Category: Business Daily

The Nairobi-Embakasi train route is now the most booming within the Nairobi Commuter Rail (NCR) network, with revenues jumping 36.3 percent to Sh17.94 million in the six months to June this year, driven by a surge in passenger numbers.

Official data shows that revenues on the route outgrew those on the Nairobi-Ruiru route, which rose three percent to Sh16.2 million from Sh15.73 million.

For years, the Nairobi-Ruiru route has been the most profitable, but has now relinquished this dominance to the Nairobi-Embakasi route.

Some 321,659 passengers used the Nairobi-Embakasi route in the six-month period, an increase of 22 percent from 263,736 in the same period last year. Meanwhile, those using the Nairobi-Ruiru route rose marginally to 301,909 from 296,562 in the same period.

In recent years, the NCR has become critical for tens of thousands of residents and workers travelling to the capital from neighbouring towns.

The Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC) operates trains on 11 routes linking the Nairobi central business district with towns such as Kahawa, Ruiru, Embakasi, Athi River, Kikuyu, Limuru and Nanyuki.

Other towns served by the trains include Lukenya and Syokimau. KRC also operates diesel multiple units on the Nairobi-Syokimau and Nairobi-Embakasi routes.

Revenues from all the routes jumped 12 percent to Sh74.87 million in the six months to June this year compared to the same period last year, while passenger traffic grew 3.9 percent to 1.26 million.

Higher passenger numbers and growth in revenues for the trains signal a further squeeze for the public service vehicles (PSVs) plying the same routes.

The lower fares charged by the trains have been crucial in pulling thousands of workers and residents to use them instead.

Passengers pay a maximum of Sh80 for a one-way trip on the trains within Nairobi, which is lower than the Sh100 or more that PSVs charge for the same routes.

KRC revived the trains on most of the city routes during the previous administration of former President Uhuru Kenyatta, as the agency sought to grow its revenues and help address the city’s public transport chaos.

The agency has linked the metre-gauge railway to the standard-gauge railway at the Syokimau terminus, enabling passengers travelling from Mombasa to Nairobi to travel seamlessly.

KRC is seeking to upgrade seven commuter lines and acquire new trains, looking to capitalise on the increasing popularity of the trains in Nairobi and surrounding towns.

Under the World Bank-backed Kenya Urban Mobility Improvement Project, the agency will acquire high-capacity trains and roll out an automated fare collection system for the city trains.

Last year, Kenya applied for a $670 million loan from the Bretton Woods institution for this project.

The cost of a kilogramme of charcoal has jumped to the highest level in more than five years on higher demand, squeezing poor households heavily reliant on the energy source.

Data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) showed that the national average price of a kilo of charcoal stood at Sh89.83 in August, which was largely unchanged from the previous month’s Sh88.84. This marked a relentless rally in the fuel’s prices.

Poor households mainly rely on charcoal for cooking due to its affordability and accessibility compared to alternative energy sources such as electricity or cooking gas. Charcoal can often be purchased in small, affordable quantities, making it a preferred choice for households, especially those with irregular or low incomes.

The prices of charcoal in August and July are the highest since January 2020, when it hit Sh152.25 per kilo.

The impact is also felt by small businesses such as restaurants, hotels, and roadside sellers that use charcoal to prepare meals.

Charcoal prices have been rising steadily since the government banned logging in 2018 to protect the forests and preserve water towers.

The surge in charcoal prices has worsened the situation for households and businesses, which are equally facing the pressure of the rising cost of cooking gas.

The KNBS data shows that the average price of a 13-kilogramme cylinder of cooking gas increased to Sh3,158.35 in August, the highest in 10 months, dealing a setback for many consumers who had shifted to the commodity following the recent tax incentives by the government that made it more affordable.

The average price of cooking gas in August is the highest since October 2024, when it stood at Sh3,183.29.

The August prices also marked the second successive month of price increases after the average cost of the commodity, also referred to as liquefied petroleum gas, climbed to Sh3,146.58 in July, breaking a trend of drops in May and June.

‘The national average retail prices of petroleum products in August 2025 were Sh186.37 per litre for premium motor gasoline, Sh172.75 per litre for light diesel oil, and Sh156.76 per litre for illuminating kerosene,’ said KNBS.

‘Over the same period, the average retail price of charcoal was Sh89.83 per kg, while that of a 13-kg LPG cylinder stood at Sh3,158.35,’ it added.

Customers are no longer just looking for loans and savings anymore; they demand a one-stop shop for all their financial needs. This puts commercial banks under pressure to expand beyond their traditional roles and deliver a full suite of financial services. But can lenders evolve into true financial supermarkets?

Moses Muthui, Director of Consumer Banking at Absa Bank Kenya Plc, joins us to discuss the future of banking and whether this all-in-one model is a customer dream or a business reality.

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

When Josephine Katambo speaks about whisky, she doesn’t start with the usual talk of age statements, smoky notes, or oak casks. Instead, she starts with the senses.

‘Close your eyes, hold the glass, smell the aroma, and feel the texture. Let your senses lead you,’ she says.

‘We start with sight, admiring the rich amber colour. Then the aroma – fruit, vanilla, or oak. Taste comes next, often paired with food, chocolate, tropical fruits, even Kenyan dishes. Finally, we reflect on how the flavours evolve. It’s not about rules. It’s about making whisky your own.’

It’s an approach that has guided her journey as the marketing manager for Scotch and Reserve brands at East African Breweries Limited (EABL), where she leads efforts to make whisky appreciation both aspirational and approachable.

Blending experience and insight

Josephine’s path to the world of premium spirits has been anything but linear. She began her career in 2013 with a distributor handling baby and feminine care products in Nairobi, later moving to regional roles in infant nutrition and hair care. Each step, she says, taught her something new about consumer behaviour.

‘In baby care, it was about trust. In nutrition, it was about heritage and responsibility. In hair, it was about identity and expression. Those lessons are exactly what I bring to whisky today,’ she says.

When she joined EABL as a senior brand manager, she became part of a team exploring how to expand the Scotch whisky category in Kenya. ‘It was serendipity,’ she recalls. ‘We were doing a sprint to understand how big the category could get, and I ended up helping to define what that future might look like.’

Her philosophy has remained consistent across industries – that brands must become part of people’s lives. ‘Consumers today want authenticity,’ she says. ‘They’re not just buying a drink; they’re buying an experience that reflects who they are.’

An evolving market

Kenya’s whisky market has long been dominated by blends, but single malts are now finding a growing audience. Josephine attributes the shift to rising disposable incomes, global exposure, and a new generation eager to express identity through their choices.

‘Modern consumers are intentional,’ she explains. ‘They’re curious about what they drink; where it came from, how it was made, and what makes it special.’

At EABL, Josephine says this has translated into more interactive experiences such as tasting sessions and guided pairings that demystify whisky. These gatherings, held in Nairobi, Mombasa, and Kisumu, Kenya’s biggest cities, encourage participants to explore flavours in a relaxed setting.

‘When food looks good, tastes good, and is fresh, most children are happy to try anything,’ she says, smiling, ‘and it’s similar for adults. When you make whisky approachable, people are willing to explore.’

She describes one of the brands in her portfolio, Singleton, as having a smooth, fruit-forward style that appeals to first-time single malt drinkers.

‘It’s a good entry point for people discovering the category,’ she notes, careful to frame it within a wider movement of what she calls ‘premium palate exploration’, a growing culture of consumers learning to appreciate craftsmanship and complexity.

Josephine wouldn’t be a true whisky lover if she didn’t experience it. If you ask how she enjoys her whisky, she smiles.

‘I like it neat, to appreciate the flavours in their purest form. But I also enjoy it with a splash of water, which opens up the aromas. And sometimes, depending on the setting, I pair it with food.’

A taste for authentic experiences

Josephine’s work reflects broader cultural changes in Kenya, where consumption is increasingly about expression rather than routine.

‘We’re moving from buying things out of habit to choosing experiences that define us,’ she says. ‘Whether it’s fashion, food, or travel, people are curating their lives. Whisky is part of that evolution.’

This trend, she adds, is reshaping how brands approach storytelling and hospitality. ‘As consumers develop refined tastes, they expect better service, better environments, and better stories behind every sip. It raises the bar for everyone in the industry.’

In November, EABL will unveil a series of limited-edition single malt releases, part of a broader effort to celebrate craftsmanship and rarity in Kenya’s spirits scene.

Josephine says the move reflects a growing appetite for premium products. ‘It shows that Kenyan consumers appreciate exclusivity and are ready for new experiences,’ she says.

Her vision for the future goes beyond bottles and branding. She imagines collaborations with chefs, mixologists, and artists – immersive evenings where food, music, and whisky intersect.

‘Dining and whisky should complement each other,’ she says. ‘It’s not just about drinking; it’s about celebrating creativity and culture.’

Breaking stereotypes

As a Kenyan woman leading the narrative around premium whisky, Josephine is aware of the cultural expectations that come with her role.

‘When I stand in front of a room leading a tasting, I know it shifts perceptions,’ she says. ‘It tells people that whisky isn’t limited by age, gender, or background. It belongs to anyone who values taste and experience.’

Her approach is simple but transformative; to help Kenyans see whisky not as an elite ritual, but as a personal journey of flavour, discovery, and confidence.

‘There’s no single right way to enjoy it,’ she concludes. ‘Whisky should adapt to you, not the other way around.’

The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) issued an $89.5 million (Sh11.56 billion) payment guarantee to facilitate the acquisition of KCB Group-owned National Bank of Kenya (NBK) by Nigeria’s Access Bank Group, in a deal valued at $106.9 million (Sh13.81 billion).

The guarantee represents 83.7 percent of the deal value.

Access Bank disclosures show Afreximbank- a multilateral trade finance institution, backed the deal giving the two lenders the comfort to proceed with the transaction before all closing conditions are fully satisfied.

Although central banks in Kenya and Nigeria have granted preliminary approval, final authorisations remain pending. As a result, the deal is not yet fully closed and control of NBK had not transferred to Access Bank as at the end of June 2025.

The guarantee by Afreximbank therefore bridges the gap between the signing of the transaction and the final completion, assuring KCB Group that payment will be made once all closing conditions are met.

To secure the seller’s (KCB) right to receive payment pending satisfaction of the regulatory conditions, the group (Access), the seller, and Afreximbank entered into a guarantee agreement of a maximum guarantee amount of $89.5 million effective 30 May 2025,’ said Access in the interim financial report for up to June 2025.

The guarantee means that should Access fail to pay once all closing conditions are fulfilled, Afreximbank will be forced to step in and pay the Kenyan lender up to the guaranteed amount.

The transaction, first revealed in March 2024 and formally executed on May 30, 2025, involves Access Bank acquiring 100 percent of the issued share capital of NBK from KCB Group.

However, Access says the transaction remains subject to the receipt of unconditional regulatory approvals, which represents the final requirement for satisfying the closing conditions.

As of June 30,2025, Access Bank confirmed in its interim financial statements that the acquisition had not been consolidated, given that ‘control of NBK had not yet transferred’ and regulatory approvals remained conditional.

The acquisition is part of Access Bank’s ongoing expansion strategy in East Africa.

Access already operates in Kenya through Access Bank Kenya, which previously traded as Transnational Bank before the acquisition deal in 2020.

Access Bank Kenya operations will be merged with those of NBK once the transaction is completed, enhancing the lender’s foothold in the country. Access has 25 branches in the country against NBK’s 85.

KCB acquired NBK in 2019 but has since struggled to fully integrate the subsidiary, citing legacy non-performing loans and capital adequacy challenges.

Selling NBK to Access Bank allows KCB to streamline its operations and focus on its core markets while freeing up capital for future growth.

Customers are no longer just looking for loans and savings anymore; they demand a one-stop shop for all their financial needs. This puts commercial banks under pressure to expand beyond their traditional roles and deliver a full suite of financial services. But can lenders evolve into true financial supermarkets?

Moses Muthui, Director of Consumer Banking at Absa Bank Kenya Plc, joins us to discuss the future of banking and whether this all-in-one model is a customer dream or a business reality.

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

For many parents, dining out with children has become an exercise in repetition – the same French fries, chicken or fish nuggets, sausages, and maybe a scoop of ice cream for dessert.

A recent viral video of a mother lamenting her hotel’s predictable ‘kids’ menu’, chips, kebabs, and little else, has reignited conversation about how restaurants treat young diners.

Health-conscious parents who frequently dine out are also concerned about the menus fueling obesity in their children, even as some hotels just

‘I don’t mind paying a little more if my child gets something healthy and interesting. Everywhere you go, it’s chips, chips, and more chips. It’s like chefs think children don’t deserve flavour and these are unhealthy dishes,’ said Mary Wanjiku, a mother of two.

Biggest concern

RoseJoy Etale, a clinical nutritionist and dietitian, says the biggest concern with most children’s meals served in hotels is their high sugar, salt, and fat content.

‘These are the three things that bring health problems to both children and adults. When children are constantly served such foods, they are being predisposed to chronic illnesses like high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and even some cancers,’ she says.

What about children who order these foods in hotels?

Where it all starts

Ms Etale says children’s preference for fries, nuggets, and similar foods is largely driven by taste and exposure. To reverse this trend, she encourages parents to change their own eating habits.

‘Children mirror the eating habits of their parents or caregivers. So, if a parent constantly eats unhealthy food, the child naturally grows up preferring the same. Also, foods high in sugar are addictive. Once hooked, it’s hard to stop,’ she says.

‘You can start by adding whole foods like cereals, tubers, and vegetables, little by little. You can also talk to children about why certain foods are better for them; they actually understand when you explain,’ she says.

Radisson Blu Upper Hill’s executive chef, Wayne Walkinshaw, admits that while most establishments offer the typical fare of chips, chicken nuggets, and fish fingers, the trend is largely driven by convenience and cost-effectiveness rather than creativity or nutrition.

Minding the profits

Chef Wayne says in busy kitchens, where timing and profit margins matter, deep-fried dishes are quick to prepare and appeal to most children’s palates. However, he believes this approach has made children’s dining experiences monotonous and predictable.

Lots of the kids’ menus are repetitive. Everybody gives you chicken nuggets, fish fingers, or deep-fried sausages because it’s easy to make and cost-effective. We underestimate what children can enjoy. When food looks good, tastes good, and is fresh, and when parents are supportive, most children are happy to try anything,’ he says, adding that Radisson Blu has started personalising meals for young diners.

‘We don’t do a dedicated kids’ menu. When families come in with children, we adapt some of the dishes from the main menu into smaller portions or ask parents what their children like, then create something based on that,’ he says.

Chef Wayne notes that a child’s openness to food begins at home. Parents who expose their children to different tastes early on tend to raise adventurous eaters.

‘Parents promote what their children are eating. If they introduce variety early on, children naturally become more open-minded. Even my children eat very unhealthily, and that’s on me. Sometimes you just want to get something quick and easy so it’s out of the way,’ he adds.

But he insists that healthier options don’t have to be complicated or expensive.

‘Instead of giving them fish fingers, do a nice piece of grilled fish with sukuma wiki or mashed potatoes,’ he says, adding, ‘Dining should be more than just feeding the children. It should be part of teaching them to appreciate flavours, freshness, and quality,’ he says.

Making it healthier

Randy Ngala, marketing manager at Mövenpick Hotel and Residences Nairobi, admits that some habits are hard to break, and children’s love for fries, burgers, and nuggets remains constant.

‘You’ll always find them asking for fries or burgers, and missing them on the menu does a disservice. But how do you make it healthier? You include veggies, stack the burger properly, make sure it’s colourful, tasty, and nutritious,’ he says.

However, over the years, he has noticed a significant shift among parents, who are now more health-conscious and keen to ensure that their children eat balanced meals even when dining out.

‘Creating a menu for children goes beyond simply offering smaller portions of adult meals. It involves crafting a fun, appealing, and nutritious experience. Children are naturally drawn to vibrant visuals and playful presentation,’ he says.

When Ronald Otieno, the former general manager of the Kenyan ride-hailing company Little Cab, pressed the voice recording button on his mobile phone during a tense meeting with his former employer, little did he know that the audio clips would later become the smoking gun in a landmark labour relations suit.

Last week, the Employment and Labour Relations Court in Nairobi awarded Mr Otieno $750,000 (Sh96.9 million) after he proved that his former bosses had unlawfully fired him to avoid honouring a one percent equity promise – a claim cemented by his covert recordings.

Mr Otieno’s contract as the founding general manager of Little Cab was terminated in May 2017 due to allegations of gross misconduct.

But, in a landmark ruling, the court found that his dismissal was unlawful and that Craft Silicon Ltd, Little Cab’s parent company, had schemed to deny him the promised one percent equity stake in return for his role in building the ride-hailing giant.

He joined Craft Silicon in April 2016 on a mission to transform Little Cab from a start-up into Kenya’s premier taxi-hailing service.

Within six months, he negotiated a salary bump from the initial Sh240,000 to Sh340,000. The CEO, Kamal Budhabhatti, also unconditionally offered him a one percent share in the ride-hailing entity, known as Little Limited. The company is currently valued at $75 million.

He was also promised that, as the company grew, he would be offered an additional one percent share, making it two percent in total.

Mr Otieno testified that he wholly accepted the new terms and signed the employment contract, the terms of which took effect immediately. However, he was not given a copy of the contract.

Threats from CEO’s wife

However, trouble began when Mr Otieno repeatedly requested a copy of his revised contract.

Instead, he was inundated with disciplinary memos accusing him of incompetence and insubordination, and even of exposing the company to a Sh350 million loss.

A disciplinary hearing based on a performance review was also convened.

‘This litany of adverse letters to the claimant (Mr Otieno) in a short space of one month corroborates the claimant’s evidence that he began to be threatened and harassed upon insistence on being given a copy of his contract that had awarded him one percent of company shares,’ reads the judgment.

The verdict further reveals that the employer failed to counter the credible evidence of persistent abuse, harassment, threats and the promise of termination of employment from the CEO’s wife, who was also a director of Little Limited. The said director did not testify in court.

Mr Otieno’s legal victory hinged on authenticated audio recordings of meetings in which Mr Budhabhatti admitted to the one percent equity grant, a claim the CEO later denied in court.

In one clip, Mr Budhabhatti conceded that Mr Otieno was entitled to the shares, but argued that the second one percent was performance-dependent.

While testifying in court, Mr Budhabhatti denied promising Mr Otieno any shareholding in the company after working there for only six months.

‘The claimant acting in breach of the contract continuously failed to keep proper records of mobile phone corporate contracts and process orientation, and oversight, which resulted in the second respondent (Little Limited) making losses,’ said the CEO.

Unbelievable responses

However, the court dismissed the CEO’s evasive responses during cross-examination as unbelievable, noting that the disciplinary actions had coincided with Mr Otieno’s demands regarding his contract.

Upon examining the arguments by both parties, the court found Mr Otieno’s evidence to be credible, consistent, and verifiable.

The court ruled that the termination was unlawful and unfair, and was ‘based on trumped-up charges, false accusations and devious attempts made solely to stop the claimant from obtaining a copy of his employment contract through which he was awarded one percent share of the Little Limited’.

‘Thanks to the secretly recorded electronic evidence, which was authenticated and admitted before the court, this truth was proved by the claimant on a balance of probability,’ said the trial judge.

According to the court, the recordings proved the termination was a scheme to deny Mr Otieno his rightful stake.

‘Clearly, the claimant was awarded a one percent share of the company for his stellar effort in starting the second respondent (Little Limited), but was later victimised in the respondents’ effort to conceal that fact as seen in the recorded minutes of the meeting between CW1 (Otieno) and RW1 (Budhabhatt),’ said the trial judge.

‘The court is satisfied that the claimant had been awarded a one percent shareholding by the respondent’.

The company failed to provide valid reasons for termination under Sections 43-45 of the Employment Act. It also failed to demonstrate that it had followed due process in disciplinary hearings as required under Section 41 of the Act.

In addition, it failed to disprove Mr Otieno’s claim that his dismissal was intended to avoid the equity payout.

Ultimately, the court awarded Mr Otieno $750,000 (one percent of Little’s $75 million valuation). ‘This value was not contested by the respondent, who made a bare denial of the claim,’ noted the court.

He was also awarded Sh1 million for unfair dismissal (three months’ salary) and full costs of the case, with the court rejecting Little’s argument that he underperformed.

‘The claimant lost career growth and was not compensated for the loss. The claimant was mistreated greatly for the last part of his tenure with a view to denying him his entitlement,’ remarked the trial judge.

The ruling highlights how Kenya’s workplace disputes are evolving, with more employees now turning to digital evidence, from emails and recordings to text messages, to challenge unfair dismissal.

The National Treasury has directed State agencies to immediately pay Sh2.2billion owed to financially crippled Postal Corporation of Kenya (Posta), which has been hit by disruptions amid a nationwide strike by its employees over six months of unpaid salaries worth Sh473million.

This comes after Posta CEO CEO John Tonui, sought a helping hand from the Treasury to forestall the ongoing financial crisis rocking the business, whose operations are nearly grinding to a halt.

In a circular to all accounting officers dated October 24, 2025, Treasury Principal Secretary Chris Kiptoo said that the outstanding Sh2.2 billion debt has caused financial difficulties to the corporation and impacted its ability to operate to its full potential and meet its employee and operational obligations.

‘Ministries, Departments, and Agencies(MDAs) owe the Postal Corporation of Kenya (Posta) over Sh2.2 billion as a result of services offered in an effort to fulfil its mandate. This has caused liquidity challenges, which have impacted its ability to operate optimally and meet its employee and operational obligations,’ says Mr Kiptoo.

‘Accounting officers are hereby requested to immediately prioritise payment of debts owed to the Postal Corporation of Kenya within the approved financial year 2025/26 Budget Estimates. You are required to bring the content of this letter to the attention of the affected Heads of State Corporations/Semi-Autonomous Government Agencies (SAGAs) under your respective Votes.’

According to Kiptoo, the affected MDAs are required to provide feedback on the action taken to process the payments by Wednesday, October 29, 2025.

The circular further indicated that MDAs with adequate resources are required to immediately process the payments, while those with insufficient funds should immediately process re-allocations from the balances in their approved budget to offset the Posta debt.

Treasury notes that pending payments to Posta forwarded to the Pending Bills Verification Committee (PBVC) should be processed and considered in the context of the financial year 2025/2026 Supplementary Estimates and the financial year 2026/2027 budget process after cabinet approval.

According to details from the Treasury, the bulk of the corporation’s debt is owed by the government, which has failed to settle rental arrears amounting to Sh1.53 billion for the use of Posta locations as Huduma Centres.

The Independent Boundaries Electoral and Boundaries Commission has not honoured its outstanding Sh298.85 million debt after Posta entered into a three-year logistics deal to distribute election materials during the 2022 general elections.

The corporation’s other debtors include Star Newspaper, which has not paid Sh34.24 million for the distribution of its newspapers countrywide, Kenya Tissue and Transplant Authority (Sh27.98 million), National Oil Corporation Ltd (Sh27.72 million), Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Sh16.26 million), Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Sh14.79 million), and NHIF (Sh9.74 million).

Posta says it is grappling with a monthly staff cost of Sh118 million and annual payroll costs of about Sh1.7 billion compared to annual revenues of Sh2.3 billion, which the corporation says is ‘not enough’ to cater for the operational costs.

Posta operations have been grounded by a workers’ strike that began on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, in various parts of the country, including Nairobi, Thika, and Kiambu, over the unpaid dues.

Posta’s attempts to quell the workers’ strike hit a brick wall on Tuesday after the Employment and Labour Relations Court declined to grant the orders to that effect and instead directed the corporation to pay off the workers’ salaries for October by November 5.

‘ The on-going industrial action called by the Union is stayed on condition that the employer pays October 2025 salaries by 5 November 2025,’ the court said.

‘In default, the Union and the workers are at liberty to proceed with the strike without any further notices or directions by the Court.’

According to the court documents, Posta admitted that it had not paid its workers’ salaries for about five months, and on October 21, the corporation had proposed to pay October 2025 salaries by November 17, 2025.

Further proceedings on the matter will be heard on November 5.

The Communication Workers Union of Kenya says over the last five years its members have been subjected to delays in payment of salary for up to eight (8) months.

‘As at the time of writing this letter, the staff have not been paid from the month of March 2025 (six months),’

‘We have tried several times through dialogue, where the management has continued to give promises that are not honoured. Given the circumstances, we are left with no other option but to seek redress through other means for our members who have suffered for a long time,’ the union says in a letter dated September 23, 2025.

The union demands that staff are paid all their outstanding salaries immediately from the month of March 2025 to date and that the Posta management indicate with timelines when they will remit all outstanding remittances to pension scheme, banks, Saccos, and insurance companies amounting to Sh1.52 billion for the month of August 2025.

‘Sure, all staff have the same challenge because the work done for the government of Sh2.2 billion has not been paid,’ Mr Tonui told Business Daily in a text message on Monday.

‘Workers are not paid for five months, and at the end of this month (October), it will be six months. We are appearing before the Industrial Court for direction, and we push the National Treasury to release funds for Huduma,’ he added.

Posta says it is grappling with a monthly staff cost of Sh118 million and annual payroll costs of about Sh1.7 billion compared to annual revenues of Sh2.3 billion, which the corporation says is ‘not enough’ to cater for the operational costs.

It expects to render about 400 employees redundant by June next year as it seeks to reduce its workforce to 1,650 from the current 2,070 as part of the cost-cutting measures to survive the harsh times, where its business has been hurt by new technology.

The corporation is seeking approval from the National Treasury to sell part of its dormant assets, mainly land, to clear liabilities amounting to Sh7.2 billion and attract a strategic investor to revive its operations.

Posta’s assets are valued at about Sh11.2 billion, with land accounting for Sh7.9 billion, including a prime parcel at Nairobi’s Yaya Centre.

The corporation’s liabilities comprise largely unremitted pension deductions, which currently stand at Sh2.2 billion, a debt of about Sh1.7 billion owed to suppliers, accrued taxes to the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) standing at Sh2.7 billion, and debt to banks standing at Sh600 million.

The corporation is seeking a strategic partner for its courier and financial services division under a public-private partnership (PPP) model based on a 15-year revenue-sharing arrangement.

A straight-A student sits at her desk, fluent in theories and formulas. Across town, a university dropout hustles in a cramped room, turning a rough idea into a business.

Years later, the diligent top student finds herself working for someone like the dropout. This isn’t a fable; it’s a familiar pattern.

Again and again, the education that promised success produces excellent employees, while the misfits and rule-breakers become employers. The classroom was built for a world nothing like the battlefield of business.

Modern schooling moulds us in uniform shapes, rewarding compliance over curiosity and repetition over reinvention. We are trained to memorise the correct answer, not to sit with a hard question until it changes us.

That factory logic builds efficient administrators, but it strangles the very traits entrepreneurs depend on: imagination, resilience and ethical risk-taking. Red ink teaches us to fear mistakes, but startups demand that we fail forward.

The habits that deliver top grades – caution, deference, solitary achievement – become liabilities when the world rewards boldness, discernment and collaboration.

Nowhere is this disconnect sharper than here in Africa. In Nairobi, Lagos, Accra and Kigali, graduates step into the world fluent in theory but shaky in practice. They clutch certificates while standing outside opportunity.

Exams don’t grade ingenuity; rubrics can test memory but not conviction. Most global playbooks assume functioning systems. But our founders build around fragility – moving goalposts, informal markets, shifting rules, and trust that must be renegotiated every day.

We have been educated to seek permission rather than possibility. We were taught to colour within the lines, then pushed into economies that demand we redraw them. By the time a would-be founder realises the gap, the only option left is unlearning.

We discover that a business plan is a wish until it meets a customer, that cash flow is a pulse, that culture is oxygen, and that meaning is the founder’s true fuel. The most important subjects were never on the syllabus: how to rebuild trust after betrayal, how to lead when your doubt is louder than your confidence, how to stay sane when your dreams begin to succeed.

It is through stories shared on Founders’ Battlefield that this re-education has begun. In that studio, armour falls away and truth enters the room. George Ikua describes the exhaustion of ‘drowning in visibility,’ a reminder that vision without rest burns out the visionary.

Joachim Westerveld runs Bio Foods and Highlands Drinks with a principle that would confuse most MBAs: ‘You can’t fake fairness; farmers know when you mean it.’ His strategy is empathy formalised as process. Mary Waceke Thongoh-Muia, who mentors leaders through transformation, says: ‘You cannot heal an organisation you are hiding from.’

Too many founders build from unhealed wounds. Tesh Mbaabu reminds us that sometimes failure isn’t in the market; it’s in our meaning. And Teresa Njoroge, who rebuilt her purpose after incarceration, says purpose isn’t what you plan – it’s what remains when everything else is taken away.

These are not stories about scale. They are about soul. Each one points toward a truth we’ve begun to call the African Founders Operating System – not software, but a decision-making compass for real life.

It draws on five dimensions that every founder, sooner or later, must master: emotional intelligence, the discipline to stay centered under pressure; social intelligence, the discernment to choose partners wisely and navigate fragile trust; strategic clarity, the art of rooting action in principle rather than fashion; spiritual grounding, the stillness that holds you steady when success blinds or failure bites; and mindset mastery, the humility to unlearn, relearn, and grow through contradiction.

These lessons are not taught; they are lived.

The founder’s true education begins the day the theory runs out and the terrain takes over. Yet we still measure intelligence by credentials instead of consciousness, forgetting that brilliance without balance is brittle. Africa cannot afford to keep exporting its brightest minds to systems that never saw them.

Real learning happens in conversation, in mentorship, in experience that wounds and then refines. We must design an education that prepares founders not just to perform but to persevere. Founders don’t fail because they lack ideas; they fail because no one taught them how to recover when those ideas collapse.

Our future will not be built by the best students but by the most adaptive learners – the ones willing to fail forward, evolve fast, and build beyond what was ever imagined in the classroom. And that is where the next lesson begins. Beyond the classroom lies the true curriculum of the founder’s life – one taught not by teachers, but by time, not through grades, but through grace.

This marks the first part of a two-part reflection on how we learn to build, fail, and rebuild as founders. If this part exposed the gap – the ways in which our classrooms failed to prepare us for the chaos of creation – then Part 2 will explore the remedy.