Category: Business Daily

Questions have emerged over the status of Airtel Kenya’s licence a month after the telecoms operator said it had received a 25-year permit, with new disclosures by the regulator showing it is still awaiting approval.

The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) said in a August 28 gazette notice that Airtel Kenya’s applications for a network provider permit and a satellite provider authorisation were still subject to public submissions until September 28, after which the regulator can make a decision.

It comes a month after Airtel Kenya’s managing director, Djibril Tobe, said the CA had offered the company a 25-year permit after paying an undisclosed fee, ending uncertainty over its operations.

The two companies were granted temporary two-year operating licences in late 2024, pending agreement on fees, spectrum allocation and penalties for service outages. Airtel has been operating under the temporary permit since.

The CA’s latest disclosures show that the telco seeks Network Facilities Provider Tier 1 (NFPT1) and International Gateway Systems and Services (IGSS). The NFPT1 permit authorises telcos to deploy communication infrastructure countrywide, including data centres.

The IGSS, meanwhile, was recently introduced for satellite internet providers, broadcasters, and telcos using satellite technology.

Safaricom has both permits.

‘Airtel Networks Kenya Limited has, pursuant to the provisions of the Kenya Information and Communications Act Cap. 411A, made applications to the Communications Authority of Kenya for grant of the (NFPT1 and International Gateway Systems and Services) licences as shown,’ the CA said.

In August, Mr Tobe said the company secured a 25-year licence and was waiting for the final administrative steps towards securing the satellite service permit, due ‘within weeks.’

‘I am pleased to tell you that we have successfully renewed our licence for another 25 years, which assures us that we are here to stay,’ Mr Tobe said.

Over the past decade, the company has been locked in a dispute with the regulator over its licence, which initially expired in 2015.

The company has been operating under a permit it inherited from YuMobile, a rival operator it bought in 2014 after the firm exited the Kenyan market. Airtel later inked an out-of-court deal with the regulator in 2022, which triggered the renewal of its expired licence from 2015 to 2025, before it got the temporary permit, valid through January 2027.

Airtel has partnered with US firm SpaceX to introduce Starlink’s direct satellite-to-mobile service across its 14 African markets, providing supplemental coverage to extend wireless networks to remote areas.

Airtel Kenya in May said it had conducted pilots for the service in Kenya and was awaiting CA approval for a complete rollout.

‘All the requirements in terms of security, in terms of customer satisfaction, process, and maintenance have been satisfied. It’s now a matter of administrative procedures, but we are very confident that within weeks, the CA should be coming to us with our approval,’ Mr Tobe said last month.

Both the NFPT1 and IGSS permits are valid for a minimum of 15 years or a longer option of 25 years.

Operators pay multiple fees for the licences, including annual charges.

In February, the CA told the Business Daily that it was reviewing Airtel’s satellite service, looking to curb potential interference with mobile phone networks. The rollout would mark the first time Kenya authorises a satellite operator collaborating with a wireless carrier to provide supplemental telecommunications coverage from space.

‘Airtel has submitted a formal application for consideration by the Authority, which is currently being reviewed,’ the regulator said then.

Satellite internet regulation was first proposed in December 2024 amid heightened scrutiny following Starlink’s entry into the Kenyan market.

Starlink, owned by the world’s richest person, Elon Musk, emerged as a potential threat to Safaricom, which in 2024 petitioned the CA to withdraw the licence granted to the American firm, citing risks of illegal connections and network disruption.

Safaricom has since softened its stance and also plans to use Starlink’s network to expand coverage in remote areas by integrating satellite technology into its mobile network.

For years, tax compliance in Kenya followed a relatively familiar script. A business could keep its books, prepare its tax computations, file its returns and pay whatever tax it declared due. As far as the numbers could be supported by the company’s accounting records, then management could reasonably believe that the business was compliant.

However, that world is rapidly disappearing. Kenya is moving towards a fundamentally different tax environment – one in which the question is no longer simply what you declared to KRA. Rather, does what you declared agree with what KRA already knows about your business? That distinction may prove to be one of the most consequential changes in tax administration for Kenyan businesses. Kenya’s tax system is not merely becoming more digital but more interconnected.

Consider a company that has filed its VAT returns correctly based on its accounting records. The finance team has supporting invoices, and the accounts have been reconciled.

From the company’s perspective, the records appear correct. From KRA’s perspective, the data tells a different story – that difference is where the risk begins.

Some input VAT claims cannot be matched to eTIMS invoices. A withholding tax certificate does not align with the income declared.

Customs records for imported goods do not reconcile with purchases recorded in the general ledger. KRA’s growing ability to draw information from eTIMS, customs records, withholding tax certificates and other third-party information is gradually changing the architecture of tax compliance. Every transaction leaves a digital footprint.

That means filing an accurate return is no longer enough. Businesses must increasingly ask whether that return can be independently reconstructed from the information sitting across KRA’s systems.

This has a significant implication for boards, CEOs and finance directors. Tax compliance is now a data-governance issue. The quality of the information flowing through procurement, payroll, customs, finance and even suppliers can ultimately determine the defensibility of a company’s tax position. Perhaps the most uncomfortable consequence of this shift is that part of a company’s tax risk may now sit outside the company itself.

Imagine purchasing goods from a legitimate supplier; the goods are delivered and payment is made. The transaction is properly recorded in your books but the supplier fails to transmit the invoice correctly through eTIMS or enters an incorrect buyer PIN or in some cases, records incomplete information.

Commercially, the transaction happened and from an accounting perspective you may have recorded it correctly.

However, if the transaction cannot be validated against the relevant digital records, that discrepancy can potentially affect the tax treatment of the associated input VAT claim or expense deduction.

Supplier onboarding and supplier compliance therefore cease to be purely procurement matters. They become part of tax-risk management. For large organisations dealing with hundreds or thousands of suppliers, that is a significant governance challenge.

Then come pre-populated tax returns; The Finance Act, 2026 adds another dimension. Through the amendment of Section 75 of the Tax Procedures Act, KRA may generate pre-populated returns using information available within its systems. A taxpayer must then review, confirm or amend the return within the prescribed 60-day period.

At first glance, this may sound like an administrative convenience. It, however, represents a gradual reversal of the traditional information dynamic between taxpayer and tax authority.

But there is an important catch; KRA having the data does not transfer responsibility away from the taxpayer. Section 56 of the Tax Procedures Act continues to place the burden on the taxpayer to review, validate and where necessary demonstrate that a tax decision is incorrect. Management must still interrogate the numbers, identify discrepancies and retain evidence supporting the company’s position.

That creates an interesting new reality: Many businesses still approach tax compliance periodically. VAT is reviewed when the return is due, PAYE is examined around payroll deadlines, and corporate tax receives intense attention during the filing season.

That approach is becoming riskier in a data-driven tax environment, where KRA can identify discrepancies through the digital information available within its systems. For businesses, the strategic response should be better data.

Businesses should therefore move towards continuous tax-data reconciliation, rather than treating compliance as a filing-period exercise.

This means ensuring that eTIMS data reconciles with the general ledger, VAT returns with transaction-level information, withholding tax certificates with declared income, customs records with imports and purchases, and payroll information with PAYE declarations. The objective is straightforward: identify and resolve discrepancies before KRA identifies them.

. Companies that invest in clean tax data, continuous reconciliation, stronger supplier controls and proper documentation will be better positioned to operate in this new environment. Those that continue to treat tax compliance primarily as the filing of returns may be overlooking a critical reality: compliance increasingly depends not only on the accuracy of your own records, but also on the quality and accuracy of data generated across your transactions and supply chain.

This may also require boards and audit committees to start asking different questions because it is no longer enough for your tax return to be correct. You must be able to substantiate your position with accurate, consistent and verifiable evidence.

The next UNCCD COP will take place in Egypt in 2028, bringing the global conversation on land degradation, drought and restoration to the continent. Africa shou ld therefore not wait until delegates begin booking flights to Cairo. The two years between Mongolia and Egypt should be used to turn the promises made at COP17 into projects, investments and measurable results.

Ulaanbaatar was billed as a COP of implementation, and there were important signs of progress. Governments, development banks, funds and companies announced a $1.3 billion investment portfolio for land restoration and drought resilience across 23 countries.

Of this, $644.5 mil-lion was identified as new finance, while $216.4 million has already been confirmed and is moving towards implementation.

Rangelands also moved from the margins to the centre of the global agenda. The Rangelands Flagship Initiative launched a $1.2 billion portfolio spanning 45 projects, the largest mobilisation for rangelands in the Convention’s history. This should matter greatly to Kenya and other African countries, where pastoralism, livestock and drylands remain central to livelihoods and national economies.

COP17 also put Indigenous Peoples and local communities at the centre of land restoration. Their call for stronger land rights, direct access to finance and meaningful participation is critical for Africa, where millions depend on land and natural resources. Their traditional knowledge of managing land must be recognised as part of the solution, not treated as an afterthought.

One of the most important developments was on drought. The International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA) introduced the world’s first Drought Resilience Index, giving countries a tool to assess their ability to anticipate, prepare for and adapt to drought. The Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership also moved closer to operational delivery, while the new Drought Resilience Investment Facility aims to mobilise up to US$400 million in public and private capital.

For Kenya, where drought repeatedly destroys livestock, disrupts agriculture and pushes up food prices, the question is whether such global tools and financing mechanisms will translate into better preparedness before the next crisis arrives.

Africa’s challenge is not a shortage of conferences or commitments; it is turning commitments into bankable projects that can attract finance and reach communities.

The continent should therefore begin preparing for COP18 now. By the time the world arrives in Egypt, African countries should have credible pipelines of restoration and drought resilience projects, stronger demands for finance, and evidence of what has worked.

He had grand ideas about turning around the airline and growing it to comfortable profitability. Although he knew it would not be easy, he was determined to attempt what several CEOs before him had failed to achieve.

Eight months later, Capt. Kamal has flown away from KQ, leaving behind an ambitious turnaround agenda he believed was within reach.

When he resigned last week, he told Business Daily that he had not given up on those ambitions, but had a personal family matter that required him to be at home in Egypt.

Business Daily just a week before his departure, he had said his dreams for KQ were within grasp. His exit now leaves those ambitions unfinished, at least for the moment.

Dr Kamal’s stint at KQ, however short, was unique. He was the first pilot to run the airline, and one of the few career pilots to rise to the C-suite of a major carrier. At KQ, he had become the highest-ranking pilot, serving as Chief Operations Officer before taking the top job.

His path to the C-suite was unusual for a career pilot. After beginning his career as a pilot in the United States more than 30 years ago, Mr Kamal pursued a bachelor’s degree in Egypt, determined to build a life beyond the cockpit.

When the aviation industry was upended by the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, while working as head of operations at Air Arabia in the United Arab Emirates, he enrolled for a Master of Science degree in Aviation Management at London Metropolitan University. He graduated in January 2023, two months before joining KQ.

He went on to obtain a PhD in Business Administration from Clermont School of Business in France, graduating in July this year.

Dr Kamal joined KQ as COO in March 2023 from Iraqi Airways, where he was Chief Executive and Operations Officer. Other than EgyptAir, where he worked as an Airbus A330 and A300/600 first officer, most of his career had been outside Africa. And part of the reason he took the KQ role was to return home.

‘I am African myself, and I strongly believe in African aviation and in connecting Africa better with itself and with the rest of the world. KQ has always had an important place in African aviation, and I felt my experience could contribute to its journey,’ he told Business Daily.

By the time he arrived at KQ, Dr Kamal had already built a career across several major airlines. At Etihad, he progressed from Airbus A330 first officer to Airbus A320 and Boeing 777 captain before leaving as head of quality operations and safety. He then moved to Air Arabia and later Iraqi Airways.

But it is his stint at KQ that has left the most indelible mark on him, he says. Although it lasted just over three years out of more than three decades in aviation, leaving was going to be ‘difficult.’

‘Leaving comes with mixed feelings. Professionally, I feel proud of the journey and grateful for the trust that was placed in me. Personally, it is difficult to leave KQ, difficult to leave your family, difficult to leave a place that became home,’ he said.

His stint at KQ was not an easy one. Soon after joining the carrier, he was confronted by one of its most persistent problems: a reputation for unreliability caused by flight delays and cancellations.

Dr Kamal helped streamline the carrier’s operations, with KQ recording an operating profit of Sh10.5 billion in 2023 and significantly improving its on-time performance. The airline completed at least 72 percent of its flights on time that year, overtaking arch-rival Ethiopian Airlines as Africa’s most punctual flag carrier.

In 2024, his first full year as operations lead, KQ posted a larger operating profit of Sh16.6 billion which contributed to its first net income of Sh5.4 billion after more than a decade in the red.

The national carrier plunged into a net loss of Sh17.1 billion last year. By then, Dr Kamal was facing a different challenge: keeping flights uninterrupted with 20 percent less capacity.

This year has been his most difficult assignment yet. Not only was he running the airline, but global disruptions linked to the US and Israel war on Iran compounded the problems already bedevilling KQ, pushing up costs and widening its losses.

Through the difficult days, Dr Kamal says his colleagues at KQ, who practically became his family, made an otherwise difficult job easier.

‘We went through challenges, difficult days and also some great moments together. I learnt a lot, and I am proud of what we achieved as one team,’ he said.

But as he exits just months shy of a year on the job, he leaves a critical question and the biggest test of his tenure unanswered: Does a career pilot make a better airline manager –and could it be what KQ needs?

Dr Kamal did not stay long enough to see through his vision for KQ. But he remains certain the airline will get there, regardless of who is at the helm.

‘I will always have a special connection to Kenya Airways, and I genuinely want to see KQ continue to grow and succeed and it will,’ he said.

The latest phase of the dispute followed the appointment of joint administrators on August 10, 2026, with Infinity subsequently obtaining interim orders that resulted in the administrators leaving the premises on August 27.

The company is now awaiting further directions from the High Court, with another hearing scheduled for October 5. Also pending is an application to cite the bank’s directors with contempt of court.

The loan was advanced in 2019 to finance the development of Infinity Industrial Park, including infrastructure and warehouses at Njiru on the Eastern Bypass. The facility was secured against several properties, including the industrial park land.

Infinity managing director and chairman Ashok Rupshi Shah said in court documents that the company borrowed the money when the economy was performing strongly and proceeded with the first phase of the project despite the disruption caused by Covid-19.

Court documents show Infinity completed the first phase in 2021 despite the pandemic and continued servicing the facility using income from other sources and proceeds from the sale of other assets.

By December 2023, the company said it had repaid about Sh500 million in principal and approximately Sh800 million in interest.

However, the pandemic, followed by the 2022 election year, disrupted the company’s cash flows and projections.

Mr Shah said Infinity subsequently sought restructuring of the facility and additional financing to develop more warehouses, but the requests were not approved.

The company claims that failure to obtain a partial discharge of about 15 acres, including 10 acres earmarked for a second cluster of warehouses, prevented it from securing additional financing for the development.

Infinity says the second cluster would have comprised 50 warehouses and generated an additional cash flow of about Sh2 billion.

The company also alleges that the bank delayed for about 14 months in discharging a title after a change of user had been approved, preventing it from transferring warehouses that had already been sold and restricting its ability to generate revenue.

The bank disputed the allegations in earlier proceedings, arguing that Infinity was in default and that the lender was entitled to retain the security until the debt was repaid.

In one of the applications, the bank said Infinity had failed to pay Sh55.94 million in interest on time, causing the facility to become non-performing.

The court at that stage found that the loan and charge documents entitled the bank to hold the security until the debt was settled. It also held that Infinity’s allegations concerning delays involved contested facts that should be determined at trial rather than through an interim application.

The court declined to order the release of land or withdrawal of credit listings, noting that such orders amounted to mandatory injunctions requiring an unusually strong and clear case.

Infinity later filed a separate suit in June 2024 seeking damages from the bank.

According to court records, the bank did not file its defence within the prescribed period despite several court appearances and reminders. On September 8, 2025, the High Court entered default judgment in favour of Infinity in terms of prayers in its plaint, including a claim for special damages of about Sh2.996 billion.

Bank of Baroda subsequently applied to have the judgment set aside but the application was dismissed on July 31, 2026. The court found that the bank had been given an opportunity to file its defence but failed to comply before the pre-trial conference.

The bank had argued that its intended defence raised triable issues concerning, among other matters, a replacement charge over the industrial park property, the amount secured and a statutory notice relating to a Sh2 billion claim.

The court, however, held that the existence of triable issues did not by itself justify reopening the case.

Infinity says the judgment also contained a permanent injunction restraining the bank from advertising for sale, selling or disposing of the Njiru property, taking possession of it, appointing receivers or administrators, or otherwise interfering with the property.

The company argues that the bank subsequently breached the order when it issued an insolvency notice on August 10, 2026 and appointed Ponangipalli Venkata Ramana Rao and Swaroop Rao Ponangipalli as joint administrators.

‘That notwithstanding its knowledge of the subsisting judgment and order of the court and barely ten (10) days after its application to set aside the judgment was dismissed, the Defendant/Respondent, purported on 10th August 2026 to appoint Ponangipalli Venkata Ramana Rao and Swaroop Rao Ponangipalli as Joint Administrators over the whole property and affairs of the Plaintiff in direct contravention of the default judgment,’ Mr Shah said in an affidavit filed in court.

The administrators entered the industrial park on August 11 and took possession of Infinity’s offices and records, according to the company.

In its application Infinity says its employees were immediately terminated and that its offices were locked, disrupting services to the 31 companies operating within the industrial park.

The company claims the takeover caused significant reputational damage, particularly after notices were published indicating that the industrial park was under administration.

The administrators remained at the property for about 17 days as the parties returned to court.

Infinity subsequently challenged the appointment and sought orders restoring the previous position.

‘That immediately following the purported appointment, the alleged administrators proceeded on 11th August 2026 to assert control over the plaintiff’s affairs, demand possession and control of its assets, title documents, books and records, displace the authority of its directors and take steps affecting its employees, thereby demonstrating that the impugned appointment was being actively implemented,’ he said.

In a ruling concerning a preliminary objection, the court held that the appointment of the administrators had taken legal effect upon the lodging of the notice on August 11.

However, the court declined to strike out Infinity’s challenge altogether, instead allowing the company to withdraw the application and file a properly instituted application.

‘Fairness demands that the Company be given the opportunity to have its grievance heard properly. I will therefore extend a lifeline to the Company. It may withdraw the present application and file a proper one, correctly instituted, within 14 days,’ said the court.

The court said the underlying issues surrounding the validity of the appointment remained open for determination.

Infinity has separately argued that the appointment was made in breach of the earlier injunction and has sought to have Bank of Baroda’s directors and the administrators cited for contempt.

The company says the bank relied on an alleged debt of about Sh2.2 billion to justify the administration, despite Infinity holding a judgment for special damages of about Sh2.996 billion against the lender.

Mr Shah, who is also the majority shareholder, says he has a personal interest in the dispute because he guaranteed loans advanced to the company.

He argues that the administration would have deprived him of the benefits of the judgment and affected his obligations arising from the guarantees.

Infinity says the industrial park currently supports about 1,000 jobs, with the potential to create about 20,000 direct jobs and 50,000 indirect jobs when fully occupied.

The company estimates the value of the property at more than Sh10 billion, based on a valuation commissioned by the bank, against an outstanding debt that it puts at about Sh1.5 billion.

Bank of Baroda has denied the characterisation of the dispute, maintaining that the company remains indebted to the lender and that its rights as a secured creditor have not been extinguished by the court proceedings.

Kenya has reduced expensive thermal power on the national grid to avoid burdening consumers with steep electricity prices even as fears deepen over Kenya Power’s ability to meet a fast-rising demand.

An analysis of electricity supply data shows Kenya Power tapped 646.46 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of thermal power, an equivalent of 8.1 percent of the total electricity bought from producers in the six months ended June 2026. This was a drop compared to the 727.16 million kWh (10 percent) tapped in the same period last year.

The drop in the costly thermal power coincided with a jump in electricity imports to 973.8 million kWh, or 12.3 percent of the total electricity available to Kenya Power, up from 743.92 million kWh, or 10 percent in the six months to June 2025. Kenya Power has increasingly leaned on Ethiopia to avoid tapping more of the costly thermal power.

Kenya Power recently revealed that it has been forced to ration power when demand peaks in the evening to ensure a balance in supply and demand and avert a collapse of the grid.

An increase in consumption has left Kenya Power with the twin headaches of meeting demand without hitting consumers with steep electricity bills.

Electricity prices marginally rose last month, underscoring the impact of the reduced use of thermal power despite a rise in two of the biggest variables used to determine power prices.

For example, the price of 200kWh of power slightly rose to Sh5,658.80 last month from Sh5,648.30 in July, while the cost of 50kWh marginally increased to Sh1,289.47 from Sh1,286.64 in the same period.

A rise in the fuel surcharge and forex adjustment- the two biggest variables in monthly power bills-triggered the marginal increase in electricity prices last month. The power bills could have been significantly higher last month had Kenya Power tapped more thermal power.

Fuel surcharge, technically called Fuel Cost Charge (FCC), and forex adjustment are the two biggest fluctuating components in the monthly prices of electricity. The biggest component is the base tariff, which is reviewed every three years and varies across different consumption bands.

FCC covers the cost of using heavy fuel oil and diesel to generate electricity by thermal power plants, while forex covers power purchase agreements and loans denominated in hard currencies like US dollars.

Thermal power is the costliest source of electricity in Kenya, with a kWh costing $0.27 (Sh35.09) on average last year compared to $0.07 for a unit of imported hydropower and $0.025 for a kWh of locally-produced hydropower.

Increased imports from Ethiopia were integral in increasing the amount of electricity supplied to Kenya Power by eight percent to 7.88 billion kWh in the six months to June this year.

High usage of thermal power coupled with costly fuel can significantly hit consumers with steep monthly power bills, a scenario that the government is keen to avoid and contain public outcry over costly living ahead of next year’s General Elections.

Kenya Power has since opted to tap more hydropower from Ethiopia and plug the gap that could have otherwise been filled by the expensive thermal power, especially in the evening when demand peaks.

The utility has a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement with the Ethiopia Electric Power to import 200Megawatts (MW) at peak and 65MW during off-peak, which will rise to 400MW and 150MW from December this year.

Additionally, Kenya Power has an electricity exchange deal with Uganda Electricity Generation Company and Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited, where the net-importing utility pays the other.

Anyone who has spent time in rallying knows that success is never about speed alone. A powerful engine counts for little if the suspension, tyres and navigation are not working together. Winning comes from creating the right conditions for people and machines to perform at their best. The same principle applies in business.

Today, every business leader is asking the same question: how can we use artificial intelligence (AI) to become more efficient, innovative and competitive? Organisations across East Africa are investing in AI, cloud technologies and digital solutions to transform how they operate.

As businesses accelerate their technology investments, there is another question that deserves equal attention: are our workplaces ready to help people unlock the full value of these technologies?

The workplace can no longer be viewed simply as a physical location where people come to work. It has become a strategic business asset that influences productivity, employee experience, operating costs and an organisation’s ability to attract and retain talent.

In today’s competitive environment, employees are looking beyond salary when choosing where to build their careers. They want workplaces that support collaboration, wellbeing and productivity. They want environments that remove unnecessary frustrations and allow them to focus on doing their best work.

This is where intelligent workplaces are becoming increasingly important. Technology is helping organisations create environments that respond to the needs of employees while improving business performance.

Intelligent buildings can automatically adjust lighting, temperature and ventilation to create more comfortable working conditions while reducing unnecessary energy consumption. Meeting spaces can be managed more effectively, making it easier for teams to collaborate.

Data from workplaces can help leaders understand how spaces are being used and make better decisions about future investments.

These may seem like operational improvements, but their impact goes much further. When employees have better working environments, they can collaborate more effectively, stay focused and deliver better outcomes. At the same time, organisations can make better use of their office space, reduce costs and improve sustainability.

This is particularly important across East Africa, where businesses continue to face rising energy costs and increasing pressure to operate more sustainably. Traditional workplaces often consume resources regardless of how spaces are being used. Intelligent workplaces can respond to actual demand, reducing waste and helping organisations operate more efficiently.

The workplace can also play a role in improving business resilience. Instead of waiting for critical equipment such as cooling systems or other infrastructure to fail, organisations can use technology to identify potential issues early and address them before they become major disruptions.

For industries such as banking, healthcare, manufacturing and aviation, where downtime can have significant consequences, this capability is increasingly valuable.

Another opportunity is the ability to create digital models of buildings before making major investments. This allows organisations to test different scenarios, from redesigning office layouts to improving energy efficiency, and make decisions based on evidence rather than assumptions.

The most successful workplaces are not necessarily those with the latest technology. They are the ones where technology is almost invisible. Employees are not thinking about sensors, automation or building management systems; they are simply able to collaborate more easily, work more comfortably and focus on delivering value to clients.

That is the true measure of an intelligent workplace. Technology should serve people, not the other way around.

As organisations continue to invest in artificial intelligence, they should not overlook the physical environments where employees spend much of their working lives. Technology alone does not create competitive advantage.

Every organisation can invest in AI tools, cloud platforms and software. The organisations that stand out will be those that create workplaces where people can use these technologies effectively to innovate, collaborate and deliver better results.

In the race to build future-ready businesses, the winners will not be those that simply adopt the latest technologies. They will be those that create environments where people and technology can work together to deliver their full potential.

A red Datsun 120Y, year of manufacture 1973. Registration KDV 780. Charming it was, but fast it was not. It was the kind of car most of the established men those days had owned on their way up to where they were now. They called it the fish because it looked like, well, a fish. Not that this mattered to Dr Jonah Aiyabei. Back then, that car said something about him. Something like, I made it. My luck is in. The olfactics couldn’t be better-he was smelling victory.

Today, he is the CEO of the Public Service Superannuation Fund (PSSF), but his head still gets turned by the grr of a good engine. He even, to appropriate a hackneyed phrase, turned his passion into his paycheque. ‘I’d buy trailers, refurbish and turn them for a profit,’ he says.

But that was then. Now, the heavy metal has given way to muzak. He is working on his handicap. Reading two or three books at any given time. Letting things go. Cruising, rather than sprinting.

Tell me something interesting that happened this week. I was invited to a conference in Tanzania. It was my first time in that city, notwithstanding that it’s a neighbouring country. I was put on a very powerful panel of top African leaders in the space of investment and finance. It was very interesting sitting next to the Governor of the Bank of Tanzania, and I was also sitting with the CEO and Executive Chairman of Angola’s sovereign wealth fund.

What is your worst money habit? I like a car with a good engine [chuckles]. So anytime I save a bit, I end up buying, trying to sell, and replacing the other. Other than that, I don’t spend as much on things.

Did you grow up around cars? I grew up seeing people occasionally driving cars, and I admired them. I remember wishing that somebody would give me a lift, and I could even extend another kilometre just to enjoy it. Indeed, one of the first items I bought-I avoided buying a house or even a TV-was a red Datsun 120Y car. It was less than Sh100,000 those days, but could move [chuckles].

What was your childhood like? Life was extremely difficult because we didn’t have the basics an average child in the village would have, like adequate food or proper clothing. But my parents, who were both farmers, did their best to make ends meet. I grew up deep in the village, went to the village school, and, like any other child of those days, had no shoes at all. That taught us to be focused and resilient.

How has your relationship with money changed? I’ve learned to live a contented life, and I like thanking God for what is available. I know there are always those who have better and those who have less, and what I have is what God has decided to bless me with.

What is one financial investment decision that has paid dividends in your life? ‘Side hustles,” which became the real hustle. I’ve done many things, including buying and selling bonds. I also participated in the equity market a little bit. But the most exciting one is a very funny type of business where I bought trailers, but without the engine. I’d buy the trailers, refurbish them, and turn them for a profit. Now I focus on passive investments that do not require my full time.

Do you talk about money with your children? Oh, absolutely. I formed a programme where I invite young people for a discussion every six months. Sometimes, my children are not very keen because they are used to me, but they join the team, and some invest.

What is something people say about money that you found to be completely false, or misguided? People believe that money can just fall from somewhere and suddenly you are rich. The truth about money, or anything that you’re building, is that it has to be a function of time. You must really build that particular source of cash flow or wealth.

The other thing is that you must work for it. Nothing comes for free. You must really be keen and focused on what you’re looking for.

If you could have learned one lesson earlier, what would it have been? Personal financial management, learning the concepts of investment, and even being an entrepreneur to start enterprises and build businesses. I would have been very excited to be running my own business. If you were interviewing me now, when I was running my own Dangote-style business, it would be exciting [chuckles].

Speaking of, what is something you do just for you? I spend time with friends on the golf course. I like reading, and I also spend time with young people. So you find me around people who are much younger than me, including, of course, spending much more time with my children. I have adult children, and I have small children.

What books have you read that have had the most impact on your life? One is the Bible, where I derive a lot of my strategic thinking and planning from. The second is this book by Ben Horowitz, “The Hard Thing About Hard Things”. I read maybe two or three books at any given time. I am not one of those who must complete one book before starting another.

What’s a hard thing you’ve done lately? Establishing this organisation called PSSF. I joined around two years ago, and there were no structures. It was more of a startup. We had to move from National Treasury to another home, and then diversify intothe private equity space.

You mentioned that you have adult children and young children. Was that by design? Yes, partly. I have the eldest at 33 years old, and one as young as a year old. So you can imagine [chuckles].

How different is it being a father to the 33-year-old versus the one-year-old? One has to do a lot of listening and observing. With the younger ones, you have even forgotten the style of waking up at night when a child cries [chuckles].

What’s your idea of fatherhood? I tell my children to always be truthful, that hard work always pays, and shortcuts are only temporary. There is no substitute for hard work.

What would you like your children to remember about you when they are your age? To be accountable in whatever they’re doing to themselves, to society, and to their God. I also want them to remember me as a good example of hard work-from nowhere to, by the grace of God, managing an organisation. I want them to remember that resilience and hard work pay, whether in academia or in business. And more importantly, I want them to remember that without the fear and understanding of God, it becomes very difficult to succeed in life.

What’s the best advice you received concerning fatherhood? Create time. To be present with them is more important than giving them prizes. They appreciate you being available more than even giving them gifts.

Are you the firstborn? I’m the middle, with four ahead and four behind. But I support the entire family chain [chuckles].

How do you ensure that support does not equate to entitlement or dependency? The temptation is very real for people to be lazy, knowing that there’s somebody who can give them tokens. I try to empower them from where they are. We discuss, and I help them to do things for themselves. I know many call it “black tax’, but I look at it as a responsibility not to abandon any one of them, regardless of the challenges they go through, because I appreciate my background.

Does success make one feel guilty, especially when you are the shining light? You can feel guilty if pride comes into you. But these titles are just labels that can be removed any time. But success is also a moving target; we are all aspiring to do better.

How do you reward yourself? The other day I was asked, “Who pours into your cup?” I think that was a very tough question because I kept on talking about how I help others. So, I decided recently that I should have some time to try to do what I like most. Go to games, say, golf. I like mentoring people too. To refocus on me as a way of rewarding myself. I used to feel very guilty. I didn’t even want to travel, even when there were opportunities to go, because I felt that I was missing a lot, that I should be helping everybody.

What habit are you trying to kick? Coffee addiction haha! I’ve actually succeeded. My wife and I would go all over collecting coffee. Recently, I realised that I would have a small glass of coffee when I came here, and that it was becoming part of my life. I don’t want anything that can enslave me.

What’s your most boring habit? Checking WhatsApp now and then creates an element of urgency, and I don’t like it, but sometimes you find yourself checking who has sent a WhatsApp, who’s doing what, and you find yourself spending a lot of time on that. The phone steals most of my time.

What has life taught you about life? If you don’t plan yourself, don’t programme yourself, if you don’t really think about you and your future, the world is very unforgiving. And life itself can redesign and program you in the wrong direction. Know what you want, program yourself, design what you want, because if you leave it to the world, it can take you to the wrong place. I have also learned from a book by Napoleon Hill that whatever you desire and believe in it, heaven and earth will conspire to deliver it to you. I read that in 1999. In 1991, as a second-year student at the university, I decided that one day I’d be a CEO, inspired by the former Attorney-General Amos Wako, who spoke eloquently and wore thick glasses.

Have you kept the promises you made to yourself as a young man? I actually wrote my personal strategic plan early in life. I’ve had some very serious misses, and in others I’ve succeeded. And always, I’ve refused to blame myself. I learned not to make excuses, but to take responsibility for any misses. I was five years old when I said I would never in my life taste alcohol. That was in 1980. Till today, 46 years later.

Why was it so important for you not to drink alcohol? I could see back home that the major source of income was brewing alcohol, and I could see my parents struggling, and eventually, as they did the selling, they also had to taste it. So in the process, there was no net income [chuckles]. I realised that this thing may not be a business; it could even be the enemy of your business haha! And then again, I joined the Anglican Church, and we were advised as young people in Sunday school that drinking alcohol is not good. You can make a decision even at 12 years old, or 10, and it can follow you for the rest of your life. You cannot be too young to make a decision. I have never understood how peer pressure can make you change your philosophy.

What have you become better at letting go of? I used to get worked up and mad when I didn’t see people thinking more or less like I expected, especially close friends and close family members. Now I realise that you may love your people, children, but you will never give them your thinking. They will always have their own. I am not disturbed by the decisions and the choices that people make, especially when they are adults.

Who do you know that you should know? Haha! Engineer Absalom Kosgei. I met him in 2002. He made me leave my teaching career at the university. I would have been a professor by now, like many of my colleagues. He brought me to the corporate world, despite me refusing initially. He believed in me before I even believed in myself. He is a man of wisdom, integrity, and his word.

What do you think he saw in you? He said that when he realised I had done investment analysis, he looked at my qualifications and saw my level of ability, he thought, “This is the right person to enter the corporate world,” and from there, he believed in me. He even started telling me, “You will grow to be a CEO,” and I said, “What do you mean? How can I be the CEO of Kenya Pipeline Company?” Haha!

How are you honouring him? He is retired and has a lot of wisdom. So I give him my time. We can spend the whole afternoon with him.And any time I have a function for my children, like the other day when my son married, Mzee was given a special seat. My relatives were like, “This guy is not family,” but I know who he is. He had to sit up there [chuckles]. It may look small, but it means a lot.

Give us some practical life wisdom. The source of all wisdom is to have a belief in the supernatural-in this case, God. I’m not saying any specific church, but believe that there is someone superior to you. And another is, whatever you do, be yourself. Don’t try to please people. If you do that, you will become tired. And thirdly, always cherish and celebrate where you are. If you are an intern, an analyst, or a CEO, celebrate that position, and remember there are always those who are better than you and those who are below you.

Insiders told the Business Daily that multiple interchanges have been added to the 233-kilometre road’s design, prompting the State to make emergency land purchases to accommodate the bridges and underpasses that were not included in the initial project plan.

‘The contractors have have recommended variations in the initial design and introduced interchanges along the route. We have had to make emergency land purchases to cover for these new components which were not envisaged in the initial design,’ a Transport ministry official said.

The State, through the National Land Commission (NLC), has started the emergency land acquisitions in sections including Kijabe, Limuru, Kirenga, and Naivasha under a special arrangement known as ‘early entry.’

The ‘early entry’ concept in land acquisition allows an acquiring authority or buyer to access and use a property before the formal transfer or final compensation is fully completed. It prevents costly project delays for urgent public or private developments.

NLC chairman Abdillahi Saggaf Alawy last week listed about 25 hectares for compulsory purchase across Kiambu, Nakuru and Nyandarua counties.

‘Since we already have contractors on site, it was only sensible to opt for ‘early entry’ land acquisitions not to heavily compromise the timelines and cost of the project. There may be some slight variations in the final budget of the project because of the adjustments in design,’ the Transport ministry official said.

‘We expect the NLC to conduct valuation on the tracts of land marked for emergency purchase for interchanges, and from there we will have the figures on how much more the State will pay for the project.’

The Treasury disclosed a budget of Sh816 million over the four years to June 2026 to pay off landowners displaced by the dualling of the Rironi-Mau Summit highway.

The government has set targets to complete the section from Rironi to Naivasha by December 2026 and the overall project by June 2027.

The fresh land purchases across the Mau-Summit project corridor come nearly eight years after the State bought some parcels in 2018 to allow for the initial planned expansion of the road.

The Nairobi-Nakuru-Mau- Summit highway project was initially planned to be implemented by a France-backed consortium, made up of Vinci Highways SAS, Meridian Infrastructure Africa Fund, and Vinci Concessions SAS.

The consortium was primed to build the Sh150 billion road and recoup its investments in 30 years by charging toll fees.

A standoff over a Sh299 billion service fee over 13 years, however, prompted President William Ruto’s government in 2024 to cancel the deal with the consortium of French contractors for the construction of the toll road.

Disclosures by the Treasury revealed a secret fee of Sh23 billion annually.

The State then shifted the project contract to China-backed firms. A consortium of China Road and Bridge Corporation and the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) will build the 81-km road from Nairobi to Gilgil via Naivasha and a 58-km stretch from Nairobi to Naivasha through Maai Mahiu.

A second Chinese contractor, Shandong Hi-Speed Road and Bridge International Engineering, was awarded a contract to build, finance, and operate the 94-kilometre Gilgil-Nakuru-Mau Summit road section.

The Nairobi-Mau-Summit road falls within the Northern Corridor, which is one of the busiest and most important transport corridors in East and Central Africa, providing a gateway through Kenya to the landlocked economies of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, and Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

The highway serves as a transportation link for approximately six million Kenyans.

A study by the Kenya National Highways Authority indicated that vehicular traffic on the highway averaged 14,450 vehicles per day in 2017, or 5.3 million per year.

Traffic was projected to increase by seven percent from 2017 to 2025, then by six percent until 2035, and by five percent until 2045 to reach an average number of vehicles per day of 60,000.

The government is also planning to construct more expressways on key transport corridors to ease the rising traffic congestion and spur both local and foreign investment. Currently, there is only one expressway in the country -the 27-kilometre Nairobi Expressway, running from Mlolongo to Westlands.

Kenya has stepped up preparations for a dual toll highway to traverse Eldoret and extend to the border with Uganda, in a bid to ease movement across the two countries.

A consortium of Canadian and Kenyan firms has already begun pre-feasibility studies to expand the 243-kilometre Mau Summit-Eldoret-Malaba highway from two to four lanes under the public-private partnership model. The Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank is funding the study.

A work plan shows that the project will join the Rironi-Mau Summit dual highway, marking a departure from the earlier plan, which was to extend it on the Kisumu-Busia-Malaba side.

The Mau Summit-Eldoret-Malaba section, which is part of the Northern Corridor, currently experiences heavy traffic and is prone to accidents.

One important feature of sustainability reporting is the reporting boundary. It remains one of the fundamental and most defining concepts in non-financial reporting.

Since impact reporting often extends beyond the reporting organisation itself to include partners across the organisation’s value chain, which may not always align with the reporting boundary used in financial reporting, sustainability reporting has a broader scope.

Although the IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards require sustainability reports to mirror the same reporting boundary as financial reporting, important differences remain.

One example is emissions measurement, particularly Scope 3 emissions. These are indirect emissions that occur across an organisation’s value chain, both upstream (from inputs used in an organisation’s products and services) and downstream (from the use of products and services by an organisation’s customers). While data availability has traditionally been a major challenge for sustainability re-porting, the lack of data across organisations’ value chains is even more pronounced and requires careful planning to address.

An important first step is establishing the right principles to build trust among value chain partners for data sharing and collaboration. For example, organisations must ensure that commercially sensitive data is not shared among competitors and that appropriate controls for data sharing, access and security are in place as data is collected, processed, stored, assured and disposed of.

Obtaining value chain data requires collaboration, and without trust, organisations cannot access the information needed for accurate reporting. They must also map their value chains to identify and prioritise partners that are critical to the required datasets.

For instance, engaging key suppliers to understand their emissions targets and reduction plans is essential, as their cooperation is critical to success.

Organisations should also invest in shared learning platforms across their value chains. These platforms promote a common understanding of data labelling, foster transparency and strengthen relationships among value chain partners.

A shared understanding of value chain emissions enables partners to develop more comprehensive and innovative approaches to reducing emissions across the entire value chain.