of origin.

The company claims the taxman copied its proprietary cargo management system after the company shared the idea three years ago.

Court papers show KRA initiated its ACD system after receiving detailed presentations from the company about a similar programme dubbed the Advanced Cargo Information Declaration (ACID) platform in 2023.

Greenworld Big Data Limited alleged that KRA adopted key elements of the technology it presented to it in 2023 without its consent or compensation.

The company says the ACID platform was designed to digitise cargo movement by sea, air, rail and road, and to curb under-declaration and under-valuation of imports. The platform was also designed to improve cargo visibility before arrival, and recover an estimated Sh826 billion lost annually through revenue leakages.

It also says the system could save the government more than Sh23 billion in technology costs and generate an additional Sh150 billion annually through more accurate trade data, according to documents filed in court.

Greenworld Big Data Limited and its founder and director, Jacob Munene, filed the suit against KRA and the Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury and Economic Planning.

The plaintiffs say they independently conceived, designed and developed the ACID platform before approaching KRA in 2023 to market the technology. KRA and the National Treasury had not filed responses in the documents before the court at the time of publishing this article.

According to the court documents, the plaintiffs say they wrote to the then Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury and Economic Planning, Prof Njuguna Ndung’u, more than once as part of their efforts to secure government adoption of the ACID platform.

The company engaged KRA officers between March 13 and August 15, 2023 through meetings, emails and presentations after conducting what it described as a forensic analysis of weaknesses within Kenya’s cargo handling and customs systems.

One of the key meetings took place at KRA headquarters on May 24, 2023.

The company says Mr Munene and fellow director Thomas Ngunyi presented the platform to nine senior KRA officials, chaired by James Ndege (a KRA Customs official), while Levison Kibet recorded the official minutes.

The affidavit claims the presentation disclosed “module by module, the entire architecture of the ACID System,” including the Big Data Hub, cargo consolidation, vessel manifest management, e-vessel booking, dashboard modules, inland cargo systems, smart gate technology, truck monitoring and satellite intelligence.

The company says KRA’s own minutes recorded that the presentation “highly impressed the members” and that the ACID system “is highly recommended by members through various user modifications.”

It says KRA officials also proposed another “technical team engagement” to “delve into the details of the ACID system and its solutions.”

Greenworld says communication then stopped. The company says KRA neither licensed the technology nor compensated it after receiving the detailed proposal.

Court papers show that the company wrote again on August 15, 2023, seeking a further 30-minute meeting with the Cabinet Secretary to explain the proposal, but never received a response.

The legal dispute emerged on July 14, 2026, when KRA issued a public notice announcing the rollout of its Advance Cargo Declaration (ACD) platform for all containerised cargo entering Kenya through its ports.

The tax authority said exporters would obtain an ACD reference code after uploading a draft bill of lading, commercial invoice, freight invoice and export declaration before cargo departed for Kenya.

The notice was addressed to all importers, exporters shipping goods to Kenya, ship owners, carriers, shipping agents, customs agents, and relevant stakeholders.

Greenworld argues that the similarities between the two systems extend beyond the names.

It says both platforms require cargo declarations before shipment leaves the port of origin, and generate shipment reference codes linked to bills of lading.

Both also rely on centralised digital processing, target importers, exporters, shipping agents and customs authorities, and seek to improve customs risk assessment while reducing revenue leakage.

“The striking similarity of the system is so resounding both in expression and system operation to the ACID System pitched to the Authority in 2023, including even the name that it only excludes the ‘I’ for Information,” the company states.

Developers, deployers, operators, vendors, and users of artificial intelligence (AI) models will share liability for their systems as Kenya seeks to reinforce accountability on the new technology increasingly adopted by Kenyan businesses, government offices and private users.

A new proposal by the ICT Ministry said that responsibility for AI models will no longer rest with one player.

“Recognising that AI systems are rarely designed, deployed and operated by a single organisation, the draft AI policy indicates that future implementing legislation will provide for allocation of liability, accountability, insurance, and redress across developers, deployers, operators, vendors, and users, supported by requirements relating to transparency, explainability and auditability,” analysts at law firm Bowmans said in a note.

“This marks a significant shift towards shared accountability, with organisations expected to understand and manage their role in the AI lifecycle while supporting regulatory oversight, enforcement and effective redress.”

The push for shared responsibility comes even as Kenya also seeks to regulate AI models used in the country or affecting residents, even when the companies that own them do not have local operations.

The ICT Ministry proposes to extend the government’s control to overseas tech firms such as ChatGPT maker OpenAI and Facebook’s parent Meta, whose AI systems are increasingly being adopted by Kenyan businesses, government offices and private users.

“This policy applies to any entity outside Kenya that provides AI or other emerging technologies systems or services whose outputs are used within Kenya, or which have direct and foreseeable effects on individuals, rights, or public interests in Kenya,” reads the draft AI policy.

The policy proposal gives the government powers to hold tech firms accountable if their products, services, or data systems are accessed or used in Kenya, regardless of where the company is headquartered.

The guidelines cover software vendors, cloud service providers, compute providers, AI model developers, data intermediaries, data annotation providers and public-sector technology suppliers used locally.

“This policy adopts an effects-based jurisdictional approach, consistent with international best practice in data protection and consumer protection law,” the policy says.

The regulatory model, technically referred to as extraterritorial jurisdiction, is similar to that adopted by the European Union (EU). The regional bloc routinely fines tech giants whose products infringe on Europeans’ privacy and safety.

Such an approach allows a government, regulator, or court to exercise legal authority over companies or individuals located outside its physical borders, as long as their action has direct consequences within the regulating country’s territory.

This means international AI companies whose products are used in Kenya – including OpenAI’s GPT models, Anthropic’s Claude and Meta’s Llama – could be required to comply with Kenyan AI rules even if they have no physical presence in the country.

Google, which owns the Gemini AI model, and Microsoft, the developer of the MAI series of models, already have offices in Kenya.

The challenge now is ensuring the sector scales into a commercially sustainable and mature industry. Achieving this will depend on reducing the commercial, regulatory and governance uncertainties that accompany every emerging market, creating the confidence needed for long-term investment, innovation and growth.

The next test for Kenya’s e-mobility sector will not be its ability to attract investment, but to translate that investment into commercially sustainable businesses.

Across the value chain-from vehicle manufacturing and assembly to charging infrastructure, battery-swapping networks and innovative financing-operators face a common commercial imperative: generating sufficient customer demand, operational efficiency and sustainable returns to justify continued expansion.

Ultimately, success will be measured not by the number of market entrants or the volume of capital deployed, but by the ability of commercially resilient businesses to scale and continue attracting long-term investment.

The energy transition is increasingly bringing together sectors that have traditionally operated within separate legal and regulatory frameworks, and e-mobility is one of its clearest examples.

While the National Electric Mobility Policy provides strategic direction, the sector’s continued growth will depend on how effectively the existing frameworks governing electricity, transport, environmental management, taxation and technical standards operate in practice.

The certainty businesses require comes not from reducing regulation, but from ensuring that regulatory processes are coordinated, predictable and responsive.

As the market evolves, new operational questions will emerge. Many can be addressed through coordinated regulatory guidance, measured refinement of technical standards and practical experience, allowing the regulatory framework to evolve alongside the market while preserving the flexibility needed for innovation.

As businesses seek larger and longer-term sources of capital, governance will become an increasingly important source of investor confidence.

Whether expanding an electric bus fleet, charging infrastructure or a Battery-as-a-Service platform, access to capital will depend on more than a compelling business model.

Investors increasingly look beyond innovation to governance, board oversight, risk management, transparent reporting and compliance as indicators of an organization’s long-term resilience.

Governance should therefore be viewed not merely as a compliance requirement, but as a strategic capability that reduces investment uncertainty, strengthens investor confidence and positions businesses to scale sustainably.

Kenya has already taken important steps by establishing a supportive policy framework and strengthening the investment environment.

The next phase of the sector’s development will depend less on new policy interventions and more on creating the commercial, regulatory and investment certainty that enables businesses to invest with confidence, innovate responsibly and scale sustainably.

That is how an enabling policy environment is ultimately transformed into a commercially sustainable and mature market.

TelPosta Pension Scheme has dodged a Sh13.4 billion pension liability after the High Court dismissed claims by former members for additional payout, ending a 15-year legal battle that had threatened to plunge the fund into a massive deficit.

The dispute revolved around allegations by past members that their retirement benefits had been under-calculated, leading to a claim initially quantified at Sh7.2 billion and later projected to rise to Sh13.4 billion due to accrued interest and the passage of time.

In its latest rulings, the High Court agreed with the decision of the Retirement Benefits Appeals Tribunal (RBAT) delivered on October 2, 2025, upholding that the scheme had computed and paid benefits in line with its Trust Deed and the Retirement Benefits Act.

“I would agree with the 1st respondent (RBA Tribunal) and the interested parties that the instant application is an appeal disguised as a judicial review. It lacks merit, and it is for dismissal, and I hereby, accordingly, dismiss it. There shall be no order for costs,” said the judge in a July 27, 2026 decision.

The courts’ decision effectively shields the scheme from a potential financial shock that, according to actuarial assessments disclosed in its 2025 annual report, would have created a deficit of about Sh9.7 billion in its books.

“We welcome the High Court’s judgments, which bring further legal clarity and reinforce confidence in the governance and administration of the TelPosta Pension Scheme,” the board chairman of the scheme, Julius Cheptiony, said.

The case has undergone scrutiny across multiple legal and regulatory forums, including the Retirement Benefits Authority (RBA), the RBA tribunal, the High Court and the Court of Appeal over 15 years.

The dispute was centred on whether the scheme had correctly applied its benefit calculation formula. Trustees maintained throughout the proceedings that all payouts were based on the scheme’s rules, arguing that any deviation would have breached contractual obligations and statutory requirements.

The favourable ruling provides certainty for the scheme, which operates as a closed defined benefit fund and has not received new contributions since December 2007. Such schemes are sensitive to large, unplanned liabilities due to their reliance on existing assets to meet future obligations.

Previous disclosures show that the scheme had already factored in the legal risk in its actuarial evaluations, warning that an adverse outcome would materially affect its financial position.

The scheme was established in 1997 to manage retirement benefits for employees of the former Kenya Posts and Telecommunications Corporation and its successor institutions, including Telkom Kenya and the Postal Corporation of Kenya.

Most of the members are former employees and dependants of people who worked at East African Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (EAPTC) and Kenya Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (KPTC).

EAPTC and KPTC gave birth to Telkom Kenya Limited, Postal Corporation of Kenya and Communications Authority of Kenya, which later set up their own separate pension schemes, leaving Telposta as a closed scheme.

The Telposta scheme pays out an average of Sh11,895 every month to its members. Since becoming a closed scheme, it has paid out over Sh14.5 billion to its over 5,000 members.

The scheme, which currently has about 83 percent of its investment portfolio in properties, is eyeing about Sh10 billion from the sale of four strategic assets to the government as part of the move to cut exposure in properties to the permitted maximum of 30 percent.

The four properties are TelPosta Towers, Gilgil GTI staff quarters and two flats in Makande and Bombolulu in Mombasa.

Vodacom and the World Bank have wired a combined Sh337.6 billion into government accounts, helping lift Kenya’s foreign exchange reserves to a record $15.4 billion (Sh1.99 trillion), new data shows.

The government received $1.86 billion (Sh240.5 billion) from the sale of a 15 percent stake in Safaricom and a $750 million (Sh97.1 billion) from the World Bank after the multilateral lender unfroze the billions.

This increased the reserve from $13.9billion (Sh1.8 trillion) on July 23, translating to a $1.5 billion (Sh194.1 billion) weekly jump.

The reserves stand at an equivalent of 6.4 months of import cover, surpassing Central Bank of Kenya’s (CBK’s) statutory requirements and East African Community limit of at least four and 4.5 months of import cover, respectively.

Foreign exchange reserves represent liquid assets held by a country’s central bank and serve as a buffer against external economic shocks.

The forex buffer is a boost to the State, which uses the reserves to ensure that the country can meet its international payment obligations, including servicing external debt.

The reserves also provide the central bank with the capacity to intervene in currency markets to stabilise the exchange rate when necessary.

A higher reserve level is widely viewed as a sign of improved external liquidity and stronger ability to absorb volatility in global financial markets.

Vodacom bought the 15 percent stake for Sh204 billion through a block trade on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE), raising its effective holding in Safaricom to 55 percent while reducing the government’s stake to 20 percent. The transaction package rose to about Sh240.5 billion after an upfront dividend arrangement.

The government has been pursuing asset sales as part of efforts to raise resources while reducing reliance on additional borrowing.

The Treasury has disclosed that the World Bank further disbursed the $750 million under a Development Policy Operation arrangement that provides budget support alongside reforms in public financial management, governance and social protection.

The latest inflows came as the government closed one fiscal cycle and opened another, creating a concentration of payments around the transition into the new budget year as the Treasury settles obligations falling due.

The nearly Sh144 billion difference between the receipts and the weekly reserve increase points to significant foreign-currency outflows during the week. External debt service is a major call on the country’s reserves, with payments to foreign creditors made through the CBK.

The apex bank does not, however, provide a transaction-level breakdown in the weekly data showing how much of the difference was attributable to debt service. The latest reserve position follows a year of stronger foreign currency liquidity supported by Eurobond issues, diaspora remittances, tourism earnings and other inflows.

Diaspora remittances are Kenya’s largest source of hard currency ahead of tourism receipts and agriculture exports.

In April, CBK cut its projection of diaspora remittances for 2026 by Sh40.5 billion ($313 million) on the expectation of lower inflows from the Middle East due to the war and recently introduced transaction taxes in Saudi Arabia.

The apex bank expects diaspora remittances to total Sh660.3 billion ($5.1 billion) this year from an earlier estimate of Sh701.8 billion ($5.42 billion).

Inflows from the Gulf region account for roughly 10 percent of Kenya’s annual remittance inflows.

“We expect a slight deceleration because of the direct impact (of the conflict) on the remittances from the Gulf area where about 10 percent of our inflows come from,” CBK Governor Kamau Thugge said in April.

“But there are also potentially indirect effects arising from the possible economic growth slowdown in other countries, for example the US.

The Court of Appeal has allowed a Dutch firm to pursue a debtor in Kenya, overturning an earlier decision by a lower court which blocked it from doing so, because it wasn’t locally registered under the Companies Act.

The appellate court reinstated a debt recovery suit by Stichting Rabobank Foundation against AVA Chem Limited-reinforcing a ruling by a High Court in 2025 that foreign companies incorporated abroad can sue and enforce contracts in Kenyan courts without local registration under the Companies Act.

At the heart of the dispute was whether a foreign company that is not registered in Kenya is barred from accessing Kenyan courts and whether extending a cross-border loan to a Kenyan company amounts to “carrying on business in Kenya” within the meaning of the Companies Act.

“Parliament prohibited an unregistered foreign company from carrying on business in Kenya. It did not prohibit such a company from instituting proceedings, maintaining an action, recovering a debt or enforcing a contract. Had Parliament intended to impose such a litigation disability, it could easily have said so expressly.”

The court emphasised that enforcing an existing legal right through litigation is not necessarily the same as carrying on business.

The dispute arose from a financial support arrangement entered into in October 2016. According to court records, Stichting Rabobank Foundation, a Dutch entity, agreed to provide financial support amounting to $180,116(Sh23.31million) to AVA Chem Limited.

Under the Financial Support Agreement, Christopher Irungu Mwangi, a director of AVA Chem Ltd, executed a personal guarantee through a deed of suretyship to secure the company’s obligations. The Foundation told the court that AVA Chem later defaulted on its repayment obligations.

Mr Mwangi allegedly acknowledged the company’s indebtedness and agreed to honour the guarantee should the company fail to pay.

When the debt remained outstanding, the Foundation filed a suit in the High Court in September 2022 seeking recovery of $230,868.51(Sh2.98billion), together with interest and costs.

Ava Chem filed a preliminary objection, arguing that the Foundation lacked the legal capacity to sue because it was a foreign company that had not registered under Part XXXVII of the Companies Act.

The High Court agreed with that argument, holding that the Foundation lacked locus standi because it had failed to register as required under Section 974 of the Companies Act. The court consequently struck out the suit without hearing its merits.

The Foundation moved to the Court of Appeal arguing that while Section 974 prohibits an unregistered foreign company from carrying on business in Kenya, the provision does not state that such a company loses its legal personality or is barred from filing or maintaining court proceedings.

It further argued that whether it was actually carrying on business in Kenya was a factual issue that could not properly be determined through a preliminary objection.

The respondents, however, maintained that the Foundation was carrying on business in Kenya through the financial arrangement and, having failed to register, lacked the legal capacity to institute proceedings.

The Court of Appeal said foreign companies may legitimately approach Kenyan courts for a variety of reasons, including protecting property, defending claims, enforcing arbitral awards, obtaining conservatory orders or recovering debts arising from international commercial transactions.

There are lessons Kieran Godden tells about his life. Don’t go to a foreign country if you don’t know exactly where you’re going. Food at Cinque Terre in Italy is best served outdoors, in the heat, with the late-afternoon Mediterranean sunlight twirling through the stem of your wine glasses. Make only the promises you are willing to fulfil. That last one, especially, used to irritate him-the double speak, how people can say this and mean that, the exact opposite.

But as life goes, he got daughters, and they remind him, ‘Dad, it’s not that deep.’ Now he labours away as the Group CEO of Liberty Kenya Holdings Plc, but he doesn’t take himself too seriously. ‘The job will still be there when you come back to the office,’ he says. ‘I can work tonight, but I can’t be present for my child tonight.’ Even at work, he remains a good sport-which is perhaps the only way he survives as a Tottenham Hotspur town crier in an office full of Arsenal devouts.

What moment of your children’s lives passed faster than you were prepared for? With small children, they say the days are long but the years are short, and I think as they get older the days aren’t quite as long. I don’t think we missed anything, but it feels like it went by really quickly. Having adult children with opinions is really entertaining. You can’t tell them what to do anymore. But I have good children.

How has it been to be a father? I’ve really enjoyed being a dad to girls. When they were born, we didn’t find out what we were having, so it was a little bit of a surprise when they arrived. I was very happy that they were both girls. With the third one, we decided to check the gender because by then the novelty had worn off. I’ve never had a burning desire to have a boy. It is amazing how the same recipe can bake three different cakes!

What would you teach your father about fatherhood? Haha! My dad was a lot older than my mum, and he got married quite late. He had very little contact with his dad because he was in boarding school. My dad was not quite as hands-on as I have been with my children. Perhaps it is the era he grew up in.

Which one has exposed your weaknesses more, fatherhood or leadership? Fatherhood [chuckles]. There’s no doubt about that. It is important to me to be myself, but I think you control your reactions in leadership. I’ve definitely lost my temper more with my children than I have with anyone I’ve ever led. They see me at my real core when I get home at the end of my energy levels. My wife has criticised me about this multiple times.

What kind of father are you trying to avoid being? I don’t want to be a helicopter parent. I’ve tried to set my children up for success, but I don’t want to meddle in their lives or make decisions for them. If they ask for advice, I’ll give it. If they make a decision I don’t like, I accept even if I don’t agree with it [chuckles]. I strive to love them for who they are and not who I want them to be.

Do you feel guilty for not being available for your children? For the big things, I’ll put them first. My eldest graduated in May, and with me, if it’s in my diary, it happens. If it’s not in my diary, it doesn’t happen. My children’s things go into the diary early, and I plan my life around it. If my middle one has a play at school, I’ll do my level best to turn up. Work matters, but you won’t get the time with your children back. The job will still be there. I can work tonight, but I can’t be present for my child tonight.

Surrounded by women, how do you show yourself, love? That’s not on top of my agenda. It can be a very lonely existence. I’m an off-the-chart introvert. So, at the end of the day, I’m very peopled out. I need me-time, which means disappearing into my own thoughts by myself. Other people can be physically present in the room; we just mustn’t interact. I need a few hours to reset.

What’s a spontaneous thing you’ve done lately? Spontaneity is not my thing. Recently in London, I sent a friend who lives in the Middle East a picture of a beer I was drinking, and said I was chilling with my daughter. He happened to be in London at the same time, so we met for breakfast, which was quite nice.

What do people often get wrong about you? I think people think I’m grumpier than I am. People are almost afraid to engage me. While I’m not naturally gregarious, I’m not unfriendly. My youngest daughter always says her friends are scared of me, which will help when the boys start coming [chuckles]. I think people underestimate the strength of my resolve. If I’ve decided something, the decision is made. I’m worse than a mule. I will not change.

What has been the best part about growing older? Haha! I think you’re more carefree. You worry less about what people think, and whether they like you or not. Because of my introverted nature, I’ve learned the value of relationships and interacting with people. My default position would be, I’m not going to chat to this person, but I’ve tried not to let that stop me because there’s huge value in maintaining relationships with people. Another thing is that those relationships are not always transactional, because maybe when you’re younger you tend to think about relationships as such. The true value of relationships is when you don’t need something from someone, but you maintain the relationship with them.

How are you remaining like a child so that you keep saying yes to life? Fortunately, my wife is really good at this. I am a creature of habit and routine. I love to do different things, just not everything. My wife has been a great influence. She is a free spirit. She loves to explore and try new things and travel. And having children in the house, there’s always something going on anyway, but if you break my routine, it kind of upsets my apple cart. I heard a saying, ‘You have to think to yourself at the end of the day, have I earned my salary today?’ Routine is how I focus.

What’s your top travel tip for long haul flights? [chuckles] If you can afford it, don’t book economy class. I have long legs, so I’ve always hated it. The most important thing is to be organised. Just knowing what’s coming, when it’s coming, what you need and when-it just makes the experience smoother.

Do you have a memorable travel meal? Twenty years ago, my wife and I visited Italy’s Cinque Terre, a region comprising five villages in a row, situated within a national park or reserve. You can walk between the villages, making it a unique experience. The idea is for the walking to earn the meal. We were wandering down the park over lunchtime, and there happened to be this little restaurant perched halfway up the cliff above one of these villages. You walk through this door and onto the little patio, and you’re looking out over the Mediterranean. We sat there and had a beer and a glass of wine and just ate Italian food; tomato, cheese and pasta. The view in that sunshine and the amazing food? I can’t forget that moment. It was that good. I’ve also learned that as you grow older, your metabolism slows down. [chuckles]

What’s your biggest travel regret? Croatia. Phenomenal place. We were flying from London, and my wife was doing some work to earn some pounds so we could pay for the holiday. We decided we had time, flew to Budapest for 24 hours, then caught the train to Split in Croatia. 24 hours in Budapest is just seriously not enough time. It was rainy and cold, and we didn’t have a great time [chuckles]. Later that same holiday, we went from Croatia across to Italy. We had arrived in the city of Ancona, got a rental car and drove out of the city. But in Italy they don’t mark the freeways, so we had no idea how to get out of the city. What they do is put the biggest city on that long highway on the sign. We spent about an hour and a half driving around the inside of this city, trying to figure out how we would get to the freeway. I was driving, and she was navigating. It wasn’t pretty. This was pre-GPS. Lesson: Don’t go to a foreign country if you don’t know exactly where you’re going [chuckles].

What dreams have you let go of? Oh, wow. I’ve always wanted to teach, and it’s something I used to do at university. I want to go back to it in my next phase of life, because I like to explain things. But don’t ask my eldest daughter that, because I’ve tried to explain maths to her, and she threatened to hurt me [chuckles].

What’s your pet peeve? When people don’t do what they say they will do. If someone says, I’m going to call you, and they don’t, it really irritates me. If you’re not going to do it, then just say so.

What has life taught you about life? My daughter has a saying: It’s not that deep, and I think that’s a truism, right? I think you shouldn’t take yourself so seriously. It doesn’t mean that things can’t be right, or that there aren’t bad situations or whatever, but it’s important to hold lightly to things. And two, people who sound convincing don’t always know what they’re talking about. Be wary of them.

If you had a dessert named after you, what would it be and why? Oh. Look, comfortably. My favourite dessert is a baked cheesecake, New York style. And don’t put fruit on the top of my cheesecake, especially granadilla.

What’s your screen time? Honestly or what I want it to be? Haha! It’s far too much, about four and a half hours a day. And that’s just the phone. I spend my whole life on the laptop. What I really try to do is to get away from the screen if I’m away on holiday or even on the weekends. Luckily, I am not big on social media so I don’t doomscroll.

How are you stopping to smell your roses? My wife and I haven’t gotten away, just us, for too long now, but we do try and get away for weekends. I like to cook and will bake the occasional cake for her birthday. Sourdough bread is my thing; I bake it, and that process just allows you to slow down because baking sourdough bread takes 24 hours, from when you take the flour out of the cupboard to the bread getting sliced. In the mornings, I spend time reflecting and praying.

What does balance look like for you? I think it depends on the time frame you’re measuring it on. Weeks are typically work, so my family suffers Monday through Friday. But if I stretch out the period, the balance is better. You have to be deliberate. Work isn’t something you prioritise, because it just exists. It is important to actually flick a switch on the way home for family. I am deliberate about my six friends, about sending a WhatsApp asking ‘How are you?’ My wife’s got a great habit of phoning people on their birthdays. I try to copy that.

Give us some good advice. Haha! Always ask why. Never take the first answer as the truth. People will give you their perspective on something. It doesn’t mean that they are being dishonest, but you need to question till you hit the bedrock.

Centum Investment Company has become a debt-free holding company after completing a multi-year balance sheet restructuring programme that began in 2020, offering room for higher dividends to shareholders.

The firm’s latest disclosures show it closed the financial year ended March 2026 without any debt, compared with Sh690 million borrowing it had in the previous year and Sh1.95 billion in 2024. The company’s debt stood at Sh7.48 billion in 2020 and Sh16.14 billion in 2019.

However, at the group level, the borrowing reduced to Sh17.08 billion from Sh17.85 billion, showing that some of its subsidiaries and associate firms still carry credit facilities in their books.

Centum CEO James Mworia said the full repayment of debt at the holding company level provides the company with ‘considerable financial flexibility’ to enhance returns to shareholders while increasing investments.

‘The balance sheet restructuring programme that commenced in 2020 has now been successfully completed. Management’s focus now shifts towards accelerating cash generation, expanding recurring annuity income, recycling capital efficiently across the portfolio and progressively enhancing shareholder returns,’ said Mr Mworia.

At a group level, Centum announced an 8.4 percent decline in net profit to Sh743.91 million from Sh812.81 million posted in the previous financial year. However, net profit rose 87 percent to Sh1.02 billion from Sh547.13 million at a company level.

The firm explained that consolidated earnings include businesses at different stages of their investment lifecycle and may not always match with cash distributions received by the holding company, leading to the difference in bottom lines at company and group level.

Centum has announced a dividend of Sh521 million with nearly half of it being a special distribution coming on the back of several investment exits in the financial year ended March 2026.

The dividend is made up of an ordinary payout of Sh0.42 per share amounting to Sh281 million and a special distribution of Sh0.36 per share totalling Sh240 million.

The proposed distribution, subject to approval at the upcoming annual general meeting, is 2.5 times higher than the distribution made in the previous year when it paid an ordinary dividend of Sh0.32 per share amounting to Sh210 million.

‘The special dividend reflects the successful realisation into cash of value created across the portfolio over a number of years. Centum frequently recognises increases in value through fair value movements before those gains are ultimately realised through strategic transactions or investment exits,’ said Mr Mworia.

The energy sector regulator, Epra, has no role in determining compensation to victims of power surges whose claims arising from damaged electrical equipment will be reviewed by the courts.

This follows a landmark ruling that held such claims amount to negligence and fall outside the jurisdiction of the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (Epra).

The Milimani Commercial Court ruled that claims arising from alleged negligent electricity supply are tortious claims or compensation claims that should be heard by civil courts rather than by Epra or the Energy and Petroleum Tribunal.

The decision could heighten pressure on Kenya Power to exercise greater care in the supply of electricity.

The case was filed by Placid View Properties Ltd, which owns and operates the four-star Ole Sereni Hotel, after a voltage fluctuation allegedly damaged the hotel’s electrical equipment.

The hotel sued Kenya Power on March 3, 2025, seeking Sh4.2 million in compensation, saying unstable electricity damaged its voltage stabiliser and submersible pump.

Kenya Power, however, argued that the suit had been filed in the wrong forum, insisting disputes relating to electricity supply, outages and power surges fall within the exclusive mandate of Epra and the dispute resolution framework established under the Energy Act.

Principal Magistrate Linda Akosa Mumassabba rejected that argument, holding that the dispute was an ordinary civil claim founded on negligence rather than a regulatory dispute under the Energy Act.

“The Defendant has further failed to demonstrate that there exists a statutory dispute resolution mechanism under the Energy Act capable of adjudicating the Plaintiff’s negligence claim and granting the reliefs sought in the Plaintiff,” the court ruled.

The court added that the doctrine of exhaustion-which generally requires litigants to first pursue remedies before specialised tribunals before moving to court-did not apply because Kenya Power had failed to show that Epra or the Energy and Petroleum Tribunal had legal authority to hear negligence claims, assess damages and award compensation for destroyed property.

The doctrine of exhaustion requires parties to first exhaust statutory dispute-resolution mechanisms established by Parliament before approaching the courts.

However, courts have consistently held that the doctrine only applies where the alternative forum has jurisdiction and can grant the relief sought.

A tortious claim is a civil action brought by a person seeking compensation after suffering loss or injury as a result of another party’s wrongful conduct.

In negligence claims, a claimant must prove that the defendant owed a duty of care, breached that duty, and that the breach directly caused the damage complained of.

The magistrate noted that these are classic elements of the tort of negligence and have historically been determined by ordinary civil courts.

The ruling means the Ole Sereni suit will now proceed to a full hearing on its merits.

The court declared that it has jurisdiction to hear the matter, directed the parties to appear on August 26, 2026, for pre-trial directions, awarded the hotel costs of the preliminary objection and gave KPLC 30 days to appeal.

Breakfast has for long been described as the most important meal of the day. Yet in the rush of modern life, it is often the first casualty of busy schedules. Some grab a quick snack, others skip it altogether, and many wonder: does indulging in unhealthy food early in the day make it any less damaging than eating it later?

According to Valentine Idah Lagat, a clinical nutritionist at AIC Kijabe Hospital, both the quality of your diet and when you eat matter.

“Your overall diet has the greatest impact on your health, but meal timing also influences how your body processes food,” she explains.

Research in chrononutrition, the study of how meal timing affects metabolism, shows that our bodies generally process food more efficiently earlier in the day when insulin sensitivity is higher. However, she cautions that this does not mean unhealthy foods suddenly become healthy simply because they are eaten in the morning.

“A diet consistently high in ultra-processed foods, sugar, saturated fats and excess calories increases the risk of obesity, Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease regardless of the time of day.”

Evidence suggests that consuming large, calorie-dense meals late in the evening is metabolically less favourable because the body’s metabolic rate slows, insulin sensitivity decreases and glucose tolerance worsens. This means the body becomes less efficient at handling sugar and fat, leading to higher blood sugar levels after meals and potentially greater fat storage over time.

So does when you eat matter? “Our circadian rhythm regulates many aspects of metabolism, including hormone release, digestion, insulin production and energy expenditure,” says Valentine. “During daylight hours, the body is naturally better prepared to digest and utilise nutrients. As evening approaches, insulin sensitivity decreases, and digestion slows.”

She adds that eating in line with the body’s biological clock may support better metabolic health.

The body also processes carbohydrates more efficiently in the morning than late at night. Even so, foods high in added sugars and refined carbohydrates can still trigger rapid blood sugar spikes, even when eaten at breakfast. Choosing minimally processed, fibre-rich foods instead helps maintain steady energy throughout the morning.

Valentine says a healthy, balanced breakfast should combine a high-quality protein, high-fibre carbohydrates, healthy fats, and fruits or vegetables. This could look like oats cooked with milk topped with groundnuts and fresh fruit, whole-grain bread with eggs and avocado paired with plain yoghurt with fruit and nuts added, or sweet potatoes served with boiled eggs and vegetables.

Is breakfast essential for everyone? ‘It is important, but it is not equally essential for everyone,’ she says. ‘For children, adolescents, pregnant women and many adults, a nutritious breakfast supports concentration, nutrient intake and energy levels. Research also suggests that people who regularly eat balanced breakfasts tend to have healthier overall dietary patterns.

“The quality of the meal eaten for breakfast is more important than the timing itself,” she says, adding that eating breakfast depends on an individual’s routine, but generally, within one to three hours after waking up is reasonable.

What about skipping breakfast?

Some people experience increased hunger, reduced concentration or fatigue or end up overeating later in the day. Others adapt well and maintain stable energy levels.

For those practising intermittent fasting, which involves planned schedules for eating, some may even skip breakfast.

“Intermittent fasting can be an effective weight management strategy for some adults because it may reduce overall calorie intake and improve insulin sensitivity,” she explains.

However, she notes that success depends on what is eaten during the eating window.

“Skipping breakfast does not automatically lead to weight loss if unhealthy foods or excess calories are consumed later.”

Still, she cautions intermittent fasting is not for everyone. These include children, pregnant or breastfeeding women, individuals with eating disorders and some people with diabetes unless medically supervised.

“Nutrition should always be individualised rather than based on one rule,” she says.

Additionally, she advises that foods that provide large amounts of added sugar and little nutritional value should be limited in the morning.

These include sugary breakfast cereals, doughnuts, cakes, pastries, sugar-sweetened beverages, energy drinks and highly processed fast foods.

‘These foods can cause rapid rises and falls in blood sugar, leaving people hungry again shortly afterwards, even before lunchtime. Starting the day with protein and fibre is more likely to support sustained energy.’

Why late-night eating can be harmful

Large meals high in fat or sugar shortly before bedtime may delay digestion, worsen acid reflux and reduce sleep quality.

‘Poor sleep itself affects hormones that regulate hunger, increasing cravings for energy-dense foods the following day,’ she says. ‘This creates a cycle that may contribute to weight gain and poor metabolic health.’

Moreover, sleep and gut health have a two-way relationship. Poor sleep can alter the composition of the gut microbiome, while an unhealthy gut may influence sleep quality through the gut-brain axis.