Category: Business Daily

Men accounted for 61 percent of mobile money cash that flowed through M-Pesa, Airtel Money and T-Kash, reflecting their dominance of the super-earners club.

The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) data shows that women accounted for 39 percent of the value of mobile money transactions in 2024, estimated at Sh3.3 trillion.

Men are estimated to have handled transactions valued at Sh5.3 billion or 61 percent of Sh8.69 trillion mobile money deals.

This mirrors the gender pay gap at the top level amid the push for salary parity in the workplace.

‘Three instant payment services (IPS), including Kenya mobile money, provided gender-disaggregated data for 2024. Analysis of this data reveals that transactions initiated by men on these systems made up the majority of transaction volumes and values,’ the report indicates.

‘The average transaction size of women’s transactions was also lower than men’s across all three systems.’

The average value per transaction for women stood at Sh1,034.24 ($8) compared with a higher mean for men at Sh1,163.52 ($9).

There have been concerns over the widening gender pay gap in corporate Kenya, where women are paid less for the same work as men, despite numerous career developments being made by female graduates.

In 2023, the number of women earning more than Sh100,000 stood at 139,847, compared to 247,571 men, reflecting male dominance in top government and corporate roles.

The gender pay gap remains a persistent problem in Kenya, despite sex discrimination being outlawed decades ago.

Some of Kenya’s largest employers have been criticised for the slow pace at which they are narrowing their pay gaps, possibly due to the fact that fewer women are taking up management roles.

The number of employees earning over Sh100,000 monthly grew by 4.2 percent, an improvement from a slower growth in 2022.

The CBK report on mobile money trends notes that the disclosures provide the opportunity to further probe gender disparities in the usage of instant payment systems.

‘These findings highlight a gender gap in usage and present an important opportunity for IPS operators to investigate the underlying causes,’ the report adds.

‘By understanding these disparities, systems can be better tailored through inclusive product design to support greater adoption among women.’

Mobile money platforms have grown rapidly in Africa, where they are now widely used for cash transfers and to pay for products and services like utility bills, energy purchases, food orders and fares.

However, the gender gap in the usage of financial services has been narrowing, particularly with regard to mobile money. Nonetheless, disparities remain high in banking, insurance and pensions.

‘2024 data highlights the narrowing gender gap in financial services usage, particularly in mobile money, where the gap reduced to 1.8 percent, down from 5.2 percent in 2021. However, gender gap in banking, insurance and pensions persists, underscoring structural barriers that demand targeted policy and programmatic interventions,’ the 2024 FinAccess Survey by CBK indicates.

Kenya’s national payment system has undergone major changes and developments in recent decades, guided by reforms implemented by CBK in collaboration with government and industry stakeholders.

The current retail system comprises payment service providers (PSPs), including e-money issuers, payment switches, gateways and aggregators, which mostly process low-value, but high-volume payments.

The launch of Safaricom’s mobile money service M-Pesa in 2007 pushed Kenya’s national payment system to new frontiers.

Initially, mobile money services were primarily intended to enable Kenyans in urban centres to send money back home to rural areas.

The growth and maturity of mobile money services has led to their integration in all aspects, including enabling credit, savings and investments.

Kenya has two main instant payment systems: the Kenya Mobile Money and PesaLink, a real-time digital payment solution facilitating instant bank-to-bank transfers.

For many men, discomfort in the groin is something quietly endured. It’s often brushed off as fatigue, heat, or the result of a long day on one’s feet. But for some, the real cause lies deeper, a common yet often overlooked condition known as varicocele.

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Simply put, a varicocele is an abnormality in the veins of the testis. The veins, which normally carry blood from the testicles back to the heart, contain small one-way valves that prevent backward flow.

When these valves fail, blood pools in the scrotum instead of flowing out, creating a tangle of swollen veins that resemble varicose veins in the legs. This rise in temperature affects the male reproductive system by lowering sperm quality and reducing testosterone levels. Over time, it can even cause a reduction in testicular size and impact fertility.

The condition is surprisingly common yet often underdiagnosed because many men don’t talk about their symptoms, or they attribute them to something else.

Varicoceles can develop at any age but are most often detected during adolescence, when physical changes make the veins more noticeable.

They are especially common on the left side due to how the body’s veins are structured. While mild cases may go unnoticed, some men experience a dull, aching pain in the scrotum, discomfort that worsens after long hours of standing, sitting, or physical exertion. Others may notice swelling or a feeling of heaviness in the testicles. In some cases, the condition becomes visible as enlarged veins that feel like a soft ‘bag of worms.’

Despite these signs, many men delay seeking help. It’s not unusual for patients to come in only when they and their partners are struggling with fertility.

They often discover the varicocele through a routine ultrasound or fertility evaluation. An ultrasound scan remains the most accurate diagnostic tool. It allows doctors to visualise the dilated veins and assess whether blood is flowing backward, a key indicator of valve failure.

For decades, surgery was the standard treatment for varicoceles. The procedure involved making an incision, identifying the faulty vein, and tying it off to stop the backflow of blood. While effective, it required anesthesia, hospital admission, and a few weeks of recovery.

Today, however, men have a gentler alternative: varicocele embolisation, a minimally invasive procedure that has transformed how the condition is treated.

We perform the procedure under local anesthesia while the patient is awake. A tiny wire and catheter are inserted through a vein in the neck or arm, just like placing an IV line. Using live X-ray imaging, we guide the catheter to the affected testicular vein, then seal it with small metal coils. These coils block the abnormal vein, preventing further pooling of blood.

The body naturally reroutes blood flow through healthy veins, relieving pressure and restoring proper circulation. The entire procedure takes less than an hour and is done on a day-care basis, meaning the patient is discharged the same day. There are no large cuts, no general anesthesia, and recovery is almost immediate.

In many cultures, men downplay or ignore reproductive health issues. Yet conditions like varicocele are both common and highly treatable.

Men shouldn’t suffer in silence, if you experience persistent scrotal pain, swelling, or fertility problems, it’s important to see a specialist. Early diagnosis and treatment can make all the difference.

Because no incisions are made, patients experience minimal discomfort. Most can resume their normal activities within 24 hours. We only recommend avoiding heavy lifting or strenuous activity for about a week to allow the veins to heal properly.

Follow-up appointments include ultrasound scans to confirm that the varicocele has resolved and that blood flow has normalised. For patients with fertility concerns, semen analysis may be done after a few months to assess improvements in sperm count, motility, and quality.

Most patients experience relief from pain and discomfort within days, and we’ve seen significant improvements in fertility outcomes. The success rates are excellent, and in most cases, the treatment is permanent. Although varicocele embolization is considered very safe, like any medical procedure, it carries some risks, though these are rare.

These may include slight bruising or mild pain at the catheter site, and in extremely rare cases, movement of the coils used to block the vein. There’s also a minimal risk of clot formation or an allergic reaction to the X-ray dye, but these occurrences are uncommon and well-managed.

Patients are carefully monitored throughout the procedure and during recovery to ensure safety.

The technology we use in the Cath lab gives us real-time images, which allows us to be very precise. Varicocele embolization reflects our growing expertise in interventional radiology, a medical field that uses imaging guidance to diagnose and treat diseases without major surgery.

In many cultures, men tend to downplay or ignore reproductive health issues. Yet conditions like varicocele are both common and highly treatable. Men shouldn’t suffer in silence, if you experience persistent scrotal pain, swelling, or fertility problems, it’s important to see a specialist. Early diagnosis and treatment can make all the difference.

Varicocele embolisation is proof that modern medicine can be both gentle and effective. For men who’ve quietly endured discomfort or struggled with unexplained infertility, this minimally invasive procedure offers hope and a reminder that sometimes, the smallest intervention can bring the biggest relief.

Our goal is to make sure men know that help exists. With the right treatment, they can reclaim their health, confidence, and peace of mind.

Kenyans registering new SIM cards may soon have to submit some of the most intimate biological identifiers known to science, including DNA analysis, blood type, and detailed biometric markers, under new regulations proposed by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA). The data demands, critics warn, could expose millions of subscribers to serious privacy risks.

The CA last month issued a notice directing all mobile network operators and subscribers to comply with the Kenya Information and Communications (Registration of Telecommunications Service Subscribers) Regulations, 2025. Non-compliance attracts fines of up to Sh1 million or a six-month jail term.

The rules dramatically expand the scope of personal information that telcos must collect, moving beyond the traditional identifiers; names, ID numbers, and dates of birth, to include a broad category of highly sensitive biometric and physiological data.

‘Biometric data means personal data resulting from specific technical processing based on physical, physiological or behavioural characterisation, including blood typing, fingerprinting, DNA analysis, earlobe geometry, retinal scanning, and voice recognition,’ the regulations state.

While the law obligates operators to keep this information confidential and secure, analysts say the new obligations introduce risks the telcos are ill-equipped to manage.

‘It is a big risk to spread such sensitive data to more hands. We cannot be sure that all telcos have sufficient capacity to handle huge volumes of such sensitive data,’ said tech analyst Phil Emorang.

‘A telecommunications operator shall take all reasonable steps to ensure the security and confidentiality of its subscribers’ registration particulars in accordance with the Act and the Data Protection Act (Cap. 411C),’ read the regulations.

Direct contradiction

Service providers fear a double bind: the heavy cost of compliance on one side, and the potential erosion of subscriber trust on the other.

The most contentious issue is the apparent conflict between the new requirements and Kenya’s Data Protection Act, which enshrines the principle of data minimisation – that organisations should collect only what is adequate, relevant, and necessary to achieve a specific purpose.

According to guidance issued by the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC), service providers must ensure that personal data is collected sparingly, stored only for as long as necessary, and deleted once its purpose is fulfilled. Sensitive data, including genetic and biometric information, is subject to even tighter restrictions.

By contrast, the regulations mandate telcos to maintain comprehensive databases of subscriber biometric records and submit them to the CA every quarter. Operators must also grant the regulator access to systems, premises, files, and infrastructure , a requirement legal experts say effectively outsources sensitive identity-management functions to private companies without clear safeguards.

Shift unsettles industry norms

Kenya’s telecom, fintech, and banking sectors have spent years promoting data minimisation as a trust-building measure. Banks routinely mask credit card digits and tokenise account identifiers, while fintechs increasingly anonymise user information wherever possible.

Mobile money providers have also attempted to adopt similar privacy-first practices. Two years ago, Safaricom informed developers on its M-Pesa network that it would progressively minimise data exposure in line with customer demands.

The company developed a feature to mask customer phone numbers during Till and PayBill payments, but has been unable to deploy it due to CA restrictions.

Airtel Kenya has likewise revised its data protection policies to limit collection to what is strictly necessary and to use anonymised data whenever possible.

‘Airtel Kenya will evaluate whether and to what extent the processing of personal data is necessary and, where the purpose allows, anonymised data must be used,’ states the firm in its data protection policy.

If the Covid-19 pandemic taught us anything, it is that the health of people, animals, and the environment is inseparable. In Kenya, however, we continue to treat them as though they exist in isolation.

Floods in Garissa, recurring droughts in the north, locust invasions in the Horn of Africa, and frequent cholera outbreaks remind us that the threats we face are connected and demand collective solutions.

This is the essence of the one health approach, which recognises that human, animal, and environmental health are closely interlinked.

The statistics are sobering. Globally, more than 60 percent of emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic, passed from animals to humans.

Kenya is no stranger to this reality. Rift Valley Fever periodically devastates pastoralist communities, rabies remains a threat in rural households, and malaria is creeping into highland zones once thought too cold for mosquitoes. Antimicrobial resistance is also growing, fuelled by the misuse of antibiotics in hospitals and on livestock farms.

The government has made progress. Ministries of Health, Agriculture, Environment, and Water have acknowledged their stake in safeguarding health. Research institutions like the Kenya Medical Research Institute provide critical evidence-based data.

At the same time, global partners such as the World Health Organization, Food and Agriculture Organization and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) continue to support collaborative frameworks. The Climate Change Act and Vision 2030 provide strong policy anchors.

The real weakness, however, lies in implementation. Ministries and agencies often work in silos, leaving gaps that diseases, disasters, and climate shocks exploit.

Climate change is magnifying these vulnerabilities. Unpredictable rainfall brings alternating cycles of drought and floods, displacing communities, fuelling hunger, and increasing the risk of disease spillovers between people and animals.

Forest destruction in Kitui, Mau, and elsewhere accelerates climate change while driving wildlife into human settlements, raising the likelihood of new disease outbreaks.

The solution is not to address health, climate, and agriculture as separate challenges but to weave them into a single vision. Counties can take the lead by strengthening inter-ministerial coordination, building early warning systems that link climate and health data, and involving frontline communities in surveillance and response.

The private sector has an equally important role in adopting safer farming practices, promoting responsible antibiotic use, and investing in climate-resilient systems that protect both people and ecosystems.

Kenya is uniquely placed to lead this integration.

Hosting UNEP, chairing the first Africa Climate Summit, and playing an active role in global negotiations give the country both visibility and responsibility. If government ministries, research institutions, civil society, the private sector, and communities pull together, Kenya can model a One Health system for the continent.

The dividends would be immense: stronger health systems, safer food, cleaner environments, and fewer outbreaks.

The cost of waiting for the next pandemic or climate disaster will always be higher. One Health and climate action are not tomorrow’s aspirations. They are urgent responsibilities that Kenya must act on today.

Building enduring businesses that deliver sustainable returns for shareholders and other stakeholders in society remains a paramount objective for business leaders.

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As the competitive landscape continues to evolve due to technological innovation, talent gaps, changing business models, and increased levels of uncertainty and complexity, organisations must determine how to build long-term competitive advantage to ensure their financial success, including remaining relevant and delivering their business growth strategy.

In the last few years, we have witnessed a significant drop in the average lifespan of businesses, indicating the challenges organisations face in remaining viable in the long term.

As a result, organisations can no longer apply a business-as-usual approach to matters affecting their long-term growth and survival.

The ability to balance short-term and long-term priorities is a critical skill required for success today. This is where sustainability comes into the picture.

Sustainability, when applied correctly, can help organisations understand the relationships between their environment, stakeholders and their financial success over time. It also enables organisations to identify the material non-financial issues that impact value creation.

Organisations must leverage sustainability to gain insight into trends likely to shape their business’s future, understand their unique selling proposition, and build sustainable competitive advantage.

It includes product and pricing innovations to maintain its market differentiation. It would also enable the organisation to articulate the changes and transformations that are needed.

For example, organisations can identify resources that need to be enhanced for future success and trigger efforts to ensure that those resources are not only available in the present but equally in the future in the required state, such as talent.

Climate transition risk is another area where organisations can identify opportunities early for transformation and growth. Contextualising how climate transition risks affect an organisation can yield insights that shape today’s decisions, positioning the organisation favourably in the market.

Sustainability can also help organisations identify the partners they need to deliver their purpose.

Sustainability can bring clarity to alignment with an organisation’s purpose.

Organisations will work to solve real societal challenges while also generating financial returns, and having the right partners on an organisation’s journey to deliver purpose, results in sustainable growth, including access to affordable finance and capital.

Agricultural firms Williamson Tea Kenya and its affiliate Kapchorua Tea recorded improved results for the half year ended September, riding on lower operating expenses even as management said the outlook remains uncertain due to weak demand.

Williamson narrowed its half-year loss to Sh10 million compared to a Sh122 million loss posted a year earlier. Meanwhile, Kapchorua’s profit grew more than fivefold to Sh95.1 million from Sh18.2 million in a similar period last year.

The revenues of Williamson declined 14.7 percent to Sh1.68 billion from Sh1.98 billion but its operational losses shrunk 48.6 percent to Sh111.5 million signaling a sharp fall in its operation expenses. Kapchorua’s turnover fell 24.2 percent to Sh829.8 million from Sh1 billion but posted an operational profit of Sh75.1 million. The management of the agricultural firms were pessimistic of the sector performance citing high supply of Kenyan tea dampening its price.

‘Continued efforts to produce high quality tea, cut costs and build Kapchorua’s brand have contributed to securing positive results in a difficult market,’ said Williamson Tea.

‘The outlook for the company remains uncertain with Kenyan tea continuing to outstrip global demand and external costs continuing to rise,’ added the company.

The two firms had in June disclosed they were investing in technology in a bid to improve efficiency and reduce their operating expenses.

The firms were also banking on China’s planned removal of trading tariffs with Africa in a new economic pact that would have spurred demand for their produce in the international market.

Williamson booked an income from associated companies of Sh37.6 million up from Sh7.2 million a year earlier easing its loss position.

Williamson Tea owns 39.5 percent of Kapchorua Tea. The listed agricultural firms recently capitalised a portion of their reserves by issuing bonus shares to existing shareholders.

Kapchorua’s performance was also boosted by profit arising from changes in valuation of its biological assets which were Sh39.8 million in September up from Sh10.4 million in September 2024.

Williamson issued 17,512,640 new shares of Sh5 each to existing shareholders at a ratio of one such share for each held -doubling its listed shares.

Kapchorua issued 7,824,000 bonus shares at the same rate of one for each currently held.

Notably the share prices of the two firms hit record highs early October as the book closure of the bonus issue neared in mid-October.

The market capitalization of the agricultural firms has spiked with their share prices falling by 18 percent for Williamson Tea and 8 percent for Kapchorua.

Williamson is currently valued at Sh5.9 billion compared to Sh3.61 billion the day before the bonus issue announcement while Kapchorua’s market capitalization is at Sh3.1 billion up from Sh1.7 billion.

The resilience of the share price despite the doubling of shares in supply supported the growth in market capitalization signaling investor confidence in the agricultural firms.

Kipeto Energy Plc is seeking to double electricity generation of its plant to 200 megawatts with an eye on inking a new power purchase agreement (PPA) with Kenya Power.

Allan Munyua, the Chief Executive Officer of the firm disclosed the plans that will entail setting up of 18 new wind turbines. The current 100-MW plant has 60 turbines. It is unclear whether the firm will lease additional land for the project.

Kipeto currently has a 20-year PPA with Kenya Power for its plant located in Ngong Hills. The firm says that it is in talks with Kenya Power for a new PPA for the additional 100 megawatts that will be generated in the expanded plant. Expansion plans of the 100 megawatts plant come days after Parliament lifted the moratorium on new PPAs, paving the way for Kenya Power to onboard new plants and negotiate PPAs with some of the current suppliers like Kipeto. ‘We are looking to double the current production capacity of this wind farm and we are looking at presenting an attractive tariff to Kenya Power for the benefit of the consumer. We have a process to follow with Kenya Power and this is what we are doing. We see this (new deal) happening sooner than later,’ Mr Munyua said.

A new PPA between Kipeto and Kenya Power will boost wind generated power in the national grid at a time the share dipped to 13.18 percent in the year ended June 2025 from 16.6 percent two years ago.

Kipeto currently has a 20-year PPA with Kenya Power, having started supplying electricity to the national grid in 2021. It supplied 404 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity to Kenya Power in the year ended June 2024, valued at Sh7.159 billion. This was a fall from the 466 GWh worth Sh14.39 billion supplied the previous year.

The power producer is majority owned by Meridiam, which is backed by Proparco- the private sector arm of the Agence Française de Développement. Kenya-based Craftskills Wind Energy International Limited owns the remaining share.

There are three wind power plants linked to the national grid. The third one is a 25.5MW owned by KenGen.

Kipeto Energy becomes one of the early independent power generators seeking to ink fresh PPAs with Kenya Power, as the country races to avert a local power generation crisis.

Kenya Power has in recent years been forced to increasingly lean on Ethiopia and Uganda to shore up supplies and avert a countrywide power rationing amid the freeze on new PPAs.

The share of electricity imports more than doubled to 10.06 percent or 1.53 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) in the year ended June, from 4.87 percent in June 2023 and one percent in 2021.

Kenya Power has not signed any new PPA since 2018 following the freeze which was imposed amid a probe into the existing deals that were blamed for exorbitant wholesale prices.

Members of Parliament lifted the moratorium on Wednesday but with conditions that include capping on wholesale prices in new PPAs at $0.07 (Sh9.05) per kWh.

Capping of the prices is meant to ensure that consumers get affordable electricity, easing the burden of power bills on households and operational costs on firms.

Kenya’s development planning history spans over six decades, evolving from short-term cycles to a transformative long-term vision.

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Since independence, the country has relied on five-year development cycles, beginning with the National Development Plan (1966-1970) and foundational policy documents like Sessional Paper No 10 of 1965 on African Socialism and its Application to Planning in Kenya, which prioritised reducing illiteracy, poverty, and disease.

Subsequent strategies included Sessional Paper No. 1 of 1986 on Economic Management for Renewed Growth and Sessional Paper No. 2 of 1996 on Industrial Transformation to the Year 2020, which laid the groundwork for sectoral focus and structural reform. The Economic Recovery Strategy for Wealth and Employment Creation marked a turning point, stabilising the economy and conceptualising what is now called the Vision 2030 in 2008.

This long-term blueprint aimed to transform Kenya into ‘a newly-industrialising, middle-income country providing a high quality of life to all its citizens in a clean and secure environment’ through three pillars: economic, social, and political, anchored on enablers and macros.

As Kenya nears the completion of Vision 2030, currently being implemented through the Fourth Medium-Term Plan, various critics have argued that the once ambitious blueprint has not fully delivered on its promises to citizens.

However, since its launch in 2008, Kenya has recorded notable progress across several sectors, specifically in infrastructure.

Infrastructure is a critical enabler identified in the Vision 2030, essential for raising productivity, facilitating trade, and supporting growth across all pillars. Key infrastructure sectors include roads and transport, energy and petroleum, information and communication technology and digital economy.

Kenya has made tremendous progress in enhancing its infrastructure over the years. Under the expansion of road programmes, paved roads have doubled between 2007 and 2024 from 9,293 kilometres to 25,410.69 kilometres.

Under the multimodal Lamu Port South Sudan Ethiopia Transport (Lapsset) Corridor project, three berths at the Lamu port have been completed and have become operational, marking a key milestone in regional integration and trade facilitation.

The transport sector includes the construction of a standard gauge railway (SGR) from Mombasa and improvements and rehabilitation of metre gauge railway (MGR) links to urban centres, which is still going on, with Miritini MGR Station-Mombasa terminus completed, the MV Uhuru II wagon ferry, and works along the Riruta-Lenana-Ngong line progressing.

Additionally, plans are underway to expand SGR to Kisumu and to Malaba.

Efforts to expand digital infrastructure and increase Internet penetration are ongoing through the connection of urban areas to the National Optic Fibre Backbone Infrastructure, in line with the digital economy strategy. Notably, internet penetration has realised steady growth from less than five percent in 2007 to 40.8 percent with more than 22 million users.

The completion of Phase One of Konza Technopolis’ horizontal infrastructure has marked the beginning of Kenya’s journey toward building Africa’s smartest city. Related developments, which are complete in this smart city, include the Konza Data Centre, the Kenya Institute of Advanced Technology and the establishment of the Open University of Kenya.

In the energy sector, Kenya’s total installed electricity-generating capacity, according to the Economic Survey 2025, stood at 3,235.5 megawatts in 2024, from 1,196 megawatts in 2007, reflecting sustained investment in energy infrastructure and diversification of generation sources.

The Last Mile Connectivity Project has continued to expand access to power, with 9.7 million customers connected since its inception.

To ensure the success of Kenya’s flagship infrastructure projects, bold strategies are needed. Leveraging public-private partnerships and innovative financing will bridge the $4 billion annual funding gap and ease reliance on public debt. Credit enhancement facilities will boost project bankability, while timely land dispute resolution will minimise delays.

Vision 2030 isn’t just a blueprint-it’s a commitment to building a sustainable, prosperous future for all Kenyans. The national transmission infrastructure stood at 3,408km circuit length before 2008, it is now at 9,484 km circuit length while 3,281km circuit length is under construction which is done Under the Kenya Transmission Network Improvement Project.

One of the key flagship here is Kenya-Ethiopia Interconnector linking the power systems of Kenya and Ethiopia through a high-capacity transmission line which has been extended to Tanzania.

Under improvement and construction of new stadia, construction of the 60,000-capacity Talanta Stadium under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework is underway with Nyayo and Kasarani improved as kenya prepares to host AFCON 2027.Additional stadia currently undergoing facelift like Ithookwe, Raila Odinga,Kiprugut Chumo ,Kipchoge keino,Ruringu,and Bhukungu reflect the government’s commitment to promoting sports infrastructure.

In the maritime sector, the construction of Shimoni Port has been completed, boosting shipping and maritime trade capacity. Meanwhile, efforts to modernize aviation facilities is in progress, with the Kisumu Airport Control Tower nearing completion and negotiations ongoing for a new terminal at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) under a PPP arrangement.

Under the Affordable Housing Programme (AHP), more than 9,000 housing units have been completed, while an additional 162,000 units are currently under construction. These include notable projects such as the 1,080 social housing units at the Mukuru Meteorological site in Nairobi, the Pangani AHP project, and the Embu Civil Servants Estate, among others.

This progress underscores the government’s sustained commitment to expanding affordable housing and promoting urban renewal across the country.

In the water and irrigation sector, significant progress has been made with the construction and expansion of key infrastructure.

Major flagship projects such as the Thwake, Mwache,Karimenu II, Londiani,koru Dam, Bosto, and High Grand Falls Dams remain under construction ,completed or in various stages of negotiation. These initiatives have exemplified government role in implementing vision 2030 priorities and in line with 5 year cycles plans including the big four Agenda and the BETA.

As Kenya advances its flagship infrastructure projects, several challenges must be addressed to ensure success. These include the need for a clearer project selection framework, strengthened institutional capacity, and innovative financing to bridge funding gaps.

Improved coordination among agencies, streamlined legal and regulatory processes, and strategic land-use planning with fair compensation are also essential. Tackling these issues will enhance efficiency and accelerate the realization of transformative national Long-term priority projects.

Willis Evans Otieno, a partner at Otieno Ogola and Company Advocates, describes Alego as the promised land. Here, the man he is, goes to meet the boy he was. In Alego, he is not the man filing a legal suit here, chasing a client there, or with political leanings. ‘When I am in Alego,’ he says, ‘I am in basic mode.’

It reminds him of the old days when everything worked. Garbage collection. Tight security. Communal upbringing. Everything worked, until it didn’t. He moved to Nairobi to have a chance at that thing called success.

In Nairobi, he owns a three-legged beaded stool, a totem of power passed down from his paterfamilias. On this stool, he channels his ancestors and bemoans first the dearth, then the death of good manners in society. From it, he also conjures up an elderly sage, frothing with wisdom from the tweeting gods of Alego – where, he believes, the Garden of Eden will one day descend. He hopes to be its chosen gardener.

Mr Willis, what makes you, you?

Authenticity. I believe that the most important thing in a person’s life is to identify why they were born, and the submission of that to me is that we are here to fulfil the will of God, in service to God and humanity.

My path is law, and I must apply it to serve humanity to the glory of God, and I am not being a typical Bible-wielding politician. I’m here by the grace of God, and that’s shaped my path to date.

What question are you trying to answer with your life?

Service. Why do you exist in the first place? You cannot say that you are born to enjoy life, live a good life at the expense of others. You are born to serve the fulfilment of the glory of God.

What do you think is your greatest virtue?

Honesty. I’m authentic. I don’t lie.

What is a uniquely personal struggle you’re fighting?

Hypocrisy, and how to learn to live with hypocrites. You must accept that you live in a society that not everybody ascribes to the views or the values that you have. And you must coexist with them. And sometimes I have to accommodate and respect authority views that don’t hold the same values that I do.

Isn’t that just human nature?

It’s not human nature. I don’t believe that humans are bad people. For instance, a child doesn’t know anything about colour, race or tribe. When they meet us, they relate in a very humane way. So innate in the human, I believe, is good. But then the social construct has been that as a man grows, he’s deconstructed, taking him away from his innate value. Selfishness, greed, hypocrisy, lying. These are not innate human traits.

Can you legislate good manners?

You cannot. Good manners can only be taught and educated. And that is one thing that is lacking in our country. Greed has superseded everything. Basic courtesy, someone wants to join the road, and you’re on the main road, but you don’t allow them to pass. You may be right legally, but morally you’re wrong.

What do we need to know about how you grew up to understand the man you now are?

I grew up in a basic household, surrounded by love from my family and community. There was no demarcation about which child was from which home; we were just all children playing together, eating together, and we’d watch television, about 30 children in a small room [chuckles].

But we would all fit watching the soap operas and Indian movies. We felt that we were one happy community, not haunted by negative, toxic ethnicity or politics.

It only became political after the Structural Adjustment Programmes, when many people started losing jobs and families started breaking down.

Before then, it had been a functional society: you had security, cleaners in the estates, provided by the government. Garbage was collected every two days by the municipal council. There was a community centre, a social hub, where we would go to watch TV. It was joy, bliss. Now we have children living in high-rise apartments who, if lucky, may have their parents take them to a shopping mall to play at the weekend

You have become quite popular on social media thanks to your X (formerly Twitter) dress downs, but also offline in your courtroom battles. Do people act differently around you?

I wouldn’t say people act differently. The majority of the people, when I’m in a public space, walk up to me and say they love my zeal and that I should not tire of fighting for us. Many Kenyans innately want the common good; they have just been forced to accept this mediocrity. Now I restrict my public appearances because it can be quite overwhelming. As an optimist, I believe in the inherent good of man, and it only takes a few good men who speak, and then you’ll see the majority join in.

Have you watched the movie A Few Good Men?

Yes, of course, many years back [chuckles].

How do you take care of yourself as a man and reward yourself? The best reward I give myself is to go to Alego, the land of paradise, where the Garden of Eden will land, haha!

That’s where my home is. In Alego, I keep a few animals, birds, ferocious dogs, et al. It is green, serene and quiet, and all I do is sleep, walk my dogs, and think of the welfare of my dogs and plants. Basic engagement is the ultimate therapy. I try to go at least once a month, but sometimes every three months, depending on my schedule.

What has this done for your life?

It makes me appreciate the beauty around me, which you sometimes don’t even notice when you’re too busy. As a person, your mind is a scatterbrain. You don’t focus on anything in particular. But taking time out and pulling back from your daily hassles, just to be basic, is important. The hardest conversation I have there is maybe talking to a neighbour and hearing about a bullfight the previous evening.

What would you say is the greatest blessing of your life?

God giving me a platform to be his vessel. To fulfil His will. He has given me a family. Some people take that for granted. To have your parents is a blessing, a wife, and you have an immediate social comfort from people who look at you as one of them.

Your father?

My father passed away at 80 years old this year. I thank God for the period we spent together.

Are you a father yourself?

I’m a father of many [laughs].

That’s a typical political answer.

I’m the one in the public space, not my family members. I take it as unfair if I expose them to what I chose for myself. But when they want to come, I say, ‘Come’. Because we must learn one thing, that some of the bad habits you see in the public space are children and family members who feel entitled. If you want it, create your own path. I believe family should stay as a family, and if you are coming to the front, come as a politician, and we will meet as thus.

What has being a father helped you understand about being a son?

Being present, that’s the most important thing; it’s about presence. This is not about just material goods, but being around. You get to learn more in life just by being around these old folks, for they are the encyclopaedia of experience. I have learned more about the Luos from my father than I have read in any book-and I have read many books.

What’s an item you have that reminds you of your father?

A three-legged beaded stool, which I keep proudly in my house. No one can sit on that stool [chuckles].

Do you declare family decrees on that stool?

Haha! No, I sit on that stool when I want to be in sync with my ancestors. I don’t use it as a symbol of authority to dictate, but understanding that I am here now, and that I will also hand over that stool to the next generation.

Willis, what is the strangest thing you have done for love?

[chuckles] My wife says that the first time we started talking, I told her I had to marry her. We spoke for almost four hours, and she said I was very spooky, but look at her now, where is she? Haha!

Four hours. Must have been quite the conversation.

Haha! I had come from abroad, and it was only the second time we had spoken. I called her just after I disembarked. I went through immigration and took a cab to my house in Lang’ata, all while still on the phone – there was no expressway or Southern Bypass. We spoke for almost the whole afternoon and I only disconnected the call at around 6.30 pm to make dinner [chuckles].

I asked her what she remembers from that call, and she said I said, ‘I want to marry you’.

What makes a good husband?

Just respect your wife.

What has been your biggest fashion crime today?

I used to mix and match my agbadas at university – those Nigerian outfits – and I would wear them to class in Moi University, haha! People on campus found me very strange.

Did it come with the accent, too?

Haha! No, just the looks [chuckles].

What makes someone memorable?

The impact. What feeling do you invoke in somebody? I hope that for me, that should be one of service. If they feel that I am serving them, not leading them or lawyering them.

Nigeria’s second-largest bank by asset base and market capitalisation, Zenith Bank, is seeking to acquire Kenya’s Paramount Bank and has sought regulatory approval to proceed with the transaction.

Zenith’s plan to enter the East African market through an acquisition in Kenya was reported earlier, but the target bank was not identified.

The Business Daily has now confirmed that Zenith is at an advanced stage of securing the regulators’ approval to complete the acquisition of Paramount Bank.

It is keen to conclude the deal in January, should it be approved. The value of the transaction was not disclosed.

Paramount Bank closed 2024 with a net profit of Sh339.9 million, up from Sh294.8 million reported the year before. The bank’s total assets stood at Sh15.9 billion while the loan book was at Sh9.4 billion in the review period.

With an asset base of Sh2.68 trillion, Zenith is bigger than Kenya’s two largest banks, KCB Group and Equity, whose assets stand at Sh1.96 trillion and Sh1.8 trillion, respectively.

It joins a growing list of Nigerian lenders trying to find new avenues to grow and diversify their regional footprint after slow economic growth at home.

The transaction is the latest in Kenya’s banking sector, where a tenfold increase in the minimum core capital requirements for commercial banks to Sh10 billion is expected to trigger deals and tie-ups.

“It’s a brownfield market entry; we are trying to acquire a bank,” a top official from Zenith, who sought anonymity owing to non-disclosure agreements relating to the transaction, told the Business Daily.

“We are at an advanced stage on the way to regulatory approval because when you are buying a financial institution in any country, both the regulators from the acquirer and the target jurisdictions must approve. If we had our way, we’d be at Kenya’s doorstep by January 1, 2026.”

Paramount Bank started operations in 1993 as Combined Finance Ltd, which was a non-banking financial institution, before expanding its range of services to become a fully-fledged commercial bank in 1995. In 2000, Combined Finance Ltd merged with Universal Bank Ltd, setting the stage for its transition to Paramount Bank in 2005. Paramount Bank operates eight branches across the country.

As at the close of December 2024, Paramount Bank’s core capital stood at Sh2.67 billion, making it one of the banks whose recapitalisation plans the market would be keeping a close eye on, given the progressive upgrade of minimum core capital requirements over the next five years.

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.

In its 2024 annual report, Paramount Bank had informed shareholders of its plans to build up core capital in line with the new prudential guidelines prescribed by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK).

“In line with the Central Bank of Kenya’s directive on progressive buildup of minimum core capital to Sh10 billion by December 31st, 2029, Paramount Bank Ltd remains committed to aligning its capital base with the regulatory trajectory. Paramount Bank Ltd is strategically preparing for this transition through prudent earnings retention policies, capital conservation buffers, and measures growth of risk-weighted assets,” the bank stated in the annual report.

Zenith’s planned acquisition in Kenya comes at a time when the bank has recently concluded its latest cash call through a combination of a rights issue and a public offer.

Through disclosures made on January 26, 2025, Zenith announced that it had raised Sh29.49 billion through a rights issue that saw it float an additional 5.23 billion ordinary shares to existing shareholders and a public offer, which saw it float 2.77 billion shares targeting new shareholders.

“The public offer was 160.47 percent oversubscribed with a total of 4,440,587,250 ordinary shares allotted based on the terms of the offer and the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Capital Verification Exercise. The rights issue was also 100.18 percent subscribed with a total of 5,232,748,964 ordinary shares allotted,” Zenith said in a statement.

Zenith Bank says its entry into Kenya will aim at serving the entire spectrum of the market.

“Zenith Bank traditionally serves all the segments -corporate, retail and public. We intend to continue to pursue this strategy in the markets we go to,” the bank’s top official told the Business Daily.

If the acquisition is successful, Zenith will be the fourth Nigerian bank to enter the Kenyan market, joining United Bank of Africa, which entered the market in 2009 through greenfield operations.

Guaranty Trust Bank entered the market in 2013 through the acquisition of Fina Bank Group, while Access Bank bought Transnational Bank in 2020.

Access Bank has since consolidated its position in the Kenyan market even further following the acquisition of National Bank of Kenya from KCB Group in a deal that was concluded on April 14, 2025, after a prolonged wait.

On March 23, 2025, Ecobank became the first lender to disclose capital injection given the enhanced core capital requirements in Kenya, with the Togo-based parent entity, Ecobank Transnational, pumping in $27 million (Sh3.5 billion), shoring up the Kenyan subsidiary’s total capital to Sh8.5 billion.

Banks that have indicated they are exploring alternative capital raising plans include Family Bank, which is expected to go public by listing on the Nairobi Securities Exchange in 2026, coming on the back of a rights issue in 2023.

The CBK also lifted the decade-long moratorium on licensing of new banks, effective July 1, 2025, a pointer to the regulator’s bid to welcome new entrants into the playing field.