Category: Business Daily

Absa Group has stepped up its pan-African expansion strategy in search of a larger market share and profits. Following its 2017 separation from Barclays, the bank is consolidating its presence across African countries, such as Zambia and Uganda, via buyout deals.

Absa Group CEO Kenny Fihla sat down with the Business Daily to share the lender’s plan for the Kenya acquisition and its quest for a larger portion of retail banking.

What brings you to Kenya? Whom are you meeting and what conversations are you having?

Three things have brought me to Kenya. The first is to interact with the Absa team here and get to understand the nature of the business, where the opportunities are and how we could, from a Group point of view, further support our local management team and the business here to capture the opportunities present.

The second is to interact with the regulators and policymakers to reaffirm our commitment to Kenya, as well as to try to understand what their priorities are so that we can better align our own resources to support those priorities.

The third thing is looking beyond Kenya because, as we look at the growing East African region, we need to ensure the Kenyan business is robust enough to provide the platform through which you could play a far more meaningful role beyond this country.

It’s been just about seven months since you took over the leadership of Absa Group. How has it been so far?

It has been exciting. When I joined Absa, I knew that this organisation had massive potential. As I interacted with the staff and the customers, I began to appreciate the size of that potential, and it is huge.

We have to stabilise the leadership at a Group level, which is something that we have already done. We have to make sure we align the organisation behind a common purpose, which is about obsession with the client. Absa has a massive competitive advantage given its history and the size of its balance sheet.

This market is going through recapitalisation of the banking sector, with core capital requirements having an annual increase through 2029. Do you see an opportunity for inorganic growth through an acquisition?

We are always on the lookout for opportunities, be they organic or inorganic, but the regulatory environment must be conducive and positive for that.

Fortunately, Kenya and many of the countries in East Africa have a very conducive environment for us to be looking at inorganic growth. We have not yet come across anything, but we continue to look, we continue to explore, and at the right time, we will do what is necessary to ensure that our business grows.

This market is undergoing a retail rush where traditionally corporate and investment banking-focused players, such as Absa, are increasingly reaching out for the retail market. How do you assess your progress in that area? Do you consider Absa a scale or niche player?

Ultimately, we want to be a scale player because banking is about scale. If you are too niche, your relevance to the economy and your ability to make a big impact tend to be limited, and so we would want to grow on scale.

We understand that we cannot get there overnight and have to be selective around which client segments we want to play in and then create scale within a defined area before using that platform to move to the next set of opportunities.

As you heighten your appetite for the retail market, how do you manage the elevated credit risk factor? Are you not bothered by the increased exposure to deteriorating asset quality?

Those are indeed very valid concerns, but the retail market is very attractive to Absa Bank for a number of reasons. First, it helps us to gather liabilities or liquidity that is required for us to lend to clients.

That liquidity is viewed favourably by regulators and consequently makes it easier for us to lend cheaply. That is the reason why everyone would want to access that segment of the client base. Secondly, you cannot call yourself an African bank if you are not relevant to the people who live in Africa and make sure that people have access to the financial system.

Some argue that Africa’s banking sector is lagging as far as the evolution of credit scoring and profiling goes. They say it has remained frozen in time and is too collateral-based. Is this a fair assessment?

I share that concern, but I don’t think collateralised-based lending is something that will disappear.

Ultimately, a bank needs to measure the right metrics for it to determine creditworthiness using models that have been proven in different contexts.

Most credit models are backwards-looking and are very good if a borrower has done well in the past.

The same models are terrible when one is a new entrant into the banking system and doesn’t have much financial history.

The good thing is that this is where big data and information that is outside banking becomes absolutely useful in understanding consumer behaviour.

As Ramadan approaches, many Muslims prepare spiritually for the sacred month of fasting. For most healthy adults, fasting from dawn to dusk is safe and can even promote discipline, reflection, and healthier habits.

However, from a clinical perspective, one important question must be asked early: is fasting safe for you as an individual living with diabetes?

The truth is simple: fasting may not be equally safe for all persons living with diabetes. Your medical history matters.

Understanding Individual Health Risks

Ramadan fasting changes eating patterns, hydration routines, sleep cycles, and medication timing and sometimes medication dosages for people living with diabetes.

For healthy individuals, the body adapts well. However, people living with diabetes, especially those with other chronic conditions, may face serious risks such as dehydration, unstable blood sugar, and worsening of underlying disease.

Individuals living with diabetes who should seek medical advice before fasting include those who also have:

Kidney disease

Heart disease or uncontrolled hypertension

Pregnancy or breastfeeding

Recurrent ulcers, severe anaemia, or chronic fatigue

A recent hospitalization or unstable condition

Religious exemptions exist because some individuals are at higher risk. From a medical perspective, this is a safety measure meant to prevent harm.

Diabetes Management During Ramadan

Diabetes requires careful attention during fasting. The risk is not only high blood sugar, but also dangerously low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia), which can occur silently and become life-threatening.

If you have diabetes and plan to fast, your pre-Ramadan plan should include:

A doctor’s assessment (ideally 6-8 weeks before Ramadan, where possible)

Medication adjustment (especially insulin and sulfonylureas)

A clear glucose monitoring schedule

Knowing when to break the fast safely

Diet modification and light physical activity planning

A doctor’s assessment is important because it helps determine your individual risk level for fasting.

Breaking the fast is medically necessary if blood sugar drops too low or rises dangerously high. Monitoring your glucose does not invalidate fasting, it protects life.

Mental Health and Wellbeing During Ramadan

Ramadan can be deeply healing emotionally. Many people report increased peace, gratitude, and spiritual clarity. However, fasting can also disrupt sleep and intensify stress, especially for those managing anxiety, depression, or burnout.

Mental wellbeing during Ramadan improves when people prioritize:

Adequate sleep

Reduced caffeine dependency

Light physical activity

Community connection and emotional support

Spiritual growth is strongest when the body and mind are supported, not neglected.

Kidney Health While Fasting

Kidneys depend heavily on hydration. For individuals with healthy kidney function, fasting is often safe if fluid intake is managed properly between Iftar and Suhoor. But for those with kidney disease, fasting can increase the risk of dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, and kidney strain.

To support kidney health:

Drink water consistently between Iftar and bedtime

Limit salty foods and processed snacks

Reduce fizzy drinks and excess caffeine

Avoid intense exercise during the hottest hours

Fasting should not become a silent cause of kidney damage.

Balanced Nutrition for Suhoor and Iftar

Ramadan is not only about when you eat, but what you eat. Many people experience fatigue, bloating, hyperacidity, and sugar spikes after Iftar due to heavy meals, excess sugar, and eating too quickly.

Dates are commonly used to break the fast, but for individuals living with diabetes, it is best to take them in moderation (such as one small date), as they contain natural sugars. Pairing them with protein or healthy fats such as nuts (almonds, walnuts) can help reduce rapid sugar absorption.

A healthy Suhoor should include:

Complex carbohydrates (oats, brown rice, whole grains)

Protein (eggs, beans, yoghurt)

Fruits, vegetables, and water

A healthy Iftar should focus on:

Breaking the fast gently (water, soup, small portions)

Balanced portions (protein + vegetables + healthy carbohydrates)

Avoiding sugar spikes from excess pastries, sweet drinks, and fruit juices

Eating slowly and in sequence, starting with vegetables, then proteins, then carbohydrates

The Importance of Wellness Check-Ups

Ramadan should not be your first health test of the year. A wellness check-up helps detect silent conditions like uncontrolled diabetes, hypertension, fatty liver, or kidney strain.

If you live with chronic illness, a pre-Ramadan check-up can be life-saving, not just for fasting safety, but for long-term wellbeing.

Ramadan is a month of mercy. Your health is also a trust. Fast with wisdom, plan with science, and remember that when it comes to health, less is often more.

The number of orders in listed shares has grown by nearly four times on the rise of micro-transactions under the new M-Pesa shares trading platform.

Data from the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) shows the number of share orders grew to 26,169 on Monday this week, 3.8 times more than the 6,761 deals recorded prior to the start of shares trading through M-Pesa on February 4.

Before the launch of the Ziidi Trader last week, the number of equity deals at the Nairobi bourse averaged below 7,000 transactions per day.

The new M-Pesa shares deals have been described as micro-trades given their low value with the combination of the transactions averaging about two percent of total market turnover daily as per data seen by the Business Daily.

Analysts however argue that the small transactions have been significant in aiding price discovery, establishing the direction stock prices take at the Nairobi bourse.

‘Small trades from the Ziidi trader are making it easier for price discovery. We are seeing larger trades move in the price direction established by the small trades,’ said Joseph Muriithi, senior research analyst at the AIB-AXYS Africa stock brokerage.

‘Before, it could take long periods to see movements in share prices. For instance, Safaricom’s price would hold for long periods at Sh29. M-Pesa shares trading is also pushing the turnover of the market which is not only a factor of shares volume but also price.’

Trading via the Ziidi platform has dominated deals, making up about half of the equity transactions per day since launch.

The platform was opened to the public on February 5 ahead of a February 10 soft launch which was followed by the rise in the number of share orders.

Power of mobile money

On February 9, more than half of share orders at the Nairobi bourse were transacted through the new M-Pesa platform, underlining the power of mobile money service in bringing retail investors to market.

The data shows that 7,962 of 14,300 equity deals or 55 percent of all transactions placed on the NSE were directly processed from M-Pesa.

The M-Pesa transactions were however only two percent of the value of the shares traded on the day.

The Ziidi trader has allowed retail investors to access stocks without the requirement of a Central Depository System (CDS) account, relying only on their mobile-money wallet credentials for access.

The move has accelerated the NSE goal of bringing nine million retail investors to the market, representing about one-third of the adult population.

Retail investors are now expected to increase their volume of trading via the M-Pesa platform helping influence the turnover of the market.

‘Ziidi trader has brought people to the market for the first time. With time and once the excitement cools down, investors will put more trust in equities and trade in higher values,’ added Mr Muriithi.

The start of M-Pesa shares trading was followed by the single largest gain in the following week for the NSE as investors’ paper wealth rose by Sh220.4 billion.

Market capitalization, which measures investor wealth rose by 6.9 percent in the week to February 13 to a new all-time high of Sh3.419 trillion, largely driven by large counters such as Safaricom, Equity Group, KCB Group and Stanbic Holdings.

The stock rally was partly attributed to the easier access handed to retail investors by the new mobile money trading platform.

‘We saw the mobile platform bring in a new wave of retail players into the market, significantly increasing the number of deals, and to a lesser extent the turnover,’ said Wesley Manambo, a senior research associate at Standard Investment Bank (SIB), in a previous interview.

Technology was meant to democratize power. Instead, it is increasingly being weaponised against African women.

Recent allegations that Russian blogger ‘Yaytseslav Trahov’ secretly filmed and monetised intimate encounters with African women in Ghana and Kenya using covert smart glass technology present not only a criminal justice issue but a profound test of Kenya’s digital governance architecture.

This case is not simply about one alleged predator. It is about whether African states can meaningfully enforce data protection laws in an era where recording devices are wearable and undetectable, content distribution is instantaneous and global, platforms monetise engagement with minimal scrutiny and national borders shield alleged perpetrators from accountability.

When proven, the conduct described is a textbook case of unlawful data processing, cross-border data exploitation and systemic governance failure.

Under Kenya’s Data Protection Act 2019, personal data includes identifiable video recordings. Intimate footage constitutes sensitive personal data demanding heightened protection. Secretly filming individuals in intimate contexts violates the right to privacy under Article 31 of the Constitution, the lawful basis requirement for data processing, the consent threshold under section 32 of the Data Protection Act and provisions under the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act.

Where such footage is monetised via teaser clips on mainstream platforms and subscription channels on Telegram, the violation escalates from privacy intrusion to commercial exploitation of unlawfully obtained data. This transforms the harm into what I would characterise as data commodification without consent, which results in a structural form of digital abuse.

The alleged use of camera-equipped smart glasses illustrates a dangerous regulatory blind spot. These devices appear distinguishable from ordinary eyewear, record without obvious visual indicators and enable seamless capture in intimate settings. Their design enables what I describe as covert intimacy extraction, used as a form of surveillance that strips individuals of meaningful opportunity to refuse.

Digital governance frameworks increasingly recognise that product design carries accountability implications.

Under emerging global standards, including GDPR derived risk assessment principles, manufacturers must consider foreseeable misuse.

When a device can be used to secretly record intimate encounters, harm is not accidental but is structurally enabled.

Reports indicate that teaser content was distributed on platforms such as TikTok and YouTube, with full explicit footage sold through subscription-based Telegram channels.

This reveals a systemic problem. Platforms benefit from viral engagement, algorithmic amplification and subscription revenue models, yet enforcement against non-consensual intimate content often occurs only after the harm has gone global.

Kenya’s Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) must therefore interrogate whether these platforms were notified, how quickly the content was removed, and what due diligence mechanisms were triggered, and whether foreign-based data controllers processed Kenyan citizens’ data unlawfully.

Cross-border digital harm demands cross-border enforcement cooperation. Without it, African women remain exposed to what is effectively a digital extraction economy.

Ghana has publicly indicated a willingness to escalate. Its Technology Minister reportedly invited the Russian ambassador and signalled cooperation with Interpol.Under Ghana’s Cybersecurity Act

In 2020, non-consensual sharing of intimate images carries severe penalties, reportedly up to 25 years imprisonment. Ghana has indicated potential extradition requests, trial in absentia if necessary and diplomatic escalation. This posture reflects recognition that technology-facilitated gender violence is not peripheral; it is a national security and governance issue.

The uncomfortable question for Kenya is whether it has matched this urgency. If Kenyan women were allegedly recorded and monetised, silence risks becoming complicity through inaction.

Russia’s longstanding position against extraditing its nationals further complicates matters. When alleged perpetrators retreat behind non-extradition policies, and impunity becomes structurally embedded. Digital harm is borderless, whereas enforcement is not. Kenya must therefore consider mutual legal assistance treaties, Interpol red notices, asset tracing where monetisation occurred and coordinated African Union digital governance mechanisms.

The damage in such cases is not temporary. Victims may face employment discrimination, reputational harm, psychological trauma, family and community stigma and permanent loss of digital autonomy.

Once intimate footage is distributed across decentralised platforms, full erasure is virtually impossible. In data protection, this is known as irreversible informational harm, where deletion cannot restore dignity.

While allegations centre on a specific actor, the structural enablers are clear, namely wearable surveillance technology, weak platform enforcement, jurisdictional fragmentation, monetisation incentives and power imbalances rooted in race, nationality and economic asymmetry.

Kenya must articulate unequivocally that African women are not data sources to be harvested. Technology must not become the newest weapon in the oldest war against women’s autonomy.

This is a test of whether Kenya’s data protection framework is symbolic or enforceable. Technology-facilitated gender violence is escalating globally. African women are disproportionately targeted where legal systems lag in technological capability. Kenya, through its inaction, risks signalling that digital exploitation within its territory carries minimal consequence.

Data governance is not an abstract theory. It is about power. It is about dignity. It is about whose bodies become content and whose systems allow it. The question now is not whether one alleged perpetrator will face justice. It is whether Kenya’s digital governance system will prove capable of delivering it.

Koko Networks administrators are seeking buyers for the clean-cooking startup’s assets in the wake of its collapse last month after it failed to secure approvals from the Kenyan government to export carbon credits.

The business advisory firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) said it is pursuing a sale or the acquisition of Koko’s specific assets, which include fuel-dispensing machines, vehicles, software and office equipment.

Koko filed for administration on the brink of bankruptcy on February 1 after Kenyan authorities refused it a Letter of Approval (LoA) to sell carbon credits in the lucrative compliance markets, the basis of the startup’s business model.

Compliance carbon markets are mandatory and government-regulated, targeting high-emission industries to meet legal targets, unlike voluntary carbon markets, which are self-regulated and used by companies and individuals to offset emissions voluntarily for sustainability goals. Credits in the compliance markets cost about $20 (Sh2,580), about 10 times the price collected in voluntary markets.

The State argued that the World Bank-backed startup would have exhausted Kenya’s share of the markets.

PwC’s George Weru and Muniu Thoithi have published a request for Expressions of Interest (EOI) on the sale as they work to rescue the startup.

‘The administrators intend to run an investor/transaction process to explore credible options for either the going concern acquisition of the business and assets of Koko or for the acquisition of specific assets of the company,’ they said in the EOI request published in the local dailies on Thursday.

Last March, the World Bank’s political risk insurer, Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (Miga), insured Koko’s Kenyan investment for $179.6million (Sh23.1 billion), in what was the world’s first carbon-linked political insurance coverage.

PwC did not comment on whether Koko is pursuing an insurance claim over the government’s breach of the contract, which could expose Kenya to a compensation bill of a similar amount.

Koko’s failure to secure an LoA essentially denied it the revenue it needed to stay afloat. The company, which opened in Kenya in 2019, sold heavily subsidised bioethanol stoves and fuel to over 1.5 million low-income households at the time of its closure.

A cooking stove that should retail at Sh15,000 was sold for Sh1,500, while fuel priced at Sh200 per litre was sold at Sh100 through the company’s network of vendors. Koko recouped losses by relying on carbon credit sales in the global compliance markets used by airlines such as British Airways. They were sold under a scheme backed by the United Nations.

The credits are calculated from how much carbon emissions are avoided when Kenyans ditch kerosene and charcoal stoves for Koko’s bioethanol, which is made from molasses derived from sugarcane.

Koko’s administrators said they seek to rescue the company, ‘maintaining the business as a going concern’ and securing a better return for creditors than liquidation. It is still unclear whether this involves restructuring the startup’s carbon credit-reliant model. PwC did not respond to Business Daily’s email request for comment. Mr Weru and Mr Thoithi were not reachable by phone.

Koko’s major assets include smart fuel-dispensing machines, tanker and depot systems, trucks and motorbikes, software platforms, intellectual property, office furniture and equipment such as computers.

‘Review of the affairs of Koko indicates that significant capital will be required to resolve the insolvency of the company sustainably,’ PwC said. The consulting firm has not disclosed the value of Koko’s assets.

Interested parties must submit details, including their profile, strategic rationale and proof of financial capability by February 26, per the EOI request.

Koko, co-founded by Greg Murray, Sagun Saxena and Nicholas Stokes, had invested about $300 million (Sh38 billion) in Kenya, its largest African market. The firm had a small operation in Rwanda, and its entire staff comprised 700 people.

In June 2024, President William Ruto’s government signed an investment framework agreement that would have allowed the firm to sell carbon credits into compliance markets under Article 6 of the United Nations Paris Agreement.

But in the wake of the fallout, the government argued that approving the startup’s request would have allowed a single company to exhaust Kenya’s share of carbon credits available in global compliance markets.

Trade Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui said the business model ‘did not align’ with Kenya’s broader interests and would have locked out other eligible sectors such as agriculture and manufacturing.

The Environment Ministry, which approves carbon projects, has since declined to comment on the matter. According to Kenya’s Climate Change (Carbon Markets) Regulations, 2024, eligible carbon projects that benefit are subject to ‘verification of each project result by an independent auditor’ and ‘adhering to national priorities, ecological, social, cultural and economic safeguards.’

The closure of Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) IPO has been extended by three days until Tuesday next week amid the struggle to hit the sale target of Sh106.3 billion.

The Capital Markets Authority (CMA) has approved the extension of the offer, which was initially set to close today.

Multiple top stockbrokers and investment banks reckon they have struggled to sell the state oil pipeline company, especially among high-net-worth investors who have expressed interest but have failed to make payments for the shares.

The Privatization Authority says retail investors, who had been allocated 20 percent of the offer, pushed the State to end the offer period.

Top brokers who sought anonymity indicated that only 20 percent or nearly Sh23 billion of the offer had been sold by Tuesday, amid split views over the valuation of KPC.

‘The extension is aimed at ensuring broader participation and will provide investors adequate time to finalise their investment decisions in line with our commitment to inclusivity and transparency,’ said Janerose Omondi, the managing director of the Privatization Authority.

The government priced the Kenya Pipeline Company IPO at Sh9 per share for the offer that opened on January 19, with the shares scheduled to begin trading on the Nairobi bourse on March 9.

KPC’s initial public offering must receive valid applications from not less than 250 applicants representing 50 percent of the offer shares.

This means that the IPO must raise at least Sh53.1 billion for the offer to proceed.

Of the total stake on offer, 15 percent is reserved for oil marketing companies, five percent for employees and the remainder will be allocated to local retail, local institutional, East African and foreign investors, with each category receiving 20 percent.

The government will retain a 35 percent stake.

‘In cases of under subscription, valid applications in the affected category be allocated in full, with remaining shares reallocated in the order of local retail, local institutional, East African investors, international investors and oil marketing companies (OMCs),’ KPC investor memorandum says.

‘In cases of oversubscription, Kenyan investors will be given priority.’

The sale of a 65 percent stake in KPC is part of the Treasury’s drive to divest from State companies.

The government is also reducing its stake in telecoms operator Safaricom, with the sale of a 15 percent stake to South Africa’s Vodacom for Sh204 billion.

Burdened by high national debt, limited room to raise taxes and annual loan repayments that consume 40 percent of government revenues, the State has sought new funding models.

The Kenya Pipeline IPO will be the region’s biggest, surpassing the 2008 Safaricom offering, which raised just over Sh50 billion.

In dollar terms, the Safaricom IPO may still rank as the largest, given the weakening of the Kenyan shilling over the past 17 years.

She became a mechanic out of owning a jalopy. ‘With an old car, you have to learn how to fix things because old cars can be demanding,’ she says, remembering how breakdowns transformed her into a car expert.

She loves 4×4 vehicles and, at the time, she was simply trying to get from one place to another in hers without drama. In that period, she learned that cars, like people, communicate constantly, and that ignoring those signals can be expensive.

Her breaking point, and perhaps her eureka moment, was an episode that still irritates her years later. She recalls paying Sh30,000 to a technician who promised to fix her car, only for it to stall less than a kilometre from the repair site.

‘He hadn’t repaired anything,’ she says. ‘He just cleared the dashboard error codes. The problem never went away. That’s when I realised many motorists don’t know what they’re actually paying for.’

For Joan Nyambura, now 32, it was a moment that did more than waste money. She says it exposed a structural problem in the car market, one where sellers, brokers, and mechanics often understand far more than buyers do, and where that imbalance shapes transactions with buyers often on the losing end.

‘No one is really representing the consumer. Everyone else in the transaction has an incentive. The buyer usually doesn’t have information.’

She describes herself as academically gifted from an early age, the kind of student teachers and family predicted would follow a conventional professional route.

After high school, she enrolled at a local university to study medicine, which was viewed by everyone who knew her then as the natural progression towards a fulfilling career. ‘I was an A student, and medicine felt like the logical next step.’

That logic, she says, was never in line with her passion and conviction. By her second year, she says she felt disconnected from the path she was on. She struggled to picture herself as a doctor. ‘I realised I wasn’t excited about the future I was preparing for.’

Nyambura stepped into the uncertainty she calls jua kali. Expectedly, her choice disappointed some people and worried others, but she knew staying was only postponing an inevitability.

After leaving school, she began working around cars informally as a broker. She connected buyers with sellers, earning a commission for facilitating deals. ‘If someone wanted to buy and someone else wanted to sell, I connected them.’

The more transactions she dealt with, the more she noticed patterns that unsettled her. Buyers often assumed imported cars were automatically reliable, especially those sourced from Japan. ‘People think ‘imported’ means perfect. But a lot can happen between inspection abroad and delivery locally.’

She began checking cars more closely before recommending them to clients, first as a precaution that would soon become a standard procedure.

This revealed recurring issues: tampered mileage, concealed faults, and generic replacement parts passed off as genuine ones. ‘I kept seeing the same problems, and it made me realise the biggest gap in the market wasn’t mechanical. It was informational. When it’s your only car, you can’t afford guesswork. You either learn or you keep paying.’

Her learning process was informal at first. She watched online tutorials, took advice from friendly mechanics, and learned through trial and error in parking lots.

Eventually, she decided to formalise her knowledge and enrolled for technical training in automotive engineering at the Railway Training Institute in Nairobi.

Returning to school felt completely different from her earlier university experience. ‘The first time I studied, I was following a path set for me. The second time I studied because I wanted a desired skill set in a field, I had much passion for.’

While training, she worked in garages and began documenting her experiences online, posting educational videos that explained vehicle diagnostics in everyday language. Some of her early videos depict her doing a total engine overhaul. ‘People don’t want jargon, as I came to understand. They want someone to translate what the car is saying.’

As her online following grew, so did requests for help from motorists who were unsure about purchases. ‘Most people were looking for reassurance from someone they considered a professional. That’s when I understood there was a gap. Buyers needed someone neutral. Someone is not selling the car and not fixing it. Just someone who could tell them the truth.’

The growth in her online presence also attracted brands that wanted to work with her. ‘I started working with Precision Automotive in marketing their services. It is also where I took my industrial attachment and started working officially as an automotive car inspector.’

Then she ventured out to build her own brand. She began offering independent vehicle inspections, travelling across Nairobi and Mombasa. The inspections surprised Nyambura as much as they did her clients.

Cars that looked good externally sometimes revealed deep mechanical problems once she took a keener look at them. Others had missing electronic modules, failing transmissions, or evidence of long-term wear inconsistent with the mileage displayed. ‘Sometimes clients assume I’ll confirm their excitement. But my job isn’t to validate feelings. It’s to present facts.’

Over time, she began to see her role less as a mechanic and more as an interpreter between machines and people. ‘I don’t tell people what car to love. I tell them what condition it’s in so they can decide. If I inspect and also repair, I benefit from finding faults. That creates a conflict of interest. I want my only incentive to be accuracy.’

Building an inspection-focused operation, however, required more than technical knowledge. She says scaling forced her to think like an entrepreneur rather than a technician.

The growing demand meant hiring and training other inspectors, developing reporting systems, and standardising processes to ensure consistency. ‘I also had to adjust my pricing from Sh6,000 to Sh10,000, create a membership scheme where clients receive more than just a one-time inspection. For example, what do you do if we inspect your newly imported car, then you get involved in an accident, and it requires inspection after repair?’ she poses.

For accuracy and real-time reporting, she has developed protocols through a system her company bought, requiring inspectors to upload diagnostic results, photographs, and notes in real time, allowing reports to be reviewed before reaching clients.

‘The system ensures transparency and accountability, both internally and externally. I review reports remotely and can advise clients progressively on what they need to know. A car is usually the second biggest purchase after a house. Its mechanical fitness shouldn’t be based on hope.’

She has two offices, Nairobi and Mombasa, with five car inspectors in both sites.

Looking back, she says her path appears coherent even though it wasn’t at first. Leaving medicine, struggling with unreliable vehicles, and losing money on poor repairs – all these led her to her purpose. ‘At the time, they felt like detours. Now I see them as preparations to a higher calling.’

She believes her academic background still influences her work. The discipline characteristic of medical training forms the backbone of how she approaches diagnostics – methodically, systematically, and with an emphasis on evidence. ‘Engineering, like medicine, is about identifying root causes. You don’t treat symptoms if you want lasting results.’

She often meets young women curious about technical careers. ‘I advise them to look at things pragmatically. What works for one person may not be ideal for another. I tell people to pursue their careers from a practical standpoint. That way, jobs do not feel like lofty tasks but a labour of love. Also, don’t wait to feel ready. Start with what’s in front of you. Skills grow from use.’

A fresh attempt by businessman Paul Wanderi Ndung’u to reopen a settled dispute involving Milestone Games and the betting industry regulator over the use of the name Sportpesa has failed.

The Court of Appeal rejected his bid to overturn a February 2024 consent order that marked Milestone Games’ case against the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB) as withdrawn. The court ruled that it could not set aside an order that had never been formally presented before it.

A three-judge bench dismissed Ndung’u’s application, describing it as lacking merit and awarding costs to Milestone Games. The decision leaves intact the consent agreement that led to the withdrawal of Milestone’s appeal.

At the centre of the dispute was the control and use of the Sportpesa brand, initially associated with Pevans East Africa, where Mr Ndung’u was a shareholder before his fallout with the company in 2022 and takeover of the brand by Milestone Games.

The legal battle at the Court of Appeal originated from a regulatory dispute in 2020. In November of that year, Milestone Games petitioned the High Court for judicial review orders to quash two BCLB decisions.

The regulator had barred Milestone from using the Sportpesa trademark, associated domains, short codes, and paybill numbers, while also suspending its bookmaker’s license indefinitely. Milestone argued that these actions were illegal, violated due process, and infringed on its constitutional rights.

The High Court granted Milestone’s request and suspended the BCLB’s decisions. Subsequent contempt proceedings found BCLB officials guilty, though they were given time to purge the contempt.

In May 2022, Milestone and the regulator reached a consent agreement to settle the dispute. When presented for adoption, Ndung’u opposed it and sought to be joined to the case.

However, the High Court declined to approve the consent, stating it needed assurance that the agreement resulted from proper procedural resolution by the board.

Milestone then appealed the High Court’s decision and sought a stay on further proceedings. Ndung’u applied to join the appeal, claiming a 17 per cent stake in Pevans East Africa, a company linked to the Sportpesa brand. His application was dismissed in February 2023 after Milestone and Pevans argued that he had been expelled from the company.

The appeal was later withdrawn by consent on February 12, 2024. Undeterred, Ndung’u persisted, and in April 2025, the Court of Appeal revisited its earlier refusal to admit him, allowing his joinder due to allegations of fraud requiring examination.

However, the court noted that the appeal had already been settled and left it to Ndung’u to pursue his claims regarding property rights through other legal avenues.

His latest application, now dismissed, sought formal joinder and the annulment of what he claimed was a February 24, 2023, consent order. He argued that the appeal’s withdrawal was unlawful and lacked signatures from all parties. Milestone countered that Ndung’u was not a party to the appeal or consent and that no active proceedings remained for him to join.

The judges ruled that the joinder issue had already been resolved.

‘The issue of joinder. was addressed and determined by this Court in the ruling of April 11, 2025, and the Court cannot be asked to revisit and determine an issue it has already determined,’ they stated.

Regarding the consent order, the court stated it had thoroughly examined the record and found no such order dated February 24, 2023. The only valid consent was from February 12, 2024.

‘We cannot set aside an order that has not been placed before the Court and whose terms we cannot tell. Parties are bound by their pleadings, and that unless they amend the pleadings, the Court cannot deal with an issue that is not before it,’ the judges ruled.

They emphasized that consent orders are binding unless proven fraudulent or illegal, stating: ‘By its nature, a consent order, unless proved. to be tainted with fraud, illegality, or any of the grounds upon which a contract may be set aside, is sacrosanct.’

The court further stated that it ‘cannot casually set aside a consent order that has been adopted by the parties and is said to have been fully implemented by the parties there, unless it is absolutely sure of the consent order that is impugned’.

The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) is seeking to develop tools to automate tracking of users’ experiences and performance of internet, calls, and text to hold accountable underperforming providers.

The regulator has put out a tender notice for development of an automated quality of service monitoring tool, and a quality of experience measurement mobile application and web portal to improve its effectiveness in monitoring compliance.

With the new tools, CA expects to keep closer tabs at the performance of mobile network operators and internet service providers, in efforts to end deficient internet and connection speeds and quality.

‘The Network Performance Monitoring System (NPMS) will enable the authority to collect, analyse, and visualise standardised Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for mobile, fixed, and IP-based networks, thereby ensuring regulatory NPMS, transparency, and continuous quality improvement,’ said the regulator in a tender notice.

Currently, CA monitors performance of operators by physically driving around the country collecting quality of service data, which it then analyses to come up with a performance or compliance rate for different regulators.

The new system will be embedded in the telco’s networks across the country, consistently monitoring quality metrics like signal strength, quality of voice calls and data services accessibility and integrity, while reporting in real time.

In addition to the service quality monitoring system, CA also plans to develop a mobile application and online portal that will automatically track Kenyans’ experience with the services offered by operators.

‘The authority also wishes to automate its Quality of Experience assessment methodology by introducing a mobile app that will give a more effective response on the subscriber’s perception of the network based on the variety of services they access,’ said CA.

The app will automatically capture data on speed tests, voice tests, delay in sending of WhatsApp and text messages, buffering times when streaming videos and content, among other metrics from user phones.

Currently, the regulator conducts annual surveys to gauge customers’ satisfaction with different services and treatment by mobile network operators and internet service providers, which is both time-consuming and costly.

CA will use the data gathered by the app to assess users’ experiences and satisfaction with the services of the licenses, which weigh into the overall compliance with the set performance thresholds.

The automated assessment of the performance comes as the regulator plans to raise the performance threshold from 80 percent to 90 percent, and introduce county-level penalties for missed targets.

Last year, all the telecommunication firms scored less than 90 percent in compliance with the service quality indicators, meaning they would all be exposed to penalties under the planned new regime.

The regulator imposes a penalty of up to 0.2 percent of a telco’s revenue for not meeting the quality standards.

The High Court has upheld a decision by a tribunal to block the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) from reclassifying a wastewater treatment plant imported by ACO Drainage Limited, dealing a setback to the taxman’s bid to impose higher duties.

The ruling ends a two-year taxation dispute over whether the equipment should be taxed as water purification machinery or as a device for treating ‘other liquids’.

The court found that customs officials misread the tariff schedule and failed to justify shifting the importer into a costlier residual category.

The case stemmed from ACO Drainage’s 2023 importation of a Rox Ecological Total Oxidation Sewage Treatment Plant, designed to treat wastewater before discharge.

The company declared the plant under a Harmonised System Code covering machinery for filtering or purifying water.

However, the KRA, through the Commissioner of Customs and Border Control, insisted the plant fell under a different code applicable to machinery for filtering or purifying other liquids. The distinction altered the tax bill and triggered a demand for additional duties and penalties.

ACO contested the reclassification and sought a technical tariff ruling. Despite a physical inspection of the machinery and a consultative meeting, customs officials maintained their position and issued a revised ruling in October 2023.

The company then challenged the decision at the Tax Appeals Tribunal, which in January 2025 sided with the importer and set aside the customs rulings.

The commissioner subsequently moved to the High Court, arguing that the tribunal had misunderstood the rules governing tariff classification and wrongly equated sewage with water.

In dismissing the appeal, the court ruled that the dispute hinged on the correct interpretation of the Harmonised System and the General Rules of Interpretation used globally for classifying goods.

The court noted that Heading 8421 covers machinery for filtering or purifying liquids or gases, and the subheading cited by the importer ‘specifically refers to filtering or purifying machinery and apparatus for water’.

The court agreed with the tribunal that the plant’s function was decisive, as it treats sewage wastewater ‘to reduce human waste content’-a process the judge deemed a form of water purification.

The ruling further clarified that the tariff description does not rigidly distinguish between “filtering” and “purifying,” as both processes fall under the same subheading.

KRA had contended that sewage is not water and that the equipment should be classified under the residual category for “other liquids.”

The court rejected this argument, stating that the residual code applies only where goods are not more specifically described elsewhere.

“Specific descriptions prevail over general ones,” the court affirmed, reiterating long-standing principles of tax interpretation.

The court also dismissed claims that the tribunal had over-relied on the manufacturer’s description, ruling that it had properly considered the product manual, explanatory notes, and the plant’s intended use.

It found no legal error or perverse finding warranting the overturning of the tribunal’s decision.

“The Tribunal’s reasoning aligns with precedent and principles of statutory interpretation, which hold that in taxing statutes, one must look at what is clearly stated, no implication or equity applies,” the court ruled.

It emphasized that customs authorities must base reclassifications on clear tariff rules and technical evidence.