Category: Business Daily

Kenya is at a pivotal juncture in shaping its future economic relationship with the United States. With the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) extended by only one year and ongoing plans for a bilateral trade agreement, the country has a unique opportunity to reposition itself as a strategic and indispensable partner to the US.

This moment requires Kenya to adopt a negotiation approach that aligns with the current American trade philosophy, particularly that of Donald Trump’s transactional and ‘America First’ outlook, which emphasises clear, measurable benefits for the US economy.

This past weekend, orchid collectors and enthusiasts gathered for the much-anticipated Annual Orchid Show at the Sarit Centre.

This year’s blooms were nothing short of lush, vibrant, and bursting with colour. Shades of purple, yellow, white, and green transformed the exhibition hall into a miniature jungle.

The Employment and Labour Relations Court has upheld a decision by Crawford International School to dismiss a teacher accused of falsifying her employment history and salary details during recruitment, saying that the school acted lawfully in terminating her contract for gross misconduct.

Justice Linnet Ndolo dismissed a lawsuit filed by the teacher named Ms OA, who had sought Sh9.99 million in compensation for wrongful termination and defamation.

The court found that she knowingly misrepresented her prior employment status and previous salary, which justified her summary dismissal just two months into her probationary period at Crawford International School, where she had secured a two-year contract.

Court documents reveal Ms OA was hired in September 2018 following WhatsApp interviews conducted by a recruitment agency on behalf of the school. However, weeks into her role, students accused her of bullying and harassment, prompting an investigation.

During the probe, the school discovered discrepancies in her job application. It was discovered that at the time of recruitment, she falsely claimed to be employed at a top private school as director of student advancement and teacher of English and Literature, when in reality she had already been terminated from another prestigious school for alleged integrity issues.

The court judgment shows that the employer also discovered that Ms OA had inflated her salary with the previous employer from Sh180,000 to Sh365,000-a misrepresentation the court termed a “deal-breaker.”

Its Managing Director, Jenny Coetzee, testified that Ms OA failed to disclose that she had been terminated from her immediate former job for reasons related to her competency and general conduct towards students.

Read: International School of Kenya ex-teacher sues in pay dispute

“The claimant obtained employment by deceit and the employer was within the law to terminate the employment on this ground,” Justice Ndolo said, adding that dishonesty during recruitment “breaches the faith inherent in the work relationship.”

Ms OA had argued that her dismissal was procedurally unfair, alleging the school shifted accusations mid-hearing from student complaints to her employment history.

However, the court noted she was given additional time to respond to new evidence and allowed representation during disciplinary hearings.

“The employer adhered to fairness. There is evidence that the claimant was issued with a show-cause notice, and when new evidence was discovered, she was given an extension of time to respond. Overall, I have no reason to fault the conduct of the disciplinary proceedings,” Justice Ndolo stated, rejecting claims of defamation due to insufficient evidence.

In her claim, Ms OA argued that the whole process leading to her dismissal, and the allegations forming the basis of and the reason for the termination were false, illegal, and unfair.

She said that, though the show-cause letter contained allegations made by students against her, the disciplinary hearing concerned issues of withholding material employment records and presenting inaccurate information to the recruitment agency.

Ms OA claimed that Crawford continued to give negative references to prospective employers, causing her to lose an employment opportunity.

But the court held that misrepresentation of employment history or previous salary constitutes lawful dismissal.

Citing Section 43 of the Employment Act, which requires the employer to establish a reason that would cause a reasonable employer to terminate employment, in this case, the court found there was a valid reason to terminate the employment of Ms OA.

Justice Ndolo concluded that an employee who is on-boarded based on a fictitious salary figure may be removed from employment on this account.

The case highlights the risks of Curriculum Vitae fraud in Kenya’s competitive job market, where background checks are increasingly stringent.

The Employment and Labour Relations Court has ruled against Twiga Foods Limited for unlawfully terminating the contract of a sales employee over alleged poor performance, citing a lack of due process and failure to provide measurable performance benchmarks.

Justice Linnet Ndolo ordered the agribusiness firm to pay former sales representative Maxton Duke Kibira Sh1 million, comprising six months’ salary compensation and refund of unlawful salary deductions after finding the termination substantively and procedurally unfair.

Mr Kibira, a sales representative, was fired on December 13, 2018, via a letter citing “performance below set expectations,” including unbanked revenue and low sales realisation rates.

However, the court noted that Twiga Foods violated labour laws by ignoring due process.

The court dismissed Twiga Foods’ claims that Mr Kibira consistently underperformed, noting the company failed to produce his job description or objective performance metrics to justify the December 2018 dismissal.

Read: Twiga Foods to fire more staff after operations freeze

‘The Respondent’s witness, Beatrice Maiyo, (legal manager), was unable to point out any proof of poor performance on the part of the Claimant. More significantly, the Claimant’s job description, which would have formed his performance benchmark, was not availed,’ Justice Ndolo observed.

‘The court was therefore at a loss as to how the verdict of poor performance was arrived at,’ she stated.

The judgment emphasised that Kenyan labour law requires employers to give employees clear performance improvement plans over two to three months before termination. Twiga Foods only held one documented meeting with Kibira weeks before firing him.

The court also condemned Twiga Foods for deducting Sh426,000 from Mr Kibira’s salary over alleged unbanked revenues without evidence or his input. The court noted that some of the deductions went beyond half of the claimant’s salary.

‘The decision to surcharge the claimant appears to have been unilateral. In fact, as confirmed by the Respondent’s witness, there was no document to show how the surcharge figures were arrived at,’ said the judge.

Justice Ndolo ruled that such surcharges require a fair hearing under Section 41 of the Employment Act.

“By surcharging the Claimant and terminating him for the same issue, Twiga violated the rule against double jeopardy,” the judge stated.

Mr Kibira had accused Twiga Foods of subjecting him to unrealistic sales targets, constant station transfers, unpaid overtime and a hostile work environment.

Twiga had denied wrongdoing, insisting deductions were on account of a bonus the claimant did not qualify for. It further denies that the claimant worked overtime.

The court dismissed these arguments, noting the company’s failure to reconcile the disputed deductions or justify overtime denials.

While the court declined to award overtime claims due to insufficient proof, it upheld his grievances on unlawful deductions and procedural flaws in his dismissal.

Kenya has previously witnessed the end of several political eras.

The notable ones being the death of the founding President, Jomo Kenyatta, who died in 1978 aged 81.

This was followed by the death of the founding Vice President Jaramogi Oginga Odinga in 1994.

On February 4, 2020, just before Covid-19 was declared a global pandemic, Kenya’s second independence president, Daniel Toroitich arap Moi, died at 95 years, his death signalling the end of an era for a man nicknamed the Professor of Kenyan politics.

However, the death of Raila Odinga, the son of Jaramogi, on October 15, 2025, aged 80, shook the political landscape that was accustomed to a man who went with so many political names-Enigma, Agwambo, Arap Mibei, Njamba, Tinga, Nyundo, Jakom and Baba.

Raila, Kenya’s undisputed hero of the second liberation struggle, was a man that Kenya never had as president, notwithstanding the five attempts-1997, 2007, 2013, 2017 and 2022. His defeat on some occasions was blamed on electoral manipulation despite his unmatched popularity across the country.

However, in death, Odinga got military honours complete with a 17-gun salute to honour the departed hero, unlike his late father, Jaramogi, who was not even accorded a State funeral despite having served as the country’s first Vice President.

And President William Ruto on Sunday acknowledged that there was resistance within government circles to accord Odinga a State funeral with military honours since he never became president.

But a towering figure in Kenya’s political scene, Odinga, who, although never rising to power, struck deals with then presidents Moi, Kibaki, Uhuru Kenyatta and Dr Ruto, which saw him get into the inner sanctums of power, the former prime minister’s influence in shaping the Kenyan state saw him accorded the honours.

From a political detainee, Odinga went on to build a fanatical movement around him, forging what is arguably the longest popular party, ODM, which coincidentally marks its 20th anniversary next month, a party around which many have built their political careers.

The Lang’ata MP went on to serve as prime minister in a grand coalition government with President Kibaki between 2008 and 2013-the highest post in government that he ever held until his death.

The son of Jaramogi rose to the public limelight and the political scene as a political detainee after he was linked to the failed 1982 coup by the disgruntled Kenya Air Force officers, becoming the country’s most consequential political figure after the late Moi.

The coup attempt was designed to depose then-President Moi.

Odinga, being at the centre of power even though he never became president, was a highly influential figure in Kenyan politics, known for his decades-long fight for democracy, human rights, and constitutional reform that led him to rub the government figures the wrong way.

An opposition leader in Kenyan politics, Odinga played a significant role in shaping the country’s politics, specifically pushing for the rights of the common people as well as the political reforms.

As the country paid its last respects to Odinga before his interment on Sunday, President Ruto, former President Kenyatta, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo and former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka eulogised Odinga as a great leader.

Describing Odinga as a mentor, President Ruto said Kenya had lost a great hero, ‘a man made through the fabric of struggle’.

‘Raila is fondly referred to as the people’s president. We honour him with a lot of respect because of his contribution to the nation. I can confidently say that Raila was not just an engineer but a political engineer,’ said President Ruto.

‘Yours truly, William Ruto was one of his students in political engineering. He mentored me.’

Read: Raila’s dream of factory wealth

It is not disputed that Odinga was a highly influential figure in Kenyan politics, known for his decades-long fight for democracy, human rights and constitutional reforms that ultimately yielded a new constitution that was promulgated on August 27, 2010.

Born on January 7, 1945, Raila spent years in detention and exile for his activism against former President Moi’s regime.

Former National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi writes that ‘while we may have differed with Raila politically at various points, I have always respected his tenacity and deep love for the country.

‘For decades, Raila Odinga stood at the heart of Kenya’s struggle for freedom, reform, and inclusion. His journey, marked by sacrifice, resilience, and an unrelenting belief in the promise of this nation, inspired millions across generations,’ said Mr Muturi.

Acknowledging that few men ‘have so profoundly shaped Kenya’s democratic space or borne its burdens with such resolve, Raila’s passing leaves a void not just in politics, but in the conscience of our nation’.

‘Raila’s legacy will endure in our institutions, in our freedoms, and in the hearts of all who believe in the dream of a just and united Kenya,’ notes Mr Muturi.

Retired President Obasanjo noted that ‘one thing you could not take away from Raila was his passionate love for his country and Africa.’

‘It is what made him grow from strength to strength in his political career,’ said former President Obasanjo.

The retired President Obasanjo was among those who attended the meeting in Mombasa, Kenya, that brought President Ruto and Odinga together after the closely contested August 2022 presidential election, which led to the formation of the broad-based government in 2024.

President Ruto and Odinga were close rivals in the 2022 General Election.

‘Tolerance is a lesson of love. Raila tolerated accommodation. It’s a lesson we must learn from him. I have lost a brother, a friend and a confidant,’ said Mr Obasanjo.

Odinga was a towering figure, a veteran politician, and a champion of democracy who left an indelible mark on Kenya’s history.

As a key figure in the opposition movement, Odinga played a significant role in shaping Kenya’s democratic journey, advocating for human rights and pushing for electoral reforms. Retired President Kenyatta, referring to Odinga as a close friend, said his loss presents the country with a huge challenge.

‘We will miss Raila as a leader of this nation. His thoughtfulness, his freedom and those good virtues will always be remembered,’ said immediate former President Uhuru, with Mr Kalonzo remembering the late Odinga as the father of democracy.

‘Raila was the epitome of the struggle for justice and the fight against corruption,’ said Mr Musyoka, adding that ‘despite the pain of a stolen election, he was very accommodating’.

‘Raila was a patriot who fought for justice, equity and unity even in the face of adversity,’ said former President Uhuru, without forgetting their fierce political battles and later ended in friendship- the handshake in 2018 on the stairs of Harambee House, the official office of the President.

However, as the country and Africa bade Odinga goodbye, in his 43 years after the failed coup, he never revealed his role in the failed 1982 coup, even in his biography: Raila Odinga, an Enigma in Kenya Politics by Nigerian author and lawyer Dr Babafemi Badejo, launched in 2006.

The matter, which landed Odinga in detention thrice, has been mentioned as a passing cloud.

He had promised to give more details of the failed coup in a book he promised to churn out, but never did so until his death.

However, in his autobiography, The Flame of Freedom, released in 2013, he revealed that his role was merely ‘peripheral.’

Interestingly, despite the detentions, Odinga was never charged with the failed coup attempt.

The question that remains unanswered and which follows Raila to the grave was whether his failure to be prosecuted was a political deal with the late Moi.

Unlike his former colleague in detention- former Subukia MP Koigi Wamwere, Raila also never produced his detention diary.

In the book; Raila Odinga, an enigma in Kenya Politics, Raila reveals that the coup plotters sought and got the blessings of Jaramogi and that he set up a communication centre at an apartment on Ngong road from where he and the plotters monitored events.

When the Raila Biography was released figures like former Internal Cabinet Minister Chris Murungaru were quick to call for Raila to be tried for treason and that if convicted, hanged as provided for in the law.

‘Raila is a dangerous person and he has declared himself to be so,’ Dr Murangaru said immediately the book was launched as he asked legal experts to scrutinize the book for action telling Raila not to disown the contents ‘since he must have sanctioned every word and was present at the launch.’

Other than Dr Murungaru, then retired President the late Moi told his Kalenjin community to ‘be wary’ of Mr Raila’s antics because his biography had exposed his true character.

Speaking in the Kalenjin dialect, Moi said; ‘you can now read the kind of person the man of the lake is.’

But Raila immediately hit back at those calling for his arrest saying that what he expected was an intellectual debate by people who had read the book and not wild allegations that could not be substantiated.

‘What I want is intellectual discourse from people who have read this book and not unfounded allegations. I will only respond to reasoned critique over the issues in the book,’ Raila said then.

Then Nyakach MP Peter Odoyo, was among the MPs who defended Raila saying the book was not an autobiography and that ‘the views expressed in it represented the assessment of the author and did not come directly from Raila.’

In page 94 of Raila’s biography, Raila comes out vaguely as neither denying nor confirming having actively participated in the 1982 failed coup.

However, in his autobiography; The Flame of Freedom, released in 2013, Raila says that he played only a ‘peripheral role’ in the attempted coup.

‘The publication of a biography of me in 2006, where the writer intimated a peripheral role for me in the coup attempt, caused a vindictive outcry- indicating that freedom of speech is, at the time I tell this, my story, as shackled as ever in our country,’ he said in 2013.

As the country bids Raila, the enigma of Kenya politics goodbye, his friend in the liberation struggle Senior Counsel Paul Muite said that ‘the fallen hero’ will always be remembered for the democratic space that the country continues to enjoy.

‘Raila will always be remembered for his immense contribution for justice in our motherland- detentions, torture and exile,’ said SC Muite adding; ‘we have now handed the baton for the unfinished business to the current generation.’

Mr Muite was so close to the Odingas. He Muite and the Odingas have had a long history of collaboration in politics and beyond.

He Muite served with Raila and his father in the National Assembly on the opposition benches.

He was also Jaramogi’s close ally and was his Vice Chairman in the Ford-Kenya party and during the 2022 Presidential election petition at the Supreme Court, he represented then Raila’s Azimio coalition to challenge the declaration of President William Ruto as the winner of the presidential election.

Former Imenti Central MP Gitobu Imanyara who served with Raila and Jaramogi in the National Assembly, notes that ‘some lives speak for themselves.’

‘They do not want to be celebrated. They are lived out loud, with conviction and cost, shaped by purpose and defined by endurance. The life of Raila Odinga is one of these,’ Mr Imanyara, Raila’s comrade in the struggle movement, said.

‘For those of us who have walked beside him, not in ceremony but in resistance, his journey is one we carry not only in memory but in bone,’ added the former Imenti Central MP.

Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o, the Kisumu County governor, Raila’s colleague in the second liberation struggle said that without Raila, the country may not have realized the 2010 constitution.

‘The Nation was ready for change and Baba was for that change. He was instrumental in pushing for devolution of power and resources,’ said Governor Prof Nyong’o.

Siaya County Governor James Orengo, who was also in the trenches with Raila in the fight for second liberation did not fail to recognise the befitting send-off Raila was accorded.

‘This is the first State funeral with military honours in the Nyanza region. We lost prominent leaders from this region- Jaramogi, Tom Mboya, Dr Robert Ouko but their sendoff never came close to this. But this is the first,’ said Governor Orengo.

‘What did Raila really stand for? Many came and fell by the wayside but Raila stood. He was a fighter for democracy. There are those who lead political parties and have abused Raila without knowing that without Raila, they would not be leading those parties,’ added Governor Orengo.

According to Governor Orengo, Raila was courageous.

‘In 2017 when his votes were stolen, he decided that he will be the people’s president. Before you open your mouth to speak against Raila, remember what he stood for and what he fought for. He was a peacemaker- as you can see that even in his death, he has brought President Ruto and Uhuru together,’ said Governor Orengo.

Global rating agency AM Best has affirmed the credit ratings of Kenya Reinsurance Corporation (Kenya Re), keeping the outlook stable even as it raised concerns over the reinsurer’s governance and risk management practices.

The US-headquartered agency maintained the reinsurer’s financial strength rating (FSR) of B (fair) and the long-term issuer credit rating of ‘bb+’ (fair). It also kept a stable outlook on both ratings.

AM Best says it assigns B (fair) rating to insurance companies that have ‘a fair ability’ to meet their ongoing insurance obligations. The agency rates financial strength of such insurers as vulnerable to adverse changes in underwriting and economic conditions.

Kenya Re’s FSR of B (fair) sits at the midpoint of AM Best’s 13-tier rating scale, which ranges from superior (A++) at the top to poor (D) at the bottom.

‘The ratings reflect Kenya Re’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, neutral business profile and weak enterprise risk management,’ said AM BEST in a statement.

AM Best said Kenya Re’s balance sheet strength assessment is underpinned by its risk-adjusted capitalisation which is at the’ strongest level.’ The reinsurer’s capital position provides a sufficient cushion against underwriting and investment risks.

However, AM Best cautioned that the company faces several risks and weaknesses including governance challenges, citing the recent suspension of managing director Hillary Wachinga in unclear circumstances.

Read: Why Treasury wants to give Kenya Re bigger slice of the pie

‘Kenya Re’s risk management framework is evolving and its risk management capabilities are weak when compared with its risk profile. AM Best notes that the company’s managing director was placed under suspension in September 2025, due to an ongoing internal matter. AM Best will continue to monitor the outcome of this matter,’ said the rating agency.

Despite these concerns, AM Best said the stable outlook reflects confidence that Kenya Re’s strong capitalisation and improving underwriting performance will sustain its financial position in the near term.

Kenya Re’s operating performance was rated as ‘adequate,’ supported by improved underwriting results and healthy investment income.

AM Best said the company’s average return on equity has exceeded domestic inflation over the past five years, indicating steady profitability despite economic headwinds.

The reinsurer’s non-life insurance portfolio showed improvement, with a combined ratio of 78.1 percent in 2024, compared to 97.7 percent in 2023, based on International Financial Reporting Standard 17.

The combined ratio measures the money flowing out of an insurance company in the form of dividends, expenses and losses. AM Best noted that since initiating corrective actions in 2020, Kenya Re’s non-life portfolio has reported technical profits in most years.

AM Best noted that Kenya Re continues to benefit from its privileged market position, backed by compulsory reinsurance cessions from local insurers, as well as its geographic diversification across Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

Insurers in Kenya are currently obligated to place a fifth of their reinsurance business with Kenya Re but this is set to rise to a quarter if the recently published proposals under the draft Insurance (Amendment) Regulations, 2025 are adopted.

When a county worker or university lecturer looks at their pay slip, they often see a deduction marked ‘pension contribution.’

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What many don’t realise is that, in far too many institutions, the money never reaches the retirement fund. It’s withheld, sometimes for years, by cash-strapped or poorly governed employers.

According to the latest Retirement Benefits Authority (RBA) data, unremitted pension rose by Sh13.54 billion in six months to close December last year at Sh60.7 billion and swelled further to Sh72 billion as at end of June this year. Nearly 98 percent of that amount lies with public and quasi-government institutions such as universities, parastatals, and county governments.

Yet the entire pension industry manages over Sh2.25 trillion in assets, making it one of the country’s largest institutional investors. This mismatch reveals a deep vulnerability in Kenya’s pension ecosystem.

Pension funds are the backbone of Kenya’s long-term investment base. They buy government bonds, finance infrastructure projects, and provide liquidity to real-estate and equity markets. When contributions fail to arrive, funds lose investable cash. Some are forced to liquidate assets prematurely or slow down new investments.

That silent capital drain ripples through the economy: fewer pension inflows mean lower domestic savings and greater dependence on short-term borrowing. As RBA noted in its 2024 statistical update, the sector’s growth slowed despite strong asset performance, partly because of irregular remittances.

Besides, every unpaid shilling erodes public confidence. Workers begin to doubt that their deductions are safe. Younger employees, particularly in the informal sector, interpret pension schemes as risky or unreliable and choose cash savings instead.

Kenya’s pension coverage remains just about 26 percent of the working population. Non-remittance scandals result in delayed payouts at retirement which further discourages enrolment from younger workers, especially among micro-enterprises and self-employed workers who already struggle with low financial literacy.

Even though the RBA Act requires employers to remit pension deductions within 15 days or pay penalties, such guardrails exist on paper, but enforcement has proved difficult. Many defaulting entities are public bodies shielded by bureaucracy or budget delays.

And governance structures compound the problem. In many schemes, half or more of the trustees are appointed by the employer. That conflict of interest makes it awkward to press the same employer for arrears.

Read: Retirement: Strategic partnerships critical in growing pension savings

The regulator’s authority is further diluted when defaulters face no meaningful consequences beyond routine notices.

Eventually, when these organisations can’t settle arrears, the burden eventually shifts to the exchequer.

History shows that unpaid pension liabilities often resurface as Treasury bail-outs or court-ordered settlements. That means today’s non-remittance becomes tomorrow’s public debt. Left unchecked, widespread under-funding also increases old-age poverty, forcing government social-protection schemes to fill the gap-another fiscal pressure on taxpayers.

To restore confidence and stability in the pension system, Kenya needs tougher enforcement of remittance laws, stronger scheme governance, and greater transparency. The RBA should be empowered to attach accounts or issue agency notices against chronic defaulters, while pension boards must include a majority of independent or member-elected trustees to curb employer interference.

Real-time digital monitoring of deductions through platforms like eCitizen or iTax would also ensure automatic reconciliation, and an annual public list of non-compliant institutions would enhance accountability.

Above all, public bodies must be barred from diverting employee pension deductions to other uses and be held liable for breaches.

The growth of the retirement benefits sector is no small feat. But the sector’s strength is built on trust and trust depends on compliance.

A Mombasa-based travel agent has dropped a suit against KLM Royal Dutch Airlines in which it had sought a permanent injunction to restrain it from demanding $126,338.47 (Sh16.3 million) linked to five flight tickets allegedly purchased fraudulently.

Through its lawyer, Kilindini Travel Centre Ltd told the court that the case had been overtaken by events since the demand they wanted had stopped being made.

‘The demand has already been made, the client is seeking remedy elsewhere, the suit can be withdrawn,’ the lawyer told Justice Florence Wangari of the High Court in Mombasa.

The judge allowed the application by the firm, marked the case as withdrawn, and closed the file.

In its case, Kilindini Travel Centre had said it is an accredited travel agent with the International Air Travel Association (IATA) in carrying out and conducting air ticketing business for local and international travel.

The company said on May 13, a set of five air tickets was purchased from KLM Royal Dutch Airlines by an unknown entity or person using the Kilindini Travel Centre portal with a travel itinerary from Tokyo, Japan, to Amsterdam in the Netherlands and back to Tokyo, Japan.

Kilindini Travel Centre said the five air tickets were purchased using a credit card, which is not the normal operating procedure in the industry, as an agent like itself in purchasing air tickets for its customers is done through a given designated bank.

Read: Mombasa travel agent sues KLM in Sh16m ticket fraud row

According to the agency, the owners of the air tickets never travelled, and instead, on May 15, all the tickets were cancelled, and a request for a refund was made, which the airline honoured, and all money paid out for the air tickets was refunded. It stated that the purchase of the said five air tickets was a fraud committed against it for unknown reasons.

Kilindini Travel Centre said the purchaser of the five air tickets in question and all the named passengers are unknown to it, and at no time has it ever dealt with them in the course of its business.

‘The plaintiff stated that the said five air tickets were of the Juliet type in the air travel industry, and they are the most expensive tickets in the business class air travel,’ argues Kilindini Travel Centre in its case filed on September 29.

The agency said KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has lodged a claim against it for payment of the money, alleging that the amount is the cost of the refunded air tickets, arguing that they were non-refundable and that they were issued in breach of the Air Fare Rules.

Whenever Kenya’s budget season is brought to the fore, the phrase ‘medium-term revenue strategy’ is repeatedly uttered by policymakers, professionals, and the public during the debate and public participation on the proposed revenue-raising measures.

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The Medium-Term Revenue Strategy (MTRS) is a policy framework for tax system reform aimed at boosting domestic revenues. Approved in 2024, the first MTRS covers financial years (FY) 2024-25 to 2026-27 and aligns with the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda.

The MTRS sets an ambitious goal of raising the tax-to-Gross domestic product (GDP) ratio to 20 percent by FY 2026-27, which is meant to reverse a decade-long decline in Kenya’s tax-to-GDP ratio.

Specifically, ordinary revenue as a percentage of GDP had declined from 18.1 percent in FY 2013-14 to 14.3 percent in FY 2022-23.

To reverse this trend, the strategy has adopted two key pillars. First among them is the implementation of tax policy reforms aimed at broadening the tax base, adjusting tax rates where necessary, and reviewing and rationalising tax expenditure.

The second core pillar is tax administration reforms, which entail modernising the Kenya Revenue Authority’s (KRA) systems and improving compliance enforcement.

In the first two years of the MTRS period, the government has enacted several tax measures, primarily through the annual Finance Acts.

For instance, through the Finance Act 2025, the government has reviewed the tax regime for betting and gaming services to impose excise duty and withholding tax on amounts deposited and withdrawn from gaming wallets, rather than on the amounts staked or won. Further, the government raised the value-added tax (VAT) on fuel from eight percent to 16 percent.

Also, it expanded taxation to emerging sectors, such as excise duty on cryptocurrency transactions and new withholding taxes on digital content monetisation and supplies of goods to public entities.

The excise duty rates on alcoholic products were also revised to be based on alcohol content to curb health risks and raise revenue. Additionally, the government revised the corporate tax rate for branches from 37.5 percent to 30 percent and introduced a 15 percent tax on repatriated branch profits.

To tax the digital economy, the government also introduced the Significant Economic Presence Tax in 2024 to tax income earned by non-residents from digital services.

Most notably, the KRA launched the electronic invoicing system (eTIMS), requiring businesses to issue eTIMS invoices and disallowing expense deductions if not eTIMS-compliant.

However, several key MTRS proposals have faced delays. For instance, while the MTRS envisages lowering the corporate tax rate from 30 percent to 28 percent to align with global/regional averages and potentially aligning the top personal income tax rate accordingly, these cuts have not occurred, largely due to an underperformance in domestic revenue collection over the years.

Similar challenges have waylaid the implementation of the proposed reduction in the VAT rate from 16 percent to 15 percent or 14 percent.

Additionally, certain controversial VAT base expansions, such as applying it to some education and insurance services, met public resistance and have been reconsidered.

Some institutional reforms, such as the integration of all KRA systems internally and with other government systems, have encountered delays.

Other key factors have also contributed to the delays in MTRS implementation in Kenya. For instance, in mid-2024, widespread protests erupted against proposed tax measures in the Finance Bill 2024, which included higher taxes on basic goods and services.

Institutional and administrative capacity challenges have also hindered the strategy’s implementation. Fully rolling out eTIMS, for example, has been a challenge, and KRA has had to allow multiple transition periods.

Further, the MTRS’s implementation has met legal hurdles, with multiple measures such as the prior minimum tax being declared unconstitutional.

This has made the government more careful in reintroducing such measures, taking time to redesign them to withstand legal scrutiny.

More recently, parts of the Finance Act 2023, including the Housing Levy, were declared unconstitutional, making implementation uncertain.

Kenya’s MTRS status as of 2025 is a work in progress, with important reforms achieved but many still underway. Harder reforms, which may be unpopular, such as motor vehicle circulation tax and taxes on agricultural produce, or those needing complex operational capacity, are lagging.

Learning from peer countries’ experiences, Kenya can refine its strategy to ensure that the remaining MTRS measures are executed effectively.

Kenya’s experience with the MTRS, marked by ambitious goals and mixed implementation progress, is not unique.

Several other countries have adopted MTRS frameworks since the concept was introduced around 2016, with varying degrees of success. On the continent, countries such as Rwanda and Benin are in the formulation stage of their MTRS, as per the Platform for Collaboration on Tax (PCT), which is a joint initiative between the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the United Nations (UN) and the World Bank Group (WBG). Other countries such as Senegal are in the early implementation stage, while countries such as Egypt and Uganda are in the more advanced Implementation stage. For context, Kenya is classified in the pre-formulation phase of its MTRS, signalling that Kenya is far behind some of its regional peers.

The comparative experiences from the above countries highlight a few strategies for more effective MTRS implementation.

For instance, countries such as Rwanda and Egypt have high-level political commitment and support, including clear direction from the Executive and the National Treasury, which helped tax reforms maintain momentum.

Crucially, the outstanding countries are proof that strengthening tax administration as a priority is a key indicator of MTRS success.

For example, Senegal prioritized establishing a Large Taxpayers Unit (LTU) and upgrading its information technology (IT) systems, which has yielded higher revenue collection.

When many people think of breast cancer, they imagine it as a disease that mostly affects older women. Yet doctors in sub-Saharan Africa are raising a red flag, more and more younger women are being diagnosed, often much earlier than their counterparts in Western countries.

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This troubling trend is not limited to breast cancer alone, other cancers are also appearing more frequently in younger people. While genetics may play a role, more research is needed to fully understand whether environmental factors, lifestyle, or yet-unidentified risks are also driving this pattern.

This shift carries profound implications for how women of all ages should think about their health. The first and most important message is that every woman must know her breasts.

Being familiar with how your breasts normally look and feel can help you quickly notice if something unusual develops, whether it’s a lump, skin dimpling, nipple discharge, or any other change.

For younger women, this awareness is even more vital because routine mammograms are not typically recommended until after age 40. Instead, doctors often rely on ultrasounds, which are better suited for examining younger, denser breast tissue.

Breast density itself is another term that can be confusing. Simply put, it describes how the breast appears on imaging. Younger women usually have denser breasts because they contain more milk-producing (glandular) tissue.

On a scan, this makes the breast look more solid and compact. While density doesn’t necessarily increase the risk of cancer, it can make it harder for mammograms to detect problems, which is why alternative imaging like ultrasound or MRI may be recommended.

For many women, one of the hardest questions is how treatment might affect fertility.

Chemotherapy and certain hormonal treatments can temporarily disrupt the cycle of egg release, and in some cases, may have longer-term effects on fertility, while fertility does dip during treatment, many young women have successfully undergone therapy and later had children.

Read: WHO ranks Kenya as Africa’s top in breast cancer control

Today, doctors are increasingly offering fertility preservation options, such as freezing eggs or embryos before treatment begins, to give women more choices for the future.

Breast surgery typically comes into the picture as one of the first major steps in breast cancer treatment. In cases where the cancer is caught early and remains localised, surgery is often performed immediately to remove it.

If the tumor is small, a lumpectomy (removal of just the lump and some surrounding tissue) may be enough. For larger tumors, or when cancer involves multiple areas of the breast, a mastectomy (removal of the whole breast) may be recommended. In other situations, doctors may begin with chemotherapy to shrink the tumor, making surgery easier and less invasive.

Surgery can also include removing lymph nodes under the arm to check if the cancer has spread. The timing and type of surgery depend on the stage of the cancer, overall health, and the woman’s preferences, but it remains one of the critical aspects of breast cancer care.

The decision between a lumpectomy and a mastectomy has also been a challenge for many women and depends on factors like the size and location of the tumor, whether multiple tumors are present, and sometimes, the patient’s own preference. Both approaches can be highly effective, and in many cases, they are paired with additional treatments such as radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or hormone therapy to reduce the chance of recurrence.

One of the most encouraging advances in modern medicine is the shift toward personalised medicine. In the past, breast cancer was treated as a single disease.

Today, doctors analyse tumors at a genetic and molecular level to determine the best approach for each patient. For example, some cancers are fueled by hormones and respond well to drugs that block estrogen production, while others carry changes in specific genes and can be treated with targeted therapies. This precision-based care has significantly improved outcomes, offering women not just longer survival but better quality of life.

Genetics play an important role in understanding breast cancer risks. Many people have heard of BRCA1 and BRCA2, but the terms can sound intimidating and abstract.

These are simply genes we all have. In their normal form, they act like repair workers, fixing broken DNA and helping prevent cancer from developing.

But when there is an inherited fault, or mutation, in one of these genes, the repair system doesn’t work properly. As a result, the risk of breast and ovarian cancer rises sharply.

Women with these impaired genes can face up to a 70 percent lifetime risk of breast cancer compared to the much lower risk in the general population. The good news is that genetic testing can help identify women who carry these mutations, allowing for closer monitoring and preventive options.

Life after treatment is another area where medicine has advanced. For women who undergo mastectomy, breast reconstruction can help restore the breast’s shape using either saline/ silicone implants, or tissue from another part of the body. Reconstruction not only helps with physical recovery but also plays a powerful role in emotional and psychological healing.

The focus in modern breast cancer care is not only on survival but also on ensuring women live full, dignified lives after their treatment.

Several risk factors are known to increase the likelihood of breast cancer.

These include obesity, smoking, heavy alcohol use, long-term hormone replacement therapy after menopause, and even certain herbal treatments that contain estrogen-like compounds. However, having a risk factor does not mean a woman will definitely get cancer; it simply highlights the need for vigilance and regular checkups.

In Kenya and across much of sub-Saharan Africa, one of the greatest challenges remains late diagnosis. Many women present to hospitals at advanced stages of the disease, when treatment options are more limited and survival rates are lower.

The barriers include the high cost of diagnosis and treatment, fear of the disease, and limited access to specialists and diagnostic tools, especially in remote areas.

Breast cancer is not a death sentence. But it can become deadly if diagnosis is delayed. Early detection, timely treatment, and consistent follow-up are the keys to survival. Go for your screening today and get to know your breasts.

Breast cancer when caught early is often treatable, and with the advances in care today, survival and recovery are more possible than ever before.