Category: Business Daily

The last week of November 2025 has been stacked with exciting theatrical releases: Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, Wicked: For Good, and The Running Man.

These Hollywood productions, while undeniably spectacular in their visuals, highlight a frustrating tendency that has become deeply ingrained in mainstream cinema – the persistent focus on using film, primarily, as a platform for social messaging rather than as an instrument of pure escapism.

While these films are well-crafted, they often feel weighed down by the perceived mandate to deliver a societal critique or meet representation quotas, sacrificing the unadulterated pleasure of spectacle for the sake of commentary.

This over-intellectualisation makes the Finnish film Sisu: Road to Revenge a remarkable and refreshing standout among this year’s releases.

Sisu

In 2022, a Finnish film called Sisu quietly dropped and surprised audiences worldwide. It wasn’t a Hollywood juggernaut, but it applied a simple, universal storytelling formula, one man refusing to give up, told through outrageous action sequences and a style that wasn’t entirely new but felt fresh in execution.

Director Jalmari Helander tapped into something primal, grit, survival, and spectacle, without the baggage of over-explaining or being a mirror of modern society.

Now, three years later, Helander is back with a sequel, Sisu: Road to Revenge (stylised as SI2U), somehow proving lightning can strike twice.

The immediate question here is, if you haven’t seen the original Sisu, can you still enjoy this sequel? Absolutely. It stands firmly on its own, though knowing Aatami Korpi’s backstory adds depth.

If you’ve seen the first film, you’ll appreciate how much further this one goes, if not, the premise is simple enough to carry itself. Like John Wick, the filmmaker makes sure the character’s motivation is clear from the start, avoiding the burden of tying itself too tightly to the first film.

Spoiler-free setup

The film once again follows Aatami Korpi, played by Jorma Tommila. He’s still stubborn, grieving, and unwilling to let go of the past. On his journey to relocate something (avoiding spoiler here), his history catches up with him.

The Red Army commander who killed his family, played by Stephen Lang, resurfaces, and suddenly Korpi is thrust into a violent chase across Soviet territory, hunted.

This movie feels like a cocktail of John Wick, Rambo, Commando, Mad Max, and the first Sisu. That sounds chaotic, but watching it, you see the coherence. The adventure is in the constant movement, explosions and stunts that keep the energy high.

It’s modern and distinct yet still feels like an ’80s action film, with sequences that look ripped straight from a graphic novel. Even with the absurdity, the film sneaks in a bit of humour.

Korpi’s deadpan seriousness makes his survival almost comical, watching someone refuse to quit no matter how ridiculous things get. The first Sisu was stripped down and bleak, this one amplifies everything. It’s faster, funnier, and more outrageous.

Performances

Jorma Tommila is phenomenal. The guy is 66, his weathered look gives the film its grit. He looks like a man who’s been through hell and refuses to stop. His age makes the action scenes more intense because in the back of your mind, you know he’s not a young man.

Stephen Lang, remembered by many as the villain in Avatar and Don’t Breathe, is equally compelling. His portrayal of the Red Army commander is pure effective, relentless in his pursuit of Korpi, building tension toward their inevitable confrontation.

Symbolism

What elevates Sisu: Road to Revenge is that it doesn’t forget what made the first film special. Korpi’s motivation isn’t just a plot device, it’s symbolic. He’s literally carrying his past with him, refusing to bury grief. The revenge story is straightforward, but the film layers in themes of resilience and memory.

It’s brutal, yes, but also poetic. Dragging something so heavy across battlefields is absurd, yet it becomes a metaphor for grief and survival. That’s what pushes the film beyond ‘just another action flick.’ It says what it needs to say without looking down or pointing a finger at the audience.

The sequel raises the stakes but never loses sight of its protagonist. Even amid chaos, the focus is always on Korpi, forcing the audience to empathise with him.

You cheer when he refuses to die or surrender. The director knows audiences aren’t just here for explosions; they’re here for the man at the centre.

The pacing is relentless. If the first film was slow and tense, this one is a rollercoaster of inventive set pieces. Without spoiling specifics, some sequences will linger in your mind long after. At 89 minutes, the film wastes no time. It’s lean, giving you exactly what the poster promises, no filler, no indulgent detours.

Beyond Hollywood

What’s refreshing is that most globally recognised action films usually come from Hollywood. Sisu and its sequel prove that other countries can deliver something equally powerful.

The director taps into universal themes; revenge, grief, and survival, and packages them in a way that resonates across cultures and makes this a globally marketable film.

This got me thinking about Kenya’s film culture. Just days ago, I saw a poster for a stunt workshop happening on Sunday, November 30th, at the Kenya National Theatre (Tell a stunt friend to tell a stunt friend).

I thought it was significant, proof that the foundation for Kenyan action cinema is there. In fact, stunt and visual effects teams are the marginalised group of filmmakers who deserve more attention from the Kenya Film Commission and other stakeholders. They should be given residencies, training opportunities, and exposure to foreign professionals.

Yes, Sisu had a substantial budget, but the fact that it exists, and is better than much of Hollywood’s current action output, proves that Africa, and Kenya specifically, has a seat at the genre’s table. We only need to rise to the occasion.

Gripes

The only thing you need to remember before watching this is to throw logic out the window. Many of the action scenes make little to no sense if you think too hard, but they’re so enjoyable that it hardly matters.

Final thoughts

I love this film. It’s over the top, sometimes unbelievable, occasionally too much. But that’s the allure of the Sisu films. They never play it safe. They throw everything at you, and if you’re willing to go along for the ride, you’ll have a blast. Tommila’s performance grounds it, Lang’s villain gives it weight, and Helander’s direction keeps it moving at breakneck speed.

Most importantly, by embracing visceral action and the thrill of the chase without holding back, this film doesn’t feel like a waste of money, unlike much of what’s currently showing. Wicked: For Good may have its merits, but that’s a story for another day.

The World Bank Group has raised Kenya’s economic growth outlook for 2025 on a stronger-than-expected rebound in the construction sector, signalling renewed momentum in public projects such as roads and affordable housing.

In its latest Kenya Economic Update, the global lender projects the country’s GDP -an output measure of all economic activities by the government, companies and individuals- to expand by 4.9 percent this year, an upgrade from 4.5 percent in May.

The revision follows what the bank described as ‘an upward surprise’ in the second quarter of 2025 when economic activity accelerated faster than anticipated, supported largely by an unexpected revival in construction.

The sector’s performance had previously contracted to levels last seen more than two decades ago, hurt by piling government arrears to contractors and constrained credit.

‘Quarter two 2025 represented an upward surprise for us. There was faster than expected recovery in the construction sector. We didn’t anticipate that before,’ Jorge Tudela Pye, World Bank Country Economist for Kenya, said on Monday during the launch of the report.

‘This translates into higher growth across the sectors: services, agriculture and industry.’

The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) reported in October that real GDP expanded by five percent in the second quarter of the year compared with 4.6 percent in a similar period last year, partly driven by the rebound in construction activity.

The KNBS data showed the sector expanded 5.7 percent in the quarter, reversing a two percent contraction in the same period a year earlier.

The turnaround was driven by increased spending on affordable housing projects and a renewed push by President William Ruto’s administration to settle long-standing road construction arrears.

Central to the clearance of a backlog of contractor debts was the securitisation of part of the Road Maintenance Levy Fund – collected from the Sh25 per litre tax on petrol and diesel.

Kenya plans to issue Sh300 billion in road bonds, backed by Sh12 of every Sh25 per litre of fuel. Of this, Sh7 will settle pending bills through a first bond tranche of Sh175 billion, while Sh5 will service a second bond of Sh125 billion covering future road works.

The World Bank report further says that falling interest rates, relatively stable inflation and improved credit growth have also helped lift economic activity, boosting demand for building materials, transport services and specialised labour.

Growth in GDP should ideally mean people are earning and spending more money. This should result in increased tax receipts, which the government should ideally spend on improving public services such as education, healthcare and security.

The GDP measure has, however, been criticised for not showing how income is split across various working groups, hence expansion in GDP could sometimes be a result of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer.

The report shows formal wage employment has grown by an average of 0.8 percent over the past decade through 2024, while real wages per worker have fallen by 10.7 percent.

Informal jobs -typically lower-paying and less productive- continue to dominate Kenya’s tough labour market, with formal employment falling to 15.5 percent of the workforce in 2024, down from 18.5 percent in 2010.

‘What that means is that most workers joining the labour force, especially the youth, are obtaining informal, lower-paying, and unproductive jobs,’ Mr Pye said.

‘Deeper structural reforms are needed to unlock productivity growth that translates into higher real wages and creates better living conditions for Kenyans,’ he added.

Despite the stronger short-term outlook, the World Bank cautioned that Kenya faces persistent vulnerabilities such as revenue shortfalls, climate-related shocks, political and social tensions as well as heightened geopolitical tensions that can affect commodity prices like oil prices that could stall momentum.

Paramount Bank has raised Sh332 million through a rights issue, pushing its core capital above the regulatory minimum amid links to a possible takeover by a Nigerian lender.

On Monday, the lender said the amount has helped take its core capital to Sh3.118 billion as at the end of September, compared with Sh2.75 billion it held at the end of June this year.

The latest figure means that the lender is now compliant with the requirement to close the year with a minimum core capital of Sh3 billion.

‘The strengthened capital position enables us to scale up lending, enhance operational resilience, and continue providing innovative financial solutions to our customers,’ said Ayaz Merali, CEO at Paramount Bank.

The fresh capital comes amid revelation that Nigeria’s second largest bank by asset base, Zenith Bank, has sought regulatory clearance to acquire the Kenyan lender.

Paramount’s strategy reflects a similar move by Sidian Bank, which has also turned to a rights issue to secure fresh capital for long-term compliance after the minimum core capital requirement was raised from Sh1 billion and set to rise gradually to Sh10 billion by 2029.

The minimum core capital in the banking sector was, through the Business Laws (Amendment) Act 2024, revised upward from Sh1 billion to Sh3 billion by the end of December, Sh5 billion by the close of 2026, Sh6 billion by the end of 2027, Sh8 billion in 2028 and Sh10 billion by the close of 2029.

The timelines for fresh capital mean that Paramount will require close to Sh2 billion come next year if it is to remain compliant. If the Zenith deal materialises, it will relieve Paramount’s shareholders from another capital raising come next year.

The Kenyan lender is keen on expanding its digital banking and payment solutions, strengthening SMEs and trade finance support, enhancing its risk and compliance frameworks and investing in sustainable and inclusive growth initiatives.

Paramount was among the 11 lenders that were left requiring additional capital as a result of the revision of the core capital rules.

Other lenders whose core capital was below Sh3 billion by the end of June this year were M-Oriental, ABC Bank Kenya, Premier Bank, CIB International Bank, Middle East Bank Kenya and the Development Bank of Kenya, UBA Kenya Bank, Credit Bank Plc, Access Bank Kenya and Consolidated Bank of Kenya.

The 11 lenders were by the end of June this year needing to raise a combined extra Sh14.7 billion to comply with the new minimum Sh3 billion core capital.

Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) banking sector stress test – an assessment of banks’ ability to withstand economic or financial shocks while remaining stable – published in September showed the lenders had submitted their plans for shoring up capital.

The stress test showed CBK stands ready with three options including ‘downgrading such banks to microfinance banks and reinstate them upon meeting the new core capital requirements.’

Earlier this year, CBK asked 24 banks whose core capital was below the final core capital target of Sh10 billion to submit plans detailing how they intend to raise new funding to meet the new enhanced requirements.

John Mbadi, as Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury and Economic Planning, carries a tremendous responsibility at a crucial juncture.

Faced with considerable challenges-ranging from high public debt and inflationary pressures to youth unemployment and regional disparities-Mr Mbadi’s priorities underscore an admirable vision.

His commitment to mobilising private capital through public-private partnerships, equitable distribution of resources and reforming tax systems, all form a solid backbone for steering Kenya toward stability and growth.

However, to fully meet Kenya’s multifaceted economic realities, it is essential to consider a more expansive and nuanced approach, one that not only builds on his stated priorities, but also aggressively harnesses Kenya’s demographic potential and global best practices, to create a genuinely sustainable development path.

At the core of Mbadi’s strategy is the mobilisation of private capital, especially via partnerships aimed at infrastructure, manufacturing, technology, logistics and education, and healthcare sectors- areas foundational to Kenya’s long-term economic competitiveness.

Addressing infrastructure gaps is crucial, as these directly impact productivity.

While this focus rightly targets investment deficits, it can be further strengthened by emphasising the creation of an enabling environment for domestic and foreign investors through regulatory reforms, reductions in bureaucratic bottlenecks and transparent contractual frameworks that enhance investor confidence.

Equitable resource distribution; a priority Mr Mbadi has explicitly voiced, holds key social and economic significance, given Kenya’s entrenched regional disparities.

His commitment to prioritise marginalised counties by rolling out development projects, ensures that growth benefits resonate nationwide and prevent social fissures.

Here, the integration of county governments in planning and budgeting processes under the public planning bill, must be executed with rigor to avoid misallocation and inefficiency.

Strengthening capacity at county levels and enforcing accountability will be crucial measures, combined with participatory mechanisms that engage local communities to meet actual needs.

Tax reform and revenue mobilisation remain critical pillars in Mr Mbadi’s fiscal management blueprint. His emphasis on reforming and modernising the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) through digitisation and AI-enabled enforcement mechanisms, is forward-looking and essential to broaden the domestic revenue base without increasing tax rates unduly.

Nevertheless, this should be paired with deliberate efforts to foster taxpayer education and build trust, particularly tackling widespread evasion and corruption perceptions that undermine compliance.

Simplifying tax codes, streamlining procedures and embracing technology must be matched by visible, fair enforcement to create a culture where all Kenyans see tax compliance as patriotic and beneficial.

On fiscal prudence and debt management, Mr Mbadi is rightfully cautious. The soaring wage bill, which threatens to crowd out capital expenditure, demands stringent controls, yet management of public sector-pay must remain sensitive to social contracts and political realities.

Phased payment of dues to unions, as Mr Mbadi advocates, reflects pragmatic problem-solving that balances fiscal discipline with labour relations.

Too often, fiscal austerity is misunderstood as across-the-board cuts. Instead, Kenya should focus on improving the quality of debt-favouring concessional and long maturity sources-and monetise assets strategically, channeling proceeds into sovereign wealth and infrastructure funds rather than filling recurrent budget gaps.

More aggressive restructuring of high-cost external debt, including innovative mechanisms like China’s conversion of Kenyan debt to renminbi, could provide fiscal space without jeopardising credit ratings.

Greater transparency in debt reporting coupled with independent external audits will also reassure investors and citizens.

The planning dimension Mr Mbadi advances through the public planning bill is commendable, fostering an evidence-based, synchronised budgeting process aligned across national and county governments.

Still, this reform needs clear implementation timelines, capacity upgrades and monitoring frameworks to translate law into practice effectively.

Without this, the bill risks becoming a well-intended but underutilised tool.

Arguably the most pressing challenge for Kenya’s development is its demographic profile. Mr Mbadi’s policies must therefore go beyond conventional employment creation to include robust investments in education reform that focus on skills relevant to evolving labour markets.

Moreover, the social dimensions of unemployment-mental health challenges, disillusionment and social instability-require integrated approaches linking economic and welfare policies.

The Treasury could explore social impact bonds and other innovative financing methods to fund youth-focused social programmes.

Comparative analysis with Thailand’s management of its Asian Financial Crisis in the late 1990s provides valuable lessons. Thailand faced sharp currency depreciation, banking sector collapse, high recessionary pressures, and social hardship-paralleling Kenya’s current fiscal stress marked by elevated debt ratios and external vulnerabilities.

Thailand succeeded by implementing rigorous fiscal consolidation, deep financial sector reforms, transparent governance, and fostering private sector dynamism, while cushioning social effects with employment support programmes. Kenya’s trajectory may well benefit from adopting a similar comprehensive approach.

To achieve these ambitious objectives, Mr Mbadi must fast-track the operationalisation of reforms, moving beyond policy statements to demonstrable actions with clear milestones.

In conclusion, while Mr Mbadi’s priorities provide a robust framework, their success hinges on deepening reforms, fast-tracking implementation, embedding youth empowerment and balancing competing demands through transparent governance and inclusive participation.

Asset financing company M-Kopa is now exporting 15,000 locally assembled mobile phones to Uganda every month, which is 10 percent of the 150,000 devices it produces monthly at its Nairobi assembly plant.

The company’s output at the Nairobi assembly plant has increased 25 percent from the average 120,000 units it was assembling monthly as of October last year, and the Uganda shipments are part of a strategy to lower operational costs and, in turn, reduce customer defaults.

M-Kopa says it aims to increase exports to Kenya’s western neighbour in the coming year and meet demand before exploring the possibility of setting up a local assembly there.

It began shipping to Uganda in the third quarter of 2024 with a trial shipment of 1,000 phones as a strategy to lower costs, in contrast to selling similar devices manufactured in China, which are subject to a 10 percent import duty, increasing the cost of the devices.

‘While we operate an independent unit in Uganda, we have not set up an assembly plant there because the output does not justify it yet,’ M-Kopa’s Kenya general manager, Martin King’ori, told the Business Daily.

‘We’re supplying them, and once the numbers are higher, there is a possibility of setting up there.’

Kenyan-made devices are exempt from import duty in Uganda because the East African Community (EAC) Common Market Protocol waiver tariffs on goods manufactured within the region.

M-Kopa sells these branded phones alongside other devices by manufacturers like Samsung on a hire-purchase basis under a pay-as-you-go (PAYG) model. A customer pays a deposit and repays the remaining amount in daily, weekly or monthly instalments. The phone is locked if they default on their payment.

As per its website, the company has three M-Kopa and seven Samsung models on sale, although their prices are not listed.

M-Kopa began assembling smartphones locally in January 2023, after Kenya introduced a 10 percent excise duty on imported phones onto the already existing 25 percent import duty, which would significantly raise the cost of the devices.

It partners with HMD- the Finnish manufacturer of Nokia phones, to locally assemble M-Kopa-branded smartphones and some Nokia-branded models.

This has made it one of the two major companies assembling phones locally alongside East Africa Device Assembly Kenya- a Safaricom-led consortium based in Athi River.

Mr Kin’gori said M-Kopa has shelved assembling phones for other companies ‘until we feel like we fully meet our own demand in the East African region.’

To date, M-Kopa has assembled over two million devices and begun refurbishing phones for the local market.

‘About 10 percent of the smartphones sold in Kenya in the eight months to August 2025 alone were refurbished units,’ he said.

M-Kopa said it has crossed two million customers for its free health insurance coverage it has bundled into its branded phones in partnership with Turaco Insurance since January 2024. The cover pays out Sh1,000 for every night spent in a public or private hospital.

The 2025 disclosures came after the UK-headquartered firm reported turning a net profit of Sh1.2 billion for the first time last year, after making losses since it was founded in 2010.

Tax base expansion plays a dual role: improving tax equity by raising revenue while reducing the overall burden. Kenya’s tax policy borrows from the OECD’s minimum rate benchmarks, including Significant Economic Presence rules. The OECD further identifies three pathways that support business sustainability-strong institutions, direct support, and hybrid policy designs.

In Kenya, KRA and the Business Registration Service (BRS) anchor taxation and licensing. The adoption of the UK Companies Act in 2015 marked a major step in deregulation, boosting the formation and visibility of local start-ups across supply chains.

Direct support involves building ecosystems that help businesses move from incubation to industrial stability through financing, training, mentorship and access to market information.

Without timely information, however, incentives can deepen market asymmetry, allowing large firms to dominate. Tax rebates such as Industrial Deduction Allowances, though powerful, tend to benefit large investors with access to high-level advisory services and the capacity to recover tax credits tied to heavy capital expenditure.

Financial institutions remain essential to enterprise growth.

Banks like KCB and Ecobank have intervened in dairy value chains, clean energy for schools and cottage industries, and gender-responsive credit programmes. Yet a closer look at Ecobank’s operations shows stronger investment footprints in West Africa than in Kenya-an indication that local banks must scale up support for home-grown projects.

Comparatively, the BRS Registry holds millions of dormant firms created mainly to access state tenders, only to be derailed by policy inconsistencies.

Botswana offers a contrast, with a successful hybrid model of part-grant, part-loan financing, predictable tax bands and the kgotla culture of public consensus-building. Corruption does not stifle start-ups at infancy.

Kenya, by contrast, frequently alters tax policies. From January 2026, all individual tax-deductible expenses must be validated on iTax-a shift that will increase audit and filing costs for SMEs. Even so, Kenya retains stronger market frontiers than Botswana.

To borrow from Barack Obama, the climb may be steep, but it leads to a better place. KRA must find the right policy mix to turn Kenya’s diversity into a stronger, expanded tax base.

NCBA Investment Bank has launched two offshore special funds for investors seeking exposure to international markets, joining other wealth managers that have introduced similar products that are popular with high-net-worth investors.

The company has joined other firms offering international market exposure including Standard Investment Bank (SIB) with MansaX and Faida Investment Bank with its OAK special fund.

The NCBA Global Equity and Fixed Income Special Funds will enable savers seeking long-term diversification to access international markets through a regulated, dollar-denominated structure.

The funds offer access to a wide range of global assets, allowing for diversification beyond traditional Kenyan unit trusts.

‘These [funds] invest in assets around the world and nothing to do with Kenya, and the genesis of them was to help our clients diversify and have exposure to the global markets in a way that is safe. We are not trying to take risks but manage their money in a diligent and trustworthy way in order to earn a good return,’ said Muathi Kilonzo, the managing director at NCBA Investment Bank.

The firm is looking to tap about 6,800 high net worth individuals, its diaspora clients and corporate customers engaging in international trade, with a minimum entry of $1,000 (Sh129,500) for each of the funds.

The funds rely on Exchange-Traded Fund portfolios that draw exposure from the United States, Europe, Asia and emerging markets.

‘We’re utilising our global presence, market knowledge and expertise to create a solid offshore investment setup.

Our goal is to ensure it meets all regulatory standards in various markets and truly connects with our clients’ needs, helping them invest their capital safely while aiming for reliable returns,’ Mr Kilonzo said.

‘It was client demand. Our clients were asking us to start giving them a diverse bouquet of solutions, people wanted to invest outside Kenya and diversify, we are doing so elsewhere but they wanted a brand like NCBA to give them a solution.’

Fund managers have been keen to introduce and grow special investment schemes that typically charge higher fees, compared to traditional investment assets as more Kenyans seek to diversify their portfolios beyond the local equities and fixed income assets.

A special fund is a type of a collective investment scheme that invests based on a fund manager’s strategy, and largely covers non-traditional assets such as real estate, private equity, offshore stocks and commodities.

The creation of the special funds has allowed fund managers to not only earn higher returns for clients from non-traditional assets such as offshore instruments but also helped them raise their fee income.

Total special funds’ assets under management touched Sh113.3 billion at the end of June this year, according to the Capital Markets Authority.

The dramatic weakening of the shilling to record lows seen in January 2024, is among the reasons that have drawn investor interest in assets denominated in hard currencies.

The High Court has rejected a landmark Sh1.1 billion arbitration award handed to software developer Samuel Wanjohi, the owner of Popote Innovations, citing the lack of an inked contract with Safaricom.

Last year, Popote Innovations received the huge award when an arbitrator determined that Safaricom had used his company’s intellectual property to create the M-Pesa Super App and M-Pesa Business App. The massive figure represents the ongoing worldwide transition to a knowledge-based and innovation-driven economy.

Intellectual property has evolved into a critical and most significant asset for businesses today, serving as the cornerstone for market domination and long-term success.

As a result, the growing relevance of intangible assets necessitates the identification of additional income generating channels through well-structured agreements such as revenue sharing.

Revenue sharing is a financial partnership between the rights holder (licensor) and the party using the technology or product (licensee).

Rather than getting a lump sum payment, the rights holder receives a percentage of the income earned by the licensed product or technology, resulting in a continuing revenue stream that rises in tandem with the product’s performance.

This model balances both parties’ interests, enabling the licensee to boost sales while also allowing the licensor to profit from the technology’s economic success.

A shared purpose is important to a revenue-sharing model: both the rights holder and the licensee have a vested interest in the product’s success in the market.

This alignment may lead to a fruitful partnership in which both sides are encouraged to innovate, improve, and broaden the product’s reach.

However, in order to realise this potential, the revenue-sharing model must be organised in such a way that risks and profits are equally distributed.

A well-designed revenue sharing model takes into account each party’s contribution and work.

The licensee often assumes responsibility for production, marketing, and distribution, which can be significant in cases when upfront expenses are large. In exchange, the rights holder grants access to a valuable technology or product that can help the licensee expand.

This interaction can become mutually beneficial if both sides are motivated to put up their best efforts.

Further, a revenue share can take a tiered structure whereby parties set payment rates that increase with higher sales. This form of tiered structure drives the licensee to maximise sales, extend market reach and scale production, since they gain directly from rising revenues, while the rights holder also enjoys improved returns.

By linking incentives with revenue-sharing percentages that adjust to sales performance, all partners remain committed to realising the product’s full potential.

Additionally, one of the most important considerations in developing a revenue-sharing model is determining the base revenue amount from which payments will be derived. Revenue-sharing agreements frequently calculate payments based on gross or net revenue.

Gross revenue is the entire income made by the licensed product before expenditures are subtracted, whereas net revenue includes permissible deductions, including manufacturing, distribution, and marketing costs. Each technique has advantages, and the best one is determined by parties’ individual industry, product, and financial goals.

Gross revenue provides simplicity and openness since it is a basic computation based purely on sales data. This technique is frequently used in sectors with little overhead, when subtracting expenditures is unneeded or unnecessarily complicated.

In contrast, net revenue provides for a more balanced approach, especially in businesses where considerable costs are linked to product performance.

When utilising net revenue, the agreement must stipulate which expenses can be subtracted and how they should be documented. This degree of transparency is critical to avoiding misconceptions about permitted deductions and ensuring that payments appropriately represent the product’s profitability.

That being stated, it is also necessary to establish the appropriate royalty rate. The royalty rate is the proportion of income shared with the rights holder, and setting it is a complex procedure that considers market potential, competitive positioning, and financial risk.

Higher royalty rates are frequently connected with items that have a large market potential, but lower rates may apply when market risks or early expenditures are significant.

Crafting a fair rate necessitates an awareness of the product’s life cycle, the amount of investment necessary, and how the technology puts the licensee within their sector.

Building Trust and Accountability

Auxiliary, Trust and openness are essential components of a successful revenue-sharing arrangement. Licensees should be prepared to give periodic reports describing income collected, costs expended (if applicable), and any deductions applied, so that the rights holder may confirm that royalties are calculated correctly.

Regular, open reporting ensures that all parties have access to accurate financial data, therefore maintaining responsibility and avoiding any conflicts. Moreover, openness benefits the licensee by establishing expectations and creating a collaborative atmosphere in which both parties feel informed and appreciated.

Revenue-sharing models are more sophisticated than this article; they are mechanisms that determine the success and longevity of intellectual property licensing transactions.

A well-balanced license should favor both innovative incentives and business realities, allowing both licensors and licensees to reap the benefits of this cooperation. With intellectual property (IP) serving as the new engine driving global commerce, mastering revenue economics has become a need, not a choice, in order to remain competitive.

Jacqueline Karasha, the CEO and Principal Officer of Sanlam Life Insurance Kenya, has always been straight with herself. She’s the kind of girl who can nap anywhere (or everywhere), a pork-ribs-savant, 5am-rising leader who will tell you that discourse is only fun when it’s part of the main course. ‘Make sure, in whatever you do, you eat first.’

You wouldn’t know it looking at her in that office, but she is also the kind of Hip-Hop-loving girl who raps to riffs of 2Pac’s ‘Hit ‘Em Up’ in the car, playing that specific part. You know which one-and oh, how she can rap.

A lastborn for 10 years, she was her daddy’s girl until her younger brother came along. Success has still not riveted the ache of longing for that girl in her father’s car driving down to Magadi or Kajiado or someplace like that, drinking Fanta or Coca Cola or something like that, in love with adventure.

‘I have a hidden gem,’ she says. Where? ‘In Tiwi, but there are no routes to get there!’ And that’s all she wrote.

Ms Karasha, which part of your life has been the most fun?

Wow. My childhood, and right now.

What about your childhood?

I had a very safe, warm, nurturing childhood. Life was simpler than now. My childhood was filled with good memories of family and travelling with my dad. He’s still there, and he’s very adventurous. And we would go to the most unlikely places for Christmas, like Magadi.

Did you know there’s a whole new world past Magadi? And I was thinking, why would my dad take us to the middle of nowhere? And we would have nyama choma under a tree and Fanta on Christmas Day. We discovered places and hidden gems that Kenyans are just now discovering.

Speaking of, what’s a hidden gem for you now?

Can I really quantify a place? I have a place at the Coast that I consider hidden because it’s in the middle of nowhere.

Which part of the Coast?

Everyone knows Diani and Malindi, but this one is in Tiwi, the south Coast. It’s very uncharted. We have no routes to get there, but it’s really nice. That’s all I have to say about that [chuckles].

What’s bringing excitement to your life now?

Travelling. The last three, four years of my career were very intense. So my son and I had a pact last year. And we said, we’re going to travel a bit more, whether it’s within or outside the country.

We’re just going to do some quarterly thing and so we’re doing that a lot, seeing new places. He’s 11 years old, and I feel he is growing up, understanding life, gauging whether he likes me or trusts me. Am I cool? Do I like his music? [chuckles]. He likes places where we will not see or interact with people and just be us [chuckles].

What’s your travel personality?

I plan in my head, but the execution is terrible. I do last-minute booking of flights and whatnot. Recently, we did a very random trip to Arusha on a Thursday. So it’s something always at the back of my mind, but I don’t know where until the last minute.

Has there been a destination that has made you rethink what success means?

Yes, every time I go towards Kajiado and Maasailand and open spaces, I think it comes back full circle. You want to be somewhere in a farm or a ranch by yourself, eating your home-grown foods, living a quality life without billboards and traffic and trees being cut down every day. You want to have that space.

It comes back to the things we thought, let’s get out of here, let’s come to Nairobi, let’s make it. Now you just want to go back. That said, I like the soft life [chuckles].

But you seem to be drawn to this rugged lifestyle.

Yes. Quiet, outside and not too cluttered, but I still sleep on a nice bed and I’ll have lunch or breakfast [chuckles].

You sound like an only child.

No, we’re five. And I am the second born, which I was for 10 years. I was the special child, my dad’s favourite for 10 years. Then all of a sudden, a son has been born into the family, and everyone is like, ‘Oh, the son has come.’ And I felt so neglected for a short period of time [chuckles].

Which part of your son reminds you of your father?

My relationship with my son is very close to how I related with my dad. We’re very close. The sense of safety that I felt, and I always feel with my dad up to today, I get that with my son as well.

What do you hope he remembers about you when he’s your age?

The values that I instilled in him. I tell him you don’t need to be the brightest, and I’ve had to first accept that because I was an ‘A’ child. So naturally, you want your child to be an ‘A’ child [chuckles], but he’s very artistic. He draws comics and writes very interesting essays and whatnot.

But math, we’re being too short on math. And you know I was good at math! I’ve been very deliberate with him, and I told him, ‘You can be a ‘C’ student, but you’ve got to give it your best.’ Beyond all this, I think the character that I’m moulding into him is more important: is he kind? Is he mindful of others? These are the things that matter.

Do you think your prodigiousness weighs on his conscience?

You see it in small ways. My son will ask me, ‘Are you upset that I’ve not got an A? Do you think I’m enough?’ And I tell him ‘you’re enough’. All I need is for you to just be a good human being. That’s what the world needs more of. Besides, AI is doing a lot for us haha!

How do you take care of yourself?

I’m not doing very well in that regard. For the last three years, I have been guarding my space around my mental and spiritual health, intentionally. Corporate world is rough, and there is no switching off, the higher you go, the higher your expectations.

But I have tried, I have bought a walking pad, a stepper, a skipping rope, and it’s not working, but I’ll get there. I decided to start with my mental health, so I began therapy because I felt that when I sit down with someone and talk to them about nothing and everything, it helps centre me. I tell people to do therapy, it does not mean you are crazy, but it helps centre you.

I grew up in the church, and was a missionary haha! But I have a grounding ritual: every morning and mostly weekends, I’ll just wake up and listen to myself at 5am. No music, no talks, just silence and that clears your mind.

What are you hearing when you listen to yourself?

All things. There are days when I am tired. Then there’s, ‘I’ve got this’, and other days where I am like, ‘Can I just go back to bed?’ And you actually filter your thoughts before the day starts.

What’s the hardest part about therapy, talking or listening?

Talking. Therapists don’t talk much, especially when you’re dealing with hard truths about yourself, and you have to voice them. But then once you speak it out, you’ve already started getting an answer to it.

What’s the most personal item you have in this office?

My son created a psalm for me, and I had put it up here on the wall. My beloved agents also gave me a painting, which you can see hanging up there.

What do you do when you can’t sleep?

Ha! I just scroll online, because I can’t read at that point, because there’s a reason why I’m not able to sleep [chuckles].

I’m assuming that you’re invited to a lot of parties and networking sessions. Do you have a party trick?

I’m not very social, in my personality tests, I am blue and red-blue is private, calm and closed. But red is for competitiveness, so it’s a unique mix. If it is a work party, my red and yellow will come out, and I’ll mentally prepare myself for it because I’d rather be home. I will have fun and dance, and enjoy. The trick therefore, is to prepare mentally for it [chuckles].

What’s the soundtrack of your life now?

Now We Are Free (by Gavin Greenaway, and The Lyndhurst Orchestra). Do you know the Gladiator movie’s soundtrack? I play it every morning [chuckles].

I’ll confess. I had you more of a Beyoncé girl.

Oh! I am actually an Eminem girlie haha! My son likes Christian HipHop, which we are also listening to, and I like that because normal hip-hop has too much ratchetness. My soundtrack is Lose Yourself to the Music by Eminem, especially when I need to psyche myself up for the day. It has graduated from 2Pac and Lil Wayne, whom I used to sing along to in the car haha!

What wouldn’t I believe about you?

I am a very good cook. My pork ribs are the stuff of legends. I have perfected it.

What’s your superpower?

I read people very well, but won’t show it [chuckles]. And then I’ll match myself to you.

What’s an unusual habit that you have?

I wake up at 5am every day, no matter the day. On Saturdays, I will try to sleep in, but my mind is still alert. I blame the 5am club we did with the sales people, leading from the front haha! But also, I just really like to sleep. I can nap anywhere, just like my mum, who’d even sleep when we had guests.

What do you wish people understood about you more?

That behind all this, I am just a person who wants to make a good in whatever space I am in. I don’t do it for the money or fame, but I can meet someone and they feel my impact on their life.

What would you like in your obituary?

Oh, I have not thought about that haha! But, maybe, now that we are on it: ‘Now We Are Free.’

Completion of six key electricity transmission lines could delay amid a funding shortfall of $383.23 million (Sh49.6 billion), in what could derail efforts to strengthen the grid and boost power supply.

A review of the ongoing projects by the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (Ketraco) shows that it has already secured $411.17 million (Sh53.2 billion) for the projects against a total capital investment of $794.40 million (Sh102.8 billion at current exchange rates).

Funding hitches could result in these lines not being completed by the 2030 deadline, hindering Kenya’s ambitions of boosting electricity supply by revamping the transmission network.

The lines will provide alternative routes and increase the capacity of the network to evacuate power from local sources and across the region.

The six lines include one running from Loiyangalani to Marsabit to evacuate power from the largest wind power farm in Kenya and another to increase the capacity to import electricity from neighbouring Uganda.

‘Approximately $411.17 million of outstanding investments have been secured/committed through development assistance and EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) + financing arising from government-to-government memoranda of understanding,’ Ketraco says in a transmission lines strategy.

‘This implies that there is a financing gap of $383.23 million that relates to the 400kV (kilovolt) Lessos-Tororo, 220kV Garsen-Hola-Bura-Garissa.’

An overloaded and ageing network in some parts of the country has hampered Kenya Power’s efforts to ensure a steady supply of electricity, underscoring why completing the six lines is key.

The other lines set to be affected by the funding deficit are 220kV Isiolo-Marsabit, 220kV Kamburu-Embu-Thika, 132kV Makindu substation, 220kV Olkaria 1-AU-Olkaria IV, a line-in-line out on Juja/Naivasha, 132kV- Maai Mahiu and the 220kV Loiyangalani-Marsabit line.

The lines span 1,709 kilometres, and the associated substations have a combined capacity of 4,166 megavolt-amperes (MVA), which are critical to the country’s quest to bolster electricity supply.

In the past, Ketraco has failed to complete transmission lines within set deadlines, primarily due to funding hitches on the part of contractors.

Budget constraints have hurt the timely compensation of displaced people along wayleaves, while in other cases, contracted firms have gone bankrupt.

The most notable example was the delayed completion of the line that evacuates electricity from the Lake Turkana Wind Power plant in Loiyangalani.

Ketraco is mainly banking on the public-private partnership (PPP) model to fund most of the network upgrading works, amid inability by the Exchequer to budget enough cash for these projects.

The firm recently disclosed that it is betting on the PPP model to bridge a funding gap of more than $4 billion (Sh517.8 billion) over the next 20 years.

Plans to start construction of the first PPP-funded transmission lines are already at an advanced stage, with these lines to be delivered by Africa50 and PowerGrid Corporation of India.

The two firms are set to start the construction of the 400kV Lessos-Loosuk line and the 220kV Kisumu-Kibos-Kakamega-Musaga line.