Category: Business Daily

Kenya Power paid out Sh1.42 billion ($11million) to a US energy firm, Ormat Technology, in October as part of overdue obligations for electricity purchases from the latter’s geothermal plants in Olkaria, Naivasha.

The payout reduced the balance of Sh4.69billion ($36.3million) that Kenya Power owed to Ormat as of September 30, 2025, new disclosures showed, adding to the Sh1.96billion($15.2 million) it had earlier paid in April and May.

‘The company has historically been able to collect on substantially all of its receivable balances.

As of September 30, 2025, the amount overdue from Kenya Power was $36.3 million, of which $11.0 million was paid in October of 2025,’ Ormat revealed in a regulatory filing.

‘The company believes it will be able to collect all past due amounts from Kenya Power. This belief is supported by the fact that, in addition to KPLC’s obligations under its power purchase agreement, the Company holds a support letter from the Government of Kenya that covers certain cases of Kenya Power non-payment (such as non-payments that are caused by government actions and/or political events’ it added.

The US firm operates within the Naivasha-based Olkaria III complex through its wholly-owned subsidiary, OrPower 4, Inc., where it has an output capacity of 150 megawatts(MW)of geothermal power.

The company sells the electricity produced by its power plants in Olkaria to KPLC under a 20-year power purchase agreement that ends between 2033 and 2036.

Besides Kenya, Ormat has international operations in Turkey, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Honduras, and Indonesia.

The payouts to Ormat come in the wake of improved fortunes of Kenya Power, which posted a profit after tax of Sh24.47billion for the financial year 2024/25, driven by lower costs of sales, higher electricity unit sales, and system efficiencies.

The company’s profitability was buoyed by an increase in electricity sales, which rose by 887 gigawatt-hours(GWh), to 11,403 GWh, an 8percent increase in sales, while total unit purchases grew by 787 GWh.

Kenya Power’s revenues, however, took the biggest hit from industries with sales from this consumer class dropping by 9.5 percent in the year ended June 2025, as reduced electricity tariffs across the board took a toll on the firm.

Company disclosures show that revenues from industries fell to Sh106.49 billion in the review period from Sh117.69 billion a year earlier, while those from homes dropped 1.3 percent to Sh68.19 billion. Among the categories of power users, only street lighting and electric mobility recorded growth in revenues.

Kenya Power’s total sales dropped five percent to Sh219.28 billion in the review period, when its net profit dipped 18.66 percent to Sh24.47 billion.

The revenue fall came in a year when base electricity tariffs fell by up to Sh1.40 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) in the third year of cuts that started in July 2023.

The reduced price per unit of electricity negated the growth in the number of units that Kenya Power sold, with sales rising to 11,403 GWh in the year to June 2025 from 10,516 GWh a year earlier.

The drop in revenues is the first for Kenya Power in at least a decade, highlighting the impact of the lower tariffs that were meant to ease pressure on consumers.

‘It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent. It is the one that is most adaptable to change,’ said Charles Darwin, who first studied theology at Cambridge.

How did a female Kenyan, 30 something year-old entrepreneur see possibility in an unremarkable space, creating a nifty small business success in green Tigoni? How do corporate Goliaths use a ‘something from something’ tactic?

Is it possible to apply a ‘something from nothing’ approach to gain an elusive competitive advantage? Are we looking in the wrong places to identify the illusive secret sauce? 50 shades of green

Less than an hour’s drive outside frantic Nairobi, sits the serene rolling tea fields of slighter cooler Tigoni. In 1903 the first tea seedlings were part of an experimental planting. In 1910, the first commercial tea farm, Kiambethu, in Tigoni took root, with commercial cultivation of tea beginning on a larger scale in Kenya in 1924.

Today the tea value chain contributes two percent to Kenya’s overall gross domestic product (GDP), roughly 40 percent of agricultural GDP, employing 6.5 million people directly and indirectly.

‘It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see,’ advised Henry David Thoreau. In a space behind Tigoni’s only active petrol station, where once a struggling local restaurant, and then a fruit and vegetable shop did not survive, sits a case study in creativity.

Nifty smart thinking

In an example of imaginative ‘out of the box’ thinking, a few small rooms in a nondescript building, that no one really noticed, almost magically became Nifty Café and Wine Bar in October 2021. By opening up the back wall, and buildin’Know exactly what you stand for is important, know what experience you want your customer to walk away with. Consistency is key, in quality, in service. Small businesses don’t get the luxury of off seasons, we need to insist on great standards and that’s what will help us grow. You need to keep learning, keep listening and keep adjusting. The market changes, people change and you must be willing to evolve,’ advises Nifty owner, Kenya born and raised Sakina Seif.

Something from something

Unlike petite Nifty, a rich well endowed balance sheet company, can play to its strengths, just overwhelming small competitors. This is a playing chicken, ‘don’t mess with me’ approach. But is there a way that the tiny almost unnoticed competitor can get a jump on the market leader?

If a corporate giant has an endowment of valuable resources, the approach is to exploit those resources to overwhelm, outspend any competitor.

This would be the method of a dominant rival; use their significant supremacy in, for instance, liquidity, market share, technology, or know-how just to overpower the competition.

‘If you are relatively better endowed, your imperative is to invest in expensive advantages that your competitors can’t match. For example, when upstart Reebok challenged Nike in athletic shoe sales, Nike invented a new scale-sensitive cost category – athlete endorsement (e.g. Air Jordon, Dream Team), and cranked up the investments in this category to heights never even contemplated before until Reebok said ‘no mas.’ The rest is history: Reebok flatlined and Nike solidified its dominance. The general rule, then, is when you have a resource advantage over competition, look to invest in the most expensive sources of competitive advantage,’ explains Roger Martin.

But by definition, most companies, NGOs and development partners are trying to get by with the little [often dwindling] resources they have. How can they possibly compete?

Something from nothing

Something from zero sounds crazy, bordering on impossible, but there may be something one is failing to notice. Nifty’s success is a prime example.

If you are feeling lost and broke, at a ‘major resource disadvantage’ the focus has to be on looking out for sources of advantage that are cheap and doable for you, but tricky for the overconfident competition to follow.

Stress is on noticing what others may have missed. Turning what you have taken for granted as a cool spring in the desert, quenching a thirst for a competitive advantage.

‘If you lag your competitors dramatically in resources, don’t cry yourself to sleep at night and give up. You have a tough and tricky strategy task – but not an impossible one. Your central task is to think through how you can gain an advantage on the cheap. Start by refusing to focus on and obsess about how and on what your competitors are spending their massive resources. Instead ask, despite all that spending, what are customers missing? By the way, that means customers of all sorts because many modern markets are two sided. Then spend all your strategic thinking energy on finding inexpensive ways to achieve uniqueness in meeting those unmet customer needs,’ advises Martin.

Look under your nose and create

Search along two pathways. The first is assets under your nose that you aren’t utilsing. The second is cheap but valuable abilities that you can create – like competing on time, responding to people just about right away, or being more tech savvy, or conscientious, paying attention to detail.

Or, focusing on being creative, imaginative, innovative – not following the path of stale worn out thinking. Focus on a genuine attribute – insight, not fluff.

Whatever you do, don’t compete on hype. That space is over subscribed. Not surprising to see companies simply copying each other, so that the more they compete, the more they look the same. Remember purchasers buy feelings and emotions. We buy based on how we want to feel. What kind of car do you own? What kind of purse do you carry? Why do people pay ten times the price for an Apple iPhone versus a cheap Android clone? You might not know even why you buy? Research by the Nielsen shows that roughly 90 percent of purchasing decisions are made almost subconsciously.

Other inexpensive, almost no cost resource one has is mindset. In particular, the ability to manage the ever increasing pace of change. An ability to see new realities and quickly adapt. Today, on all sorts of dimensions change becomes ‘everything, everywhere, all at once’.

When KFC’s announcement in 2021 caused a social media storm with its revelation that it was importing frozen cut potatoes from Egypt, Humphrey Mburu saw an opportunity to take his enterprise into the next phase of growth.

At the time, Mr Mburu was already supplying fresh potatoes to Nairobi eateries through his company, Sereni Fries Ltd. He knew the demand for convenience-ready fries existed, but the KFC saga exposed something bigger.

‘That moment confirmed what we had always suspected,’ he recalls. ‘There was a huge untapped market. Kenya.’

It was also a reality check moment for him when KFC approached Mr Mburu to supply them after encountering logistical challenges importing frozen fries.

‘Luckily, we had equipment, so we began exploring frozen fries at our Mlolongo facility. But we didn’t meet KFC standards initially,’ says the entrepreneur who was a banker at Fina Bank before venturing into potato processing.

This only pushed him to improve and in 2024 set up a new line for frozen fries. ‘The industry has grown in leaps. Very few people still import frozen fries,’ he observes.

Journey to industrial processor

Mr Mburu’s journey into the business began long before the online uproar. In 2012 he had his light bulb moment.

‘I was talking to a friend who operated a fast-food restaurant in town. He was lamenting about the value-chain challenges they faced as an industry, especially around handling French fries. As he talked, I realised that if I could take away their headache and offer a solution in potato handling, there was a business opportunity,’ he recalls.

At the time, most restaurants bought raw potatoes and processed them at the back of their outlets, a labour-intensive process that created significant waste-management challenges. The big idea, therefore, was to create efficiency for restaurants by delivering fresh-cut potatoes.

With a Sh175,000 loan, he set up Sereni Fries as a sole proprietorship and later quit his job in May 2013.

‘We started in Mlolongo, Machakos in a small room where my first employee and I worked at night. I would then deliver potatoes to all three of our clients in my Toyota Probox.’

Those early days were ‘messy but instructive’, he says. Through mistakes and miscalculations, especially on potato varieties, Mr Mburu learned the demands and standards of the industry.

The greatest lesson from that season, he says, was to always be willing to learn and never fear making mistakes.

A key strength of his business model has been audacity. Mr Mburu cracked the code of asking for business very early. Before their first year ended, he had secured a major client.

‘I knew someone who worked at the Hilton Hotel. He introduced me to the executive chef, a Frenchman, who immediately saw the brilliance of our idea. He asked for a sample; we delivered it the same day, and he approved it and placed our biggest order then-30 kilogrammes, which we delivered immediately.’

About a year later, the business had grown significantly. ‘We were pushing about 200 kilos a day. That made us realise we needed more people, more space, and more water to manage growth.’

They relocated to a bigger space in Mlolongo. Mr Mburu’s brother joined as an investor after buying into the vision. In the same year, Sereni Fries onboarded Big Square, Naivas Supermarkets, and their biggest client to date-Chicken Inn, operated by Simbisa Brands Kenya.

A major turning point came through a trip organised by the Dutch Embassy for Kenyan industry players to the Netherlands. ‘We explored the entire value chain and learned how to market better. It made us realise the impact this business could have back home. That trip confirmed that I was in the right industry.’

Their growth led them to an even larger facility, and in 2016 they moved to their current 9,000-square-metre operations plant in Mlolongo. Around this time, they made an important discovery: ‘We quickly noted that for every 100 kilos you process, you need one person. Understanding scaling and capacity from an informed standpoint changed everything.’

By 2019, the business seemed to have plateaued.

Then came 2021. A market ready to be claimed revealed itself. Besides KFC, other restaurants also started making inquiries about frozen fries.

Mr Mburu says,’That’s when we made the decision to move into frozen fries properly.’

Funding has been necessary at every phase of expansion. How has Sereni Fries achieved this? ‘We have grown in two ways: reinvesting our profits and through loans from a local bank that has believed in us since 2015.’

The core of their business-the potato-must be the right variety and quality. ‘Kenya is saturated with a variety called Shangi, which is not suitable for the products we make. After returning from the Netherlands, we began working with seed companies to introduce better varieties.’

Today, Sereni Fries works directly with farmers growing their preferred varieties, eliminating middlemen and ensuring quality. ‘We have a network of about 3,000 farmers from all potato-growing regions, both smallholder and large-scale. Our top varieties now are Markies and Challenger. ‘

Sereni Fries operates nine fresh-cut potato outlets countrywide, employing 65 people, and one frozen-fries line in Naivasha, employing 73 people.

‘With frozen fries, it’s easier to operate from one central location because the product does not need to get to clients as quickly as fresh-cut. We supply the entire country from Naivasha.’

Their production has grown nearly 800-fold. ‘We started with 30 kilos a day; now we do 9,125 tonnes annually. We plan to scale even further. Outside Kenya, only Egypt and South Africa do this kind of business. The potential in the Sub-Saharan region is huge. We are eyeing Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and beyond.’

Industry knowledge has also propelled their growth. ‘We now know things we didn’t know when starting out. Knowledge increases efficiency, reduces wastage, and grows margins.’

What is Mr Mburu’s long-term vision?

‘My idea for Sereni Fries is to lead a potato revolution in the region-both in production and marketing. We want to steer it. The market is untapped, and if we are deliberate, it can become a key economic driver.’ He notes that Kenya will host the World Potato Congress in 2026. ‘If you ever needed a sign, this is it.’

As 2025 wraps up, Make Money takes a look at the wins of the year. We break down the top-performing asset classes and sectors and analyse the macroeconomic forces, policy shifts, and global trends that propelled their success.

We are joined by IC Group economist Churchill Ogutu.

Make Money, a podcast series, hosted by Kepha Muiruri, from Business Daily Africa unravels ways to be financially savvy. Get practical tips and advice on how to increase your income, build wealth, and achieve financial freedom in Kenya. Whether you’re just starting out or a seasoned investor, we’ve got something for everyone.

The Consumer Federation of Kenya (Cofek) has filed a lawsuit seeking to stop the National Social Security Fund’s (NSSF) planned sale of its 27 percent stake in East African Portland Cement (EAPC) to Kalahari Cement Limited, a Tanzania-linked firm.

The lobby group warns that the Sh1.6 billion transaction threatens public assets, market competition, and Kenya’s strategic economic interests.

EAPC’s largest shareholder, Kalahari Cement, which is owned by Tanzanian tycoon Edhah Abdallah Munif, is set to hold a 68.7percent controlling stake in the Athi River-based state firm if the deal goes through.

This follows Kalahari’s earlier acquisition of a 29.2 percent shareholding from Swiss firm Holcim’s subsidiaries for Sh718.7 million.

Bamburi Cement Plc, which is fully owned by Mr Munir’s Amsons Group, already holds 12.5 percent of EAPC, further consolidating the Tanzanian conglomerate’s regional dominance.

Cofek alleges the NSSF share disposal is unlawful, accusing the fund and regulators of facilitating a “secretive transaction” involving pension assets without public participation or compliance with constitutional safeguards.

In court filings, Cofek argues the stake-held in trust for Kenyan workers-cannot be transferred without “full transparency, due process, and regulatory scrutiny.” The group contends the deal risks ceding control of a historically state-linked manufacturer to foreign interests, undermining Kenya’s industrial sovereignty.

The High Court petition names the Capital Markets Authority (CMA), Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK), NSSF, Kalahari Cement, EAPC, and the Attorney General as respondents.

Cofek claims regulators failed to verify whether the transaction underwent mandatory valuation reviews, capital-markets disclosures, or competition assessments.

Despite repeated requests, CMA and CAK allegedly withheld critical information, violating constitutional rights to access information (Article 35) and fair administrative action (Article 47).

“The intended transaction is poised to result in effective foreign control over EAPC,” the petition states, noting Amsons Group’s potential to dominate Kenya’s cement sector.

Cofek warns Kalahari Cement-though locally incorporated-acts as a proxy for its Tanzanian parent, enabling “regulatory circumvention” and anti-competitive consolidation.

The lobby cites Amsons’ aggressive regional expansion as evidence of “credible monopolistic risks” that could allegedly inflate cement prices and harm consumers.

Stephen Mutoro, Cofek’s secretary-general, asserts in court papers that the acquisition process excluded public input, transparent valuations, and competitive bidding.

The petition alleges NSSF and EAPC sidelined minority shareholders’ pre-emptive rights, fast-tracking a “substantial private stake” transfer.

Cofek demands the court compel regulators to disclose all deal documents and conduct compliance audits, arguing the irreversible nature of share transfers makes judicial intervention urgent.

The petition is hinged on Article 10 (transparency), the Public Finance Management Act, and the Capital Markets Act, framing the sale as a test of Kenya’s governance frameworks.

‘The sale of public shares without due process,’ it argues, ‘violates the principles of openness, prudence, and responsible financial management.’

The petition faults NSSF and EAPC for allegedly conducting the transaction in secrecy, saying contributors and the public were never given any opportunity to see valuation reports, board approvals, or regulatory filings.

Cofek warns that once the shares are transferred, ‘the harm will be irreversible,’ making it impossible to recover public leverage or forestall potential anti-competitive behaviour.

Previously, it was reported that the sale aims to liquidate underperforming assets, but critics question the timing and beneficiary.

EAPC’s Athi River plant sits on 3,000 acres of prime land, and the real value may lie in real estate, not cement.

The court has scheduled a mention for January 27, 2026, to assess respondents’ filings in response to the petitioner’s claims. The respondents are expected to demonstrate that there was rigorous oversight in the contested deal.

Cofek seeks conservatory orders freezing any further steps in the transaction, including sale, transfer, or registration of the NSSF shares in favour of Kalahari Cement.

It is also asking the court to compel the regulators to disclose all documentation relating to the proposed acquisition and to order both CMA and CAK to conduct full compliance and competition assessments.

Cofek argues it has presented a strong case and that maintaining the status quo is necessary to preserve public interest.

‘Damages would not be an adequate remedy,’ it says, noting that share transfers are irreversible and once control changes hands, ‘judicial review would be rendered nugatory.’

EAPC’s legacy as a 1933 colonial-era venture (originally owned by Blue Triangle Limited and the Kenyan government) underscores its symbolic and economic significance.

Privatized in the 1990s, the firm has struggled with mismanagement and debt, yet retains assets like the Athi River landbank.

NSSF’s 27 per cent stake, acquired during a 2009 recapitalization, was meant to safeguard workers’ interests-a mandate Cofek argues is now compromised.

Amsons Group’s expansion mirrors Dangote Cement’s Pan-African strategy, raising geopolitical eyebrows.

Tanzania mandates 51 per cent local ownership in mining and energy, while Kenya’s foreign-investment rules remain ambiguous. Critics argue that such asymmetries disadvantage Kenyan enterprises abroad while exposing critical sectors at home.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the lifeblood of the economy. They make up more than 98 percent of businesses, employ about 14.9 million Kenyans, and contribute roughly 40 percent of the GDP.

SMEs are the engines of innovation, employment, and household income, the very foundation of Kenya’s Vision 2030 and the African Continental Free Trade Area.

Yet, as these enterprises expand into regional and global markets, an invisible but powerful threat of trade-based money laundering (TBML) has emerged. Once dismissed as a technical issue for banks and regulators, TBML is now a big risk shaping which businesses gain access to international finance and which are locked out.

TBML occurs when criminals disguise illicit funds as legitimate trade. They manipulate invoices, falsify pricing or quantities, and use shell companies or third-country routing to move money across borders under the guise of trade.

This misuse of commerce distorts markets, undermining the integrity of Kenya’s financial system. SMEs, the very enterprises driving Kenya’s growth, are often the easiest targets.

Many do not have the systems in place to identify suspicious transactions, nor the expertise to navigate global compliance frameworks.

As a result, they risk becoming unwilling conduits for illicit flows, exposing themselves to reputational damage or even criminal penalties.

Kenya’s grey-listing by the Financial Action Task Force has made this issue more urgent. The country’s financial system, and every transaction that touches it, is now under sharper scrutiny from international partners.

Banks, development financiers, and global trading companies are increasingly adopting a policy of de-risking, cutting ties with any business that cannot demonstrate transparency. For SMEs, this could mean delayed payments, cancelled contracts, or loss of access to correspondent banking channels vital for trade.

The irony is that TBML thrives not because Kenyan businesses are corrupt, but because many are unprepared. They see compliance as a cost rather than a competitiveness issue. Yet in today’s world, transparency is the new currency of trade.

Firms that can show verifiable trade documentation and transparent transactions are the ones global partners will trust.

This is why SMEs must rethink compliance as a business growth strategy. Practices such as knowing your customer protocols for supplier verification and using traceable payment systems are not bureaucratic hurdles; they are business enablers.

These protocols help SMEs build credibility and integrate smoothly into global supply chains. The recent push for beneficial ownership registration under the Business Registration Service, for instance, is part of a broader movement toward trade transparency. It is not the story itself, but a symptom of the world’s growing demand for clean trade.

But compliance cannot be achieved in isolation. Tackling TBML requires strong partnerships between SMEs and financial institutions. Banks are no longer just financiers; they are now the gatekeepers of trust in cross-border commerce.

A forward-looking bank must go beyond offering letters of credit; it must actively help its clients recognise and respond to red flags such as unusual pricing patterns, payments routed through unrelated third countries, or dealings with counterparties in sanctioned jurisdictions.

The risks of inaction are immense. Failure to address TBML could see Kenya’s SMEs excluded from lucrative regional and international markets just as the AfCFTA opens new frontiers for trade. Reputational damage could also spill over to the broader economy, discouraging foreign investment and making it harder for legitimate enterprises to access global finance.

Moreover, TBML weakens national revenue collection. When trade is manipulated to move illicit funds, governments lose taxes, customs duties, and foreign exchange. In the long term, this erodes the very foundations of economic stability and growth that SMEs help sustain.

Kenya stands at a crossroads. The same globalisation that is creating new export opportunities is also increasing exposure to complex financial risks. The winners of this new era will be the SMEs that treat integrity as their strongest competitive advantage.

To thrive, they must embed compliance into their business DNA. Regulators, banks, and business associations must also play their part, by simplifying compliance processes, increasing awareness, and rewarding businesses that demonstrate financial integrity.

When it comes to valuing businesses and assets in Africa, the conversation often turns to ‘country risk’ -but whose risk are we really talking about? For decades, Western investors have viewed Africa through a lens of caution, sometimes missing the nuances that local players understand all too well.

Ask a London-based analyst about investing in Nigeria or Kenya, and you will likely hear about political instability, currency volatility, and regulatory uncertainty. These risks, often amplified in global headlines, can lead to higher discount rates and lower valuations for African assets.

But speak to a local entrepreneur or investor, and the story changes.

While they acknowledge challenges, they also see opportunity, resilience, and a deep understanding of how to navigate local realities. For them, what outsiders perceive as ‘risk’ is often just the cost of doing business – and sometimes, it is overestimated.

Western perceptions of African country risk are often shaped by a few persistent perceptions, such as limited data: a lack of transparent and reliable information can make risk assessment difficult; historical bias: past crises or negative news stories can overshadow recent progress; and one-size-fits-all models: applying global risk models to Africa often fails to capture local context.

For example, the Fitch Solutions 2024 country risk index still places Nigeria and Ethiopia in the ‘high risk’ category, citing currency devaluation and political uncertainty.

Yet, Nigeria’s tech sector attracted $1.3 billion in venture capital in 2023, according to the Africa: The Big Deal report, making it the top destination for tech investment on the continent.

As one Western fund manager put it in a 2024 Financial Times interview: ‘We have to build in a significant risk premium for African investments, simply because we don’t have the same visibility as we do in Europe or North America.’

Local investors, on the other hand, bring on-the-ground knowledge that is first-hand experience with regulatory environments, business networks, and cultural nuances; adaptive strategies that track record of managing volatility and finding creative solutions; and optimism for growth, which is a belief in the continent’s long-term potential, often backed by demographic and economic trends.

Take Kenya’s Safaricom, for example. Despite concerns about regulatory changes and a challenging macroeconomic environment, Safaricom’s M-Pesa platform reached over sixty million users in early 2024, according to the company’s annual report. Local investors have continued to back Safaricom, recognising its resilience and adaptability.

The disconnect between Western and local perceptions of risk has real consequences.

Overstated risk premiums can stifle investment, limit access to capital, and undervalue African businesses. Conversely, underestimating risk can lead to costly missteps.

For instance, a 2023 World Bank report found that African SMEs often face interest rates up to 22 percent higher than their global peers, due to perceived risk rather than actual default rates. Meanwhile, the African Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (AVCA) reported that default rates on African private equity investments remained below 5 per cent in 2023, challenging the narrative of excessive risk.

The solution? Greater collaboration and dialogue between international and local stakeholders. By combining rigorous analysis with local insight, valuations can become more accurate and more reflective of Africa’s true potential.

Africa’s story is one of complexity, resilience, and growth. As the continent continues to attract global attention, it is time to move beyond stereotypes and see country risk through a more balanced lens.

After all, in Africa, risk and reward often go hand in hand, and those who understand both sides of the story are best placed to succeed.

Firms in Kenya resumed hiring in November after a near-freeze in October, buoyed by the strongest private sector activity performance since the height of the Covid-19 pandemic era in October 2020.

The Stanbic Bank Kenya Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) rose sharply to 55.0 points in November, up from 52.5 in October, signalling the fastest improvement in business conditions in more than five years.

A reading above 50 signifies an improvement in private sector activity compared to the previous month.

The latest PMI shows that the rate of new hirings in November was the second-fastest in over two years, with all five monitored sectors witnessing an increase in employment since the previous month.

The sectors covered by the survey include agriculture, mining, manufacturing, construction, as well as wholesale, retail, and services.

‘When adjusted for seasonal variation, the Employment Index recorded in above-50 territory for the tenth consecutive month in November, indicating another rise in staff numbers at Kenyan companies,’ wrote Stanbic in its latest release.

‘Moreover, the rate of job creation was the second-fastest in over two years. All five monitored sectors saw an increase in employment since the previous month.’

In October, a panel of around 400 companies drawn from the surveyed sectors had kept their payrolls unchanged, with more than 97 percent of firms reporting no growth in staffing levels during the month.

The PMI data shows that last month, firms responded to improving demand conditions after months of caution, lifting recruitment as workloads picked up and exerted pressure on existing teams.

November’s improvement was anchored in a strong rise in business sales and output, which grew at their fastest pace since October 2020 on the back of improved customer purchasing power and softer inflation.

Firms also cited more effective marketing campaigns, new product launches, and increased customer referrals as additional drivers of the sharp recovery in sales volumes.

‘Volumes of new business rose for the third consecutive month in November, with the pace of expansion climbing to a sharp rate that was the most pronounced in just over five years,’ Stanbic noted.

‘All sub-sectors experienced growth, as companies highlighted improved client purchasing power, successful marketing strategies, increased referrals, and the launch of new products.’

The rise in output input followed months of subdued growth earlier in 2025, when weak household spending and expensive materials, coupled with the effects of new taxes, kept many firms on the defensive.

Input purchases rose at the fastest rate since mid-2020, reflecting the confidence with which firms are approaching the final quarter of the year.

This came as input prices rose only slightly, marking the weakest pace of cost increases in 18 months as price pressures from raw materials and logistics continued to ease.

‘(Input) purchase prices and staff costs both increased at historically subdued rates,’ the PMI report reads.

The easing of cost pressures, paired with rising sales, allowed companies to rebuild buffers and expand operations more confidently after spending much of the year tightly managing cash amid tough economic conditions.

Despite the improved performance, business optimism for output in the next 12 months softened for the third straight month, reflecting lingering concerns over higher taxation, uncertain consumer spending, and the impact of global economic headwinds.

‘Looking ahead to the next 12 months, Kenyan companies maintained a generally positive outlook for private sector output. However, this optimism softened for the third consecutive month since August’s recent high,’ wrote Stanbic.

A woman in the lift asked, ‘First time in Dubai..? You should check out the 44th floor.’

After an exhilarating day at Hatta Wadi, an adventure park 134 kilometres from my base at the Hilton Dubai Al Habtoor City, every muscle in my body was screaming for rest and recovery. The bike rides, wall climbs, and kayaking had left me properly spent.

What I craved that evening was good unwinding. The kind that comes with good whiskey, soft jazz, and perhaps some deep house floating on the breeze. Being in Dubai in the so-called ‘winter’ season, that window between November and March when the heat finally relents, the thought of a rooftop evening felt perfect.

But Dubai isn’t Nairobi. It’s not the kind of place where your favourite drink casually sits on a counter waiting for you. You won’t find bottles of spirits casually displayed on shop shelves here.

That doesn’t mean you can’t find it; you just need to know where to look. The city’s relationship with alcohol is more discreet, more intentional. To indulge, you must head to a licensed venue, usually tucked inside a hotel or restaurant.

The 44th floor felt like a slice of home, Nairobi after dark. The familiar hum of nightlife wrapped around me, a nightclub buzzing on one side, a restaurant and lounge pouring every kind of drink you can think of, and even a cigar lounge for the aficionados.

This carefully curated scene is part of Dubai’s broader courtship of tourists from Africa. Over the past three years, Dubai has been deliberately shifting its gaze toward Africa, particularly Kenya and South Africa in a renewed push to attract more travellers from a market the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) admits it previously under-engaged.

“We simply weren’t as active in the African market as we are now,” Bader Ali Habib, Director of Proximity Markets at DET, told BDLife.

‘Now we are directly engaging stakeholders such as tour agents, launching campaigns like Visit Dubai, partnering with top African influencers, having special customised Visit Dubai social media handles and blogs for Africa with information on the kind of places they would want to visit, activities they like, because there is still a lot of lack of knowledge of what African tourist can do in Dubai.”

Yet for all this progress, Habib is quick to point out that wooing African travellers hasn’t been without hurdles. And the biggest culprit, he says, is misinformation.

‘The biggest challenge we’re facing from Africa is the misconception many travellers have about Dubai. We’ve realised there is so much wrong information circulating in the African market.’

According to him, these misconceptions are surprisingly persistent.

‘People ask, is alcohol even allowed? Are there nightclubs and lounges? Can women drive? What about dress codes, can you wear a bikini at the beach? Can you even visit during Ramadan? ‘All these questions keep coming up, and the answer to all of these is yes. But the majority of African travellers don’t know that.”

Habib acknowledges that some of these concerns were once rooted in truth, but Dubai has evolved dramatically, shedding old restrictions to align with global social norms.

‘Yes, at some point, which is more than a decade ago, some of these restrictions existed. But not anymore. Even the work week has changed. Dubai used to operate from Monday to Thursday, but now weekends fall on Saturday and Sunday, just like much of the world. There’s also this perception that the city shuts down early because of these supposed restrictions. This is exactly why we’re investing so heavily in awareness campaigns-to demystify all these wrong, outdated perceptions.’

Getting the messaging right, Habib believes, could unlock a surge in African tourism as Dubai continues its quest to rank amongst the top world destinations.

According to Pamela Moige a travel agent with Bonfire Adventures, in recent years, selling Dubai as a destination to Kenyans hasn’t been much of a problem.

“I think a large chunk of the 4 per cent from the Dubai tourism data has to be Kenyans, and South African because Dubai is a hotcake destination for us. We receive a lot of enquiries, we don’t struggle selling Dubai because a lot of Kenyans want to visit, we don’t need to convince them,” Ms Moige says.

She, however, notes that, this wasn’t the case initially.

“About six years ago it wasn’t easy selling Dubai as a destination, and that’s because being an Emirate, an Islamic nation, Kenyans were a bit sceptical about it because of the laws and things like that, they didn’t know what to expect. But that has drastically changed, also influenced by the feedback of the sheer number of Kenyans and other Africans who live and work there.” Ms Moige notes.

Desert safari and night beaches

Dubai is also keenly aware of the competition it faces for the African traveller, with the competition sitting much closer to home. Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa remain top favourites for Africans seeking adventure, culture, or an easy escape.

Just last year, Tanzania was crowned Africa’s Leading Destination, while Cape Town took home the title of Africa’s Leading City Destination at the World Travel Awards.

‘In Africa, when we look at our competing destinations, South Africa tops, followed by Tanzania and then Kenya. During safari season, the trend shows African travellers prefer staying within the continent. Tanzania, Zanzibar, and Kenya all benefit massively during this time. So our job is to present alternatives, to show the African traveller what else they can experience, like desert safari activities like camel rides, dune buggies, dune camping, dune bashing or sand boarding, basically new adventures they can’t find elsewhere.’

And even with the postcard-perfect beaches of Cape Town, Zanzibar or the Kenyan coast, which continues to rank among the world’s most attractive shoreline destinations, Habib insists Dubai offers something different, something competitive.

‘There is no doubt about the stunning beaches in all these African destinations, but Dubai has its unique place among the beaches’, he says.

He points to one example that surprises many first-time visitors- the night beaches.

‘Think of night beaches as an alternative, something that many destinations globally don’t always offer because safety and security aren’t guaranteed. Dubai consistently ranks among the safest destinations globally. Picture yourself on the shore at midnight, your children are playing freely nearby, and you’re not constantly looking over your shoulder. You can actually relax, genuinely unwind, because you know everyone is safe.”

Shopping, Habib adds, is another of Dubai’s strongest lures for African travellers.

‘Today, we rank among the world’s premier shopping destinations right up there with London and New York. Our focus now is on making sure this message reaches the African market. And to make it even more attractive, travellers can shop in Dubai at significantly discounted rates, especially during summer, when the city experiences its low-peak season.’

These efforts, he explains, are intentional, designed to compensate for factors Dubai can’t change by crafting experiences compelling enough to balance the scales of probabilities.

‘Proximity plays a very key role in travel decisions. For example, South Africa to Dubai is an eight- to nine-hour flight. You lose at least two days just travelling in and out, which makes the trip slightly more expensive compared to flying to Tanzania or Kenya, which are much closer. So if you’re planning a short five-day holiday, you’re more likely to choose Kenya or Tanzania. For Dubai, most travellers find it makes more sense if they can stretch it to a seven-day trip. That’s why the experiences we try to curate have to be worth it, enough to make that extra distance and cost feel inconsequential.’

Free Stopover Visa

To further entice African travellers, Dubai’s tourism department recently introduced a pilot programme offering a free 98-hour visa as part of a deliberate push to encourage longer stopovers and extended itineraries in the Emirate.

‘Another observation we made is that whether African travellers were journeying within the continent or abroad, 86 per cent chose Dubai as their stopover. However, most of them never stepped out of the airport. For us, that was a missed opportunity,’ he says.

To capitalise on that, the Dubai tourism department partnered with Emirates Airlines and, over the past few months, rolled out a complimentary four-day visa for passengers travelling from South Africa via Dubai.

‘So if you’re connecting through Dubai and flying with Emirates, the airline absorbs your stopover visa costs. We want those stopover hours to become discovery hours because our goal is to grow African visitation by 10 per cent, and this is one of the most direct ways we are doing it.”

As for Kenya, the Bonfire travel agent, observes that processing of Dubai Visas is seemless however in recent months there has been a few Visa restrictions for certain Kenyan demographic.

“For our market there is very minimal Visa restrictions for Kenyans wanting to visit Dubai, as compared to what we know or here of West Africa notibaly Nigeria. And that explains why we have alot of Kenyan departures to Dubai. Family Visas and people above the age of 40 applications are always approved in due time. The only Visa restriction that we have noted that has been introduced recently by the Dubai government to Kenyans, is if the application is of someone who is single and is of below the age of 40, majority of those applications are always declined. We are not sure why, but there is an observation that there is fear many who fall in this demographic may visit and never return once their Visas expires.” Ms Moige notes.

In Kenya, wellness is becoming a serious conversation-from gym sessions at dawn to evening walks in Karura, and even WhatsApp groups sharing sleep hacks and smoothie recipes. There is no doubt that Kenya’s urban workforce is evolving fast.

From Nairobi’s busy streets to Mombasa’s port hubs, people are working longer hours and taking on multiple jobs to keep up with the rising cost of living. With people hustling daily, finding a balance between work and life is no longer a luxury; it is a necessity [1].

And that’s where biohacking comes in.

Biohacking simply means using personal health data to make small, smart upgrades that improve your wellness and longevity. It ranges from efforts to improve brain function to faster weight loss. Some undertakings are relatively safe at home, while others may pose health risks and produce varying results [2].

But today, the real game-changer is tech.

At the front of this tech-powered wellness shift is the Galaxy Watch8 series. It is a device that suits diverse lifestyles and provides advanced capabilities, setting a new standard for style and personalized health experiences[3]. It fits seamlessly into your life, whether you’re navigating Nairobi traffic, rushing for a mat in Rongai, or squeezing in an evening jog. It tracks the choices you make throughout the day and shows how they affect your body and mind.

But before we go deeper, one quick question: How many of these biohacks are already part of your routine? Even if you’re already doing well, the Galaxy Watch8 series helps refine each habit for faster, smarter gains.

Optimise your sleep the smart way

We spend about a third of our lives asleep, yet many Kenyans still struggle with irregular schedules, noisy environments, and inconsistent routines-whether it’s loud neighbors, late-night work, or unpredictable power cuts.

The Galaxy Watch8 series helps you build consistent, restorative sleep habits by analyzing your sleep patterns and environment, identifying issues, and giving actionable tips to help build consistent, restorative sleep habits [4].

How can I create a solid sleep schedule?

Just wear your Galaxy Watch8 for three nights to unlock Bedtime Guidance. It analyses your sleep patterns and recommends the best time to wind down based on your sleep pressure and natural body rhythm. The result? Better mornings, sharper focus, and more energy for the day.

As Dr. Hon Pak, Senior Vice President and Head of Digital Health Team, Mobile eXperience, Samsung Electronics, puts it, ‘Sleep remains a cornerstone of our approach to health, as it influences physical and mental well-being, social relationships and even work performance. Now, we envision our Galaxy Watch delivering holistic insights centered around sleep – insights that lead to meaningful changes in daily life [5].’

How can I improve my sleep quality?

Galaxy Watch8 tracks everything. With the Samsung Health app and Sleep tile on your Galaxy watch, you’ll be able to record and view insights on your sleep,and use sleep coaching options to improve your sleep habits [6].

What can I do during the day to sleep better at night?

Sleep Coaching assigns you a unique Sleep Animal and offers tailored tips, like adding a 5-minute meditation session or skipping that 4 p.m. strong cup of tea. The Sleep Coaching feature uses a personally-tailored month-long program to track the Watch user’s sleep pattern over seven days, then assigns cute sleep symbol animals representing the user’s sleep pattern [7].

With consistent guidance, better nights and brighter mornings come naturally.

Optimise your workouts, whether you’re a gym lover or a casual walker

Whatever your goal, the Galaxy Watch8 series sits snugly on your wrist. With its sleek design and dynamic lug system, it gives you the insights you need to move better.

How do I set the right fitness goals for me?

The built-in Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) sensor allows you to accurately measure your body composition. This includes details such as your body fat percentage, body water content, and skeletal muscle mass [8]. You can review our guide to learn more about taking these measurements with your Galaxy Watch.

How can I start running consistently?

Start with Running Coach. After a simple 12-minute run, it analyses your fitness level and creates a custom routine. It provides tailored coaching programs for users ranging from beginners to marathon trainees. At the same time, the Running Coach analyses your running level and delivers a personalised training plan, along with detailed post-run feedback [9].

What is more, it gives real-time motivation during your run and offers training programs that boost speed while helping you avoid injury-Perfect for everyone from beginners to experienced runners, whether they’re exploring the lush trails of Karura or Ngong Hills or jogging around their neighbourhood.

How can I recover faster after workouts?

Samsung Health helps you bounce back stronger. It checks your heart rate post-exercise, recommends how much water you need based on sweat loss, and gives recovery suggestions so you can train smarter day after day.

Bonus Biohack: Try Zone 2 training, known to improve endurance and fat-burning. The Galaxy Watch8 creates personalized heart rate zones so you stay in the ideal Zone 2 range for maximum benefits [10].

Optimise your nutrition: The everyday biohack that matters most

Once your sleep and movement are sorted, it’s time to focus on everyday nutrition habits. The Galaxy Watch8 is the first smartwatch that tracks antioxidant levels-giving real-time insight into your cellular health with a simple thumb scan.

How do I know if I’m eating enough fruits and veggies?

Use the Antioxidant Index. Samsung’s Antioxidant Index on Galaxy Watch8 transforms what once seemed like science fiction into everyday technology. In five seconds, a thumb scan returns precise carotenoid levels, the industry’s first measurable nutrition index [11].

By miniaturising lab-grade sensor technology with exceptional accuracy, it turns your diet into an actionable metric for healthier ageing. Establishing this new benchmark in wearable health tracking required years of intensive R and D, countless prototypes, and unwavering grit [12].

How can I cut down on unhealthy habits?

Your Energy Score shows how late-night snacking, alcohol, or inconsistent meals affect your health. Combined with the Antioxidant Index, it becomes easier to stay accountable and make healthier choices.

How do I track my water intake easily?

Hydration is essential, especially in Kenya’s hot climate. With Samsung Health, you can log water intake with one tap, set a daily goal, and get reminders based on your activity level.

In the end, biohacking is not about chasing perfection; it’s about making small, intentional upgrades that help you feel better, think clearer, and live fuller in a world that demands more from us every day.

With the Galaxy Watch8 series, these upgrades are no longer guesses but informed decisions powered by real data. Whether you’re trying to sleep more deeply, move smarter, or nourish your body better, this watch turns wellness into something practical, personal, and achievable.