Category: Business Daily

If you spend most of your working day seated at a desk, a few minutes of vigorous movement could be more useful than you think.

A new study suggests that replacing sedentary time with physical activity, particularly short bursts of vigorous movement, is associated with a lower risk of several cancers.

The study, published in July in BMC Medicine, analysed activity data from 59,218 men and women who were part of the UK Biobank. Participants wore activity trackers for a week, allowing researchers to measure how much time they spent sitting, standing and engaging in light, moderate or vigorous activity.

Researchers then examined their medical records over roughly eight years, looking at 13 cancers that have been associated with physical inactivity. They used statistical models to estimate what could happen if participants replaced some of their usual sitting time with different types and intensities of physical activity.

Standing was associated with lower cancer risk compared with remaining seated, but movement appeared to have a stronger association. Light activity was associated with greater benefits than standing, while vigorous movement showed the strongest association.

The study found that about three minutes of vigorous activity was associated with a similar reduction in cancer risk as about 90 minutes of light-intensity movement.

Vigorous activity in the study included movements that substantially increased breathing and heart rate, such as rushing up stairs or running to catch public transport.

For Riya Shah, a cancer specialist physiotherapist at Performance Medicine Kenya, the findings reinforce a broader message about the importance of movement throughout the day.

‘Regular movement is one of the most important modifiable lifestyle factors we can influence across the cancer continuum, from prevention, through treatment and recovery, and into survivorship,’ she says.

Shah says people often think of exercise as something that has to happen in a gym or as a structured workout, yet the body benefits from movement throughout the day. ‘Our bodies are designed to move throughout the day,’ she says.

There is already evidence linking higher levels of physical activity with a lower risk of several cancers, particularly breast and colorectal cancer, she said. Physical activity is also associated with better cardiovascular and metabolic health.

For someone who spends eight or more hours sitting at work, Shah says the focus should not be solely on finding time for a workout before or after work.

Instead, people should also look at how they can interrupt long periods of sitting. ‘Don’t wait until the end of the working day to ‘do your exercise’. Build movement into the working day itself,’ she says.

Her suggestions include standing up and walking around for a couple of minutes every 30 to 60 minutes, walking to speak to a colleague instead of sending a message where practical, taking the stairs, walking while making a phone call, getting up to refill a water bottle and having walking meetings where possible.

Standing, she says, is certainly better than remaining completely sedentary, but ideally people should move rather than simply switch from sitting to standing.

‘Even a short walking break can increase muscle activity, circulation and energy expenditure,’ she says.

The idea of vigorous movement can also be less complicated than it sounds.

It does not necessarily require a gym, running track or exercise equipment.

Shah says climbing several flights of stairs, walking quickly uphill, carrying heavy shopping, cycling quickly or running to catch a matatu can potentially qualify, depending on how hard the activity makes a person work.

‘Exercise doesn’t have to look like exercise,’ she says.

For one person, climbing several flights of stairs may constitute vigorous activity, while for someone who is fitter, the same activity may only be moderate.

A useful indicator, Shah says, is breathing. During vigorous activity, breathing and heart rate increase substantially and a person may only be able to say a few words before needing another breath.

However, she cautioned against interpreting the study as suggesting that three minutes of exercise a day is all a person needs.

The study was observational, meaning it identified an association between physical activity and cancer risk but did not prove that the short bursts of vigorous movement directly prevented cancer.

Shah says the finding should instead be viewed as an encouraging message for people who currently do little physical activity.

‘If you currently do very little activity, small amounts of purposeful movement can still matter,’ she says.

Those short bursts can be a starting point and can gradually be built upon, she adds.

There are also possible biological explanations for why physical activity may influence cancer risk. During vigorous movement, heart rate, blood flow, breathing and muscle glucose uptake increase. Exercise can also influence insulin sensitivity, metabolic health, inflammation, body composition and the immune system.

Shah says researchers are also studying how exercise mobilises immune cells, including natural killer cells, which are involved in identifying and responding to abnormal cells.

But cancer prevention cannot be reduced to physical activity alone.

‘Physical activity is important, but it doesn’t eliminate other established risk factors such as tobacco exposure, alcohol consumption, unhealthy body weight and diet,’ she says.

For people with sedentary jobs, her advice is therefore simple: move whenever there is an opportunity.

Walk during a phone call. Take the stairs. Walk part of the journey where practical. Break up long periods of sitting. Add some brisk walking to the day and incorporate strength exercises such as squats, calf raises, glute bridges or resistance exercises at least twice a week.

The broader message is not that everyone needs to find an extra hour in an already busy day.

Rather, movement can be accumulated throughout the day, from the journey to work and the office stairs to household tasks and short bursts of faster activity.

‘Don’t aim for perfection, aim to avoid sitting continuously for hours at a time,’ Shah says.

The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has turned to two familiar 15- and 20-year Treasury bonds in its Sh50 billion October issuance, hoping to ride the demand they attracted last month to hit its target.

A prospectus for the October bond sale shows that for the second successive month, the State is reopening a 15-year bond first issued in July 2019 at a rate of 12.34 percent, and a 20-year bond that was initially sold in April 2019 at 12.873 percent.

The two papers have each been reopened five times in the last 12 months, placing them among the go-to bonds for the CBK in its recent domestic borrowing programme for the government.

The 20-year paper was reopened in January, March, May, July and September this year, while the 15-year paper was brought back to market in November 2025, and in February, March, May and September 2026.

By reopening these bonds repeatedly, their outstanding amounts have climbed sharply, raising the risk of refinancing pressure when they will be scheduled for redemption in the future.

The 15-year bond started out with a face value of Sh50.6 billion in 2019, but this has now ballooned to Sh161 billion, while the outstanding amount on the 20-year paper has climbed from Sh9 billion at first issuance to Sh209.8 billion currently.

The reopenings done earlier this month were in two separate sales each targeting Sh60 billion, where the bonds were sold alongside a pair of 30-year papers.

The 15-year paper had its auction on September 2 alongside a 30-year paper from 2011. The 15-year attracted bids of Sh57.1 billion, compared to Sh11.1 billion for the 30-year, with the CBK taking up a total of Sh47.7 billion on the sale.

On September 16, the 20-year paper was auctioned alongside another 30-year bond that was initially floated in March 2026. Bids on the 20-year bond stood at Sh43.8 billion, compared to Sh37.6 billion for the 30-year, with a total accepted amount of Sh50.2 billion on the two papers.

The CBK is now anticipating that the demand seen earlier this month on the two bonds will carry forward into the October sale.

The government’s fiscal agent has been looking to lock in as much borrowing as possible in the early months of the fiscal year, with analysts saying that this will help in managing interest rate expectations later in the year when the country will be closing in on a general election.

Net borrowing in the first two months of the fiscal year stood at Sh406 billion, as per CBK data, equivalent to 41 percent of the full year target of Sh987.4 billion.

With the additional borrowing of Sh97.92 billion in September, the net borrowing has now hit 51 percent of the year’s target, given that there were no bond maturities falling due this month and Treasury bill maturities have generally been refinanced through rollovers.

The CBK has also been refinancing the government’s domestic debt through monthly switch bond sales, where holders of securities that are due to mature soon are offered an exclusive chance to transfer their investment into longer dated alternatives.

The October switch sale opened on Thursday, targeting Sh10 billion from a three-year bond that was issued in January 2024 at a rate of 18.3854 percent-maturing in January 2027- and a 15-year paper from 2013 which pays 12 percent annually and matures in April 2028.

Holders of these bonds have been given the chance to transfer part of their capital into another 15-year bond that was sold in May 2018 at 12.65 percent, with a maturity date in May 2033.

In the most recent swap sale on September 7, investors moved Sh11 billion from a 15-year bond from 2013 into a 10-year security that matures in November 2029.

When a Kenyan mother lights a firewood stove to prepare the evening meal, she is not thinking about climate diplomacy at the United Nations. She is thinking about feeding her family at the lowest cost possible. Yet that simple daily decision is now at the centre of an international conversation in which Kenya has secured a leading role.

On Tuesday, at the United Nations headquarters in New York, Kenya and Norway co-hosted a high-level event on clean cooking, setting the stage for the second Africa Clean Cooking Summit to be held in Nairobi on January 27 and 28 next year.

Kenya will co-host the summit with Norway and the United States, in collaboration with the International Energy Agency, the African Union Commission and the African Development Bank.

For Kenya, this is an opportunity to show that clean cooking is not simply an environmental programme. It is an economic issue involving household spending, jobs, manufacturing, energy access and public health.

The Ministry of Energy and Petroleum estimates that 9.1 million Kenyan households, about 69 percent, rely primarily on traditional cooking fuels. Firewood accounts for more than half of household cooking nationally and is particularly dominant in rural areas.

Kenya’s National Cooking Transition Strategy, developed under the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, targets universal access to clean cooking by 2028.

It is explicitly linked to Vision 2030, the country’s ambition to become a newly industrialising, middle-income economy providing a high quality of life in a clean and secure environment. The transition cannot be achieved by simply telling households to stop using firewood and charcoal.

At the UN event, President William Ruto made the point that millions of people depend on charcoal and firewood for their livelihoods. ‘A transition that ignores them will not endure,’ he said.

Kenya is pursuing a multi-fuel approach including LPG, electricity, bioethanol, biogas and sustainable biomass. The Government has also identified a $600 million investment opportunity in institutional clean cooking covering schools, healthcare facilities and correctional services.

This creates an opportunity for Kenyan manufacturers, distributors, financiers and technology firms. The international money is also beginning to move. The 2024 Paris summit generated $2.2 billion in commitments, while the IEA says $740 million has already been deployed through projects in 22 African countries. The Nairobi summit should now push that capital closer to households.

The test will not be how many commitments are announced in Nairobi. It will be whether a rural mother can afford a cleaner stove, whether a school can replace a smoky kitchen or whether investors can build viable businesses around the transition.

Kenya has brought clean cooking from the kitchen to the UN agenda. The next step is to bring investment, innovation and affordable solutions back from New York to the Kenyan household.

The retirement benefits sector has quietly become a remarkable growth story in the country’s financial system. In under 30 years, it has morphed from a fragmented unregulated sector to managing Sh2.8 trillion in assets, equivalent to 14.5 percent of the gross domestic product.

The first phase of the sector’s growth, marked through the enactment of the Retirement Benefits Act and the establishment of the Retirement Benefits Authority (RBA) in 2000, pivoted on regulation to supervise a sector that had operated under a patchwork of trust.

The second phase, unfolding through the 2010s, saw a product reconfiguration. The number of schemes increased exponentially, the investment guidelines matured in consistence with the law, and the public pensions space also began a structural shift from a defined benefits to a defined contributions arrangement.

The Public Service Superannuation Scheme Act particularly reorganised the administration of public pensions for hundreds of thousands of workers, ultimately leading to the operationalisation of the scheme in 2021.

This phase moved a measure of responsibility for retirement outcomes from the institution to the individual, from a passive beneficiary to an active player.

The sector has developed retirement products for nearly every category of worker and is currently rolling out retirement products to the informal sector through the Kenya National Entrepreneurs Savings Trust.

What has lagged in this sector shift is the human dimension, where millions of Kenyans for whom these retirement products were designed do not understand them, trust them and use them.

The next decade of pension sector growth will come from deliberate, sustained initiative of helping ordinary Kenyans understand, actively participate and trust their own retirement planning.

RBA’s statistical digest shows that the sector recorded an overall membership coverage ratio of 26.58 percent in 2025, equivalent to 7.71 million members out of an estimated working-age population of 29 million, growing from 12 percent coverage over the past two decades.

While this growth has been significant, it is still marginal as a percentage of the working-age population, and is highly concentrated among urban, male and wealthier, middle-aged Kenyans. In addition, adoption of pensions outside the National Social Security Fund remains marginal. The growth of the sector in the coming years will hinge on awareness, trust and habit.

With the global shift from defined benefit to defined contribution arrangements, members have inherited the decisions that employers once made on their behalf. Researchers argue that when members are engaged through commitments and well-structured nudges, participants and contribution rates rise substantially.

The import for Kenya is that while we have had our own shift toward direct contribution arrangements in the public and private sector, there is a greater role for members in enhancing their retirement adequacy. There is need for pension schemes to help members exercise that responsibility.

The common thread across guidance offered by bodies such as the OECD on pension communication is that members save more when they understand what they are saving for, they can track their progress and are engaged in a participatory approach in a language and channels that reflect their reality rather than the industry’s jargon.

Communicating in clear, accessible language, as well as digital self-service tools grants members access to their contributions and projected benefits. Building trust and sustained engagement with the members cannot replace the rigour of investments and pension administration, however, it complements the efforts to create a holistic experience for the member.

The pension sector has done the hard work of setting up broad legislation and harmonising supervision of the industry in the last three decades, but its next phase of growth must be written in everyday work of helping members engage with their retirement future.

This phase will also require a structural shift in how the industry’s success has been measured. Predominantly the key metric has been growth in assets under management, but a key metric of the next decade must be on the number of members who understand their pension, trust the pension scheme that is managing their savings and are actively contributing to their retirement security.

The sustainability implementation journey is an opportunity for transformation, tailored to priority areas aligned with an organisation’s strategic priorities. It will therefore mean different things to different organisations.

However, while these priority areas may differ, organisations share a consistent theme in how they approach their sustainability implementation journey.

Organisations are embedding sustainability into the development of new products and services, including innovation across existing ones. It’s increasingly a focus as organisations navigate rapid technological change across society, blurring lines between traditional industries, and shifting customer preferences.

Having the products and services that meet customer expectations is a big part of staying relevant for longer. Organisations are also transforming their supply chains to build resilience for navigating disruptions. It includes efforts to identify the right partners, strengthen those partnerships and leverage each partner’s unique strengths to deliver synergies for the customer.

Uncertainty is the new normal and organisations are maximising control over sustainability implementation to gain insights across their value chain. This includes measuring and reporting greenhouse gases and transforming the business model through a tailored, organisation-specific decarbonisation pathway to build a climate-resilient business.

This includes efforts such as efficient resource utilisation and other cost-reduction initiatives. Organisations also recognise the need for leadership-level ownership of the sustainability agenda.

As a result, organisations are actively including sustainability implementation in the terms of reference for various board committees. Closely linked to this effort is the investment organisations are making in capacity building for the board and staff.

It ensures organisations have the skills and competencies needed to implement their sustainability agenda successfully. These investments include the systems, tools and processes required.

Technology investments for sustainability are another focus area for organisations. For example, artificial intelligence can profoundly impact an organisation’s sustainability transformation.

From data collection and automated sustainability reporting to supply chain monitoringand scenario analysis, technology can transform the entire organisation.

Technology provides the tools to translate complexity into financial insight and aid decision-making. Organisations cannot sit on the sidelines of sustainability transformation but must actively participate in the integration of sustainability across the business.

While organisations face numerous challenges in today’s operating environment, immense opportunities remain to navigate them successfully and build long-term sustainable value for stakeholders.

Revenue from electricity sales to new Kenya Power customers dropped by Sh1.07 billion in the year to June despite increased connections, signalling slowing economic expansion and increased adoption of off-grid solar alternatives.

Official data shows that Kenya Power’s new customers consumed 161.7 Gigawatt-hours (GWh) in the year to June, marking a 20 percent drop from 202.98 GWh a year ago, pulling down revenues from this customer segment to Sh4.05 billion from Sh5.12 billion in the previous period, or a 26.41percent drop.

The dip in unit sales and revenues came despite Kenya Power connecting 412,249 new customers in the 12 months to June 2026, up from 401,848 the previous year, with more than half of them, or 226,803, being commercial customers.

Kenya Power connected a further 539 new large consumers, also referred to as premium customers, for supply in the period to June 2026, while adding 184,907 clients under the Last Mile Connectivity Project (LMCP).

The utility’s overall electricity revenue from all customers, including the previously existing ones, however, grew by Sh18.9 billion to Sh238.24 billion.

Kenya Power did not respond to Business Daily queries on the shifts, but insiders in the energy sector said a drop in electricity sales to new customers may indicate subdued economic expansion and increased adoption of off-grid solar alternatives.

“A drop in electricity sales to new customers, dominated by commercial clients, is generally a sign of a slowdown in business expansion, industrial activity, or overall economic growth,” an official in the Energy ministry said.

“When new businesses or expanding commercial facilities purchase less power than expected, it may be a sign that they are stifled by inflation pressure or overall weakening economic confidence.”

Kenya’s economic growth slowed to 4.6 percent in 2025, down from 4.7 percent in 2024, continuing a multi-year cooling trend from post-pandemic highs. The Treasury has since also revised Kenya’s economic growth outlook for 2026 downwards to 5.0 percent from the earlier projection of 5.3 percent amid stubborn inflation, partly due to disruptions related to the Middle East crisis.

A growing number of electricity consumers, especially the large commercial ones, are also turning to solar energy to lower their electricity bills and ensure reliable supplies, thus reducing their reliance on the grid.

Kenya Power is also grappling with low consumption by beneficiaries of the Last Mile Connectivity Project (LMCP) initiative amid lingering questions about the return on investment in the subsidised power connection scheme.

Many businesses are increasingly shifting to solar to cut costs and ensure stable and reliable electricity supply. This has seen the country’s captive power installations in the commercial and industrial sector hit a landmark 630 megawatts by early 2026, driven by high grid tariffs and a growing shift toward private self-generation.

Firms such as Bamburi Cement, TotalEnergies Marketing Kenya, Carbacid Investments, Mabati Rolling Mills, BAT Kenya, Africa Logistics Properties and the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) have recently set up solar power plants.

Besides the rising number of consumers with solar installations, Kenya Power is facing the headache of low usage by beneficiaries of the LMCP.

The African Development Bank (AfDB), one of the biggest financiers of the Last Mile scheme, recently raised concerns about the low usage of electricity by the beneficiaries of the project, calling on the government to come up with a fund to help them set up businesses, boost their livelihoods and spur power consumption.

‘The financial sustainability of the LMCP is assessed as satisfactory even though the demand for electricity among the connected new customers is very low and not adequate to compensate for operational and maintenance costs of Kenya Power without the government subsidising this cost,’ AfDB said in a recent review of the scheme.

‘It is expected that with time, new customers are going to gradually engage in productive use of electricity which would grow the electricity demand.’

The Last Mile project was rolled out in 2015 as the then Jubilee government, backed by development partners, sought to connect homes to electricity at a subsidised rate of Sh15,000.

But most of the LMCP beneficiaries use electricity for lighting and lack appliances like refrigerators, microwaves, and electric heaters, which are key drivers of power usage by households.

Besides the use of solar power and low consumption by LMCP beneficiaries, a reduction in the base tariff across all consumer categories negated the impact of increased unit sales of electricity. Under the current tariffs that came into effect in April 2023, the cost of a kilowatt-hour (kWh) has been dropping year on year.

‘One of the major reasons why our electricity revenue did not grow by a bigger margin was the reducing tariff. The tariff has been reduced by Sh0.70 per unit on average year on year over the tariff control period,’ Joseph Siror, the managing director of Kenya Power, said.

Higher consumer tariffs could have allowed Kenya Power and other utilities in the energy sector to raise more cash from electricity sales, affording them room to fund critical projects.

The State froze a review of the consumer tariffs indefinitely in June this year, a decision that further derailed Kenya Power’s quest for more revenue.

New tariffs were set to kick in from July 1, and stay in force for a three-year control period, in line with the Energy Act.

Kenya Power has, over the years, grown its market base largely driven by the LMCP, with the utility’s total customers hitting 10.4 million in the year to June following the addition of 411,710 customers.

The utility relies on the large consumers, also referred to as premium customers, to drive electricity sales and ultimately revenues.

For example, in the year ended June 2026, premium customers accounted for 46.3 percent of the total units that Kenya Power sold, followed by households at 34 percent and small commercial customers at 16 percent.

Premium customers are the large commercial and industrial users who are connected at high voltages -33kilovolts (kV), 66 kV, and 132kV- and are the heaviest consumers of the national grid.

The drilling rig to be used in the South Lokichar commercial oil project has arrived at the port of Mombasa, moving the country closer to becoming an oil exporter.

On Friday, Gulf Energy E and P BV SEZ, the firm tasked with undertaking the commercial oil production, confirmed the arrival of the rig, setting the stage for its trucking to South Lokichar ahead as Kenya’s target to beat the December 2026 deadline for the first commercial production of oil.

The GW70 rig, valued at more than $20 million (Sh2.59 billion at current exchange rates) has been leased from Great Wall Drilling Company (GWDC) of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on a long-term arrangement.

Gulf Energy, which bought the oil project from Tullow Kenya BV in a $120 million (Sh15.56 billion) deal, plans to start drilling the oil at Block T6 and Block T7 in South Lokichar on November 1, 2026.

‘All workstreams at Gulf Energy E and P BV SEZ are running on a tight project management schedule, and the project remains on course for First Oil production in December 2026,’ Gulf Energy CEO Paul Limoh said in a statement.

The company is targeting to produce 20,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil in the first phase of the project (2026-2032) before increasing this to 50,000 bpd in the next phase that starts from 2033.

Start of the commercial production will end a 14-year wait that Kenya endured as Tullow struggled to find deep-pocketed investors to derisk the project.

Tullow discovered the commercially viable oil in South Lokichar in 2012 but the inability to secure a strategic partner and rejection of its Field Development Plan (FDP) derailed the project.

The British-owned oil exploration firm then fully sold the project to Gulf Energy in September 2025. Gulf Energy agreed to pay three instalments of $40 million (Sh5.18 billion) with the last payment due on or before June 10, 2033.

The company secured approval for its FDP early this year, clearing the path for the firm to step up production plans of the valuable commodity in Turkana County.

Successful start of oil production at the South Lokichar wells will see Kenya become the third East African country to commercially export crude oil after Uganda and South Sudan.

Uganda is also targeting to start commercial oil production in its Albertine region in the western part of the country. Output from the wells are projected to peak at 230,000 bpd and give the country an estimated $388 million in revenues by the end of 2027.

South Sudan started commercial oil production in 2021 but the production has been marred by armed conflict.

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Incidents of hackers flooding websites, servers and networks in Kenya with huge volumes of malicious traffic to make them inaccessible rose 114.3 percent in the year to June as cybercriminals target digital systems.

These cyber assaults, known technically as distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, rose to 72.16 million in the year ended June 2026, up from 33.68 million a year earlier, according to the latest data from the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA).

This was the highest growth among the cyber threats tracked by the regulator, highlighting the growing exposure of businesses and public systems as more services move online.

DDoS attacks occur when attackers flood a website, server, or network with high malicious traffic to overwhelm its capacity and make it slow or inaccessible to legitimate users.

Attackers often use networks of malware-infected computers and other connected devices, known as botnets, to send large numbers of requests to a target at the same time.

The traffic can consume a system’s bandwidth, processing capacity, or memory, disrupting access even when the attackers have not gained access to the underlying data.

This results in service downtime, stopping customers from buying items, logging into accounts, or using online services.

Companies and government agencies end up losing money from missed sales or services, and expensive emergency fixes.

Experts have also warned that hackers sometimes use a DDoS attack as a distraction to hide data theft or malware installation on the network.

Kenya has previously experienced high-profile DDoS attacks targeting government digital services. In July 2023, the eCitizen platform, the government’s online services portal, was hit by a major attack that temporarily disrupted access to key agencies.

Kenya Power, Kenya Railways and the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) were among the systems reported to have been affected at the time.

The government said no data had been accessed or lost. The hacktivist group Anonymous Sudan claimed responsibility.

The increase in DDoS threats comes as Kenya’s digital economy expands, increasing the number of systems and services that rely on internet connectivity.

The CA data also shows web application attacks targeting flaws, poor coding, or security gaps in websites, web services, and application programme interfaces (APIs) increased 99 percent to 51.51 million, from 25.89 million in the previous year.

Malware attacks, where cybercriminals use malicious software to infiltrate a computer system or network to steal data, damage operations, or gain unauthorised access, rose 64.8 percent to 230.31 million, from 139.76 million.

Overall, the regulator detected 11.1 billion cyber-threat incidents in the year to June 2026, a 29 percent increase from 8.6 billion a year earlier.

‘The total number of cyber threats detected during the April-June quarter declined by 30.0 per cent to 2.4 billion, compared with the previous quarter,’ the regulator said.

‘However, the total number of cyber threats increased by 29.0 per cent during the 2025/2026 financial year, from 8.6 billion recorded in the preceding financial year.’

System vulnerabilities – weaknesses or flaws in a computer system’s design, code, hardware – remain Kenya’s largest category, accounting for 10.6 billion incidents, or 95.4 percent of all threats recorded in the year to June 2026.

The regulator has previously linked the rise of cyber threats to inadequate system patching, limited user awareness of phishing and social engineering, and the increasing use of AI-driven and machine-learning tools by malicious actors.

The emergence of AI agents (systems capable of autonomously carrying out tasks on behalf of users) has also created another cybersecurity risk.

The sledge scrapes across the floor as the trainer calls for one more push. Sweat drips onto the rubber mats. Around the gym, people are rowing, lifting and gasping for air before rushing to the next station. There is no time to rest here. This is not simple running, and it is not simple weightlifting. This is Hyrox, a sporting challenge that is fast becoming a fitness craze in Nairobi.

Among the Kenyans who have joined Hyrox is Abraham Omala. The 26-year-old is seeking to test his functional strength and endurance at Hyrox.

The sport is closely related to CrossFit, but has different, simpler exercises and prioritises endurance over raw strength. The competitors are put through exercises including sledge pushes, burpee jumps, indoor rowing, carrying a kettlebell, lunges, and throws.

For Abraham, the appeal of Hyrox comes from how simple it is to understand, yet it pushes the body hard.

In Kenya, Hyrox is thriving at amateur level. Abraham explains that the exercises do not ask for fancy skills or years of gym experience. It is the kind of sport where a first-timer can stand beside an elite competitor and still feel like they belong.

‘The reason it accommodates most people is that it doesn’t have anything complicated,’ he says. ‘Most Hyrox workouts, anyone can do them. They are so basic. Even a beginner can do a Hyrox challenge.’

That accessibility, he believes, is part of why the sport is gaining popularity globally, including among everyday Nairobi gym-goers, not just professional athletes chasing medals.

To understand Hyrox, picture this cycle. Run, then work, then run again. It sounds simple when Abraham says it, almost too simple for something that leaves participants panting and doubling over by the final round.

The race has eight exercise stations, and a runner must complete a kilometre before reaching the next station.

‘You have to run one kilometre after each of the eight stations,’ he says.

By the time a participant crosses the finish line, legs shaking and lungs burning, they have covered eight kilometres of running on top of eight demanding stations of strength work.

Those stations follow a set order, and each one tests a different part of the body. ‘At the first station, after running the first kilometre, you do a skier machine for 1,000 metres,’ Abraham says, arms pulling hard against the resistance.

From there, the challenge continues. ‘After the skier, you do a sledge push. After that, a sledge pull,’ Abraham explains.

‘After a sledge pull, you do burpees to broad jumps,’ he adds, a movement that leaves many people flat on the floor.

‘After burpees to broad jump, you do air row. After that, farmers carry [where you hold a weight in each hand at your sides and walk steadily for a set distance or time],’ Abraham says. ‘After farmers carry, you’re going to do walking lunges. Thereafter, you do wall balls,’ he finishes.

Patience and control

Abraham says the sledge push is one station that looks easier than it actually is, the kind of exercise that fools people watching from the sidelines. There is nothing complicated about it, just a heavy sledge and a stretch of floor to cover, but the weight may not move as fast as tired legs want it to. It takes patience and control to keep pushing when the body wants to stop, when every muscle is begging for a break.

‘You need to push on even when you’re tired,’ Abraham says.

Running makes up the biggest part of the entire workout, and Abraham is clear about how important it is for anyone hoping to try Hyrox.

‘You have to be good at running, because it is 60 per cent of the routine.’ The other 40 per cent, he explains, comes from the functional stations spread throughout the race.

This balance is what makes Hyrox different from a normal gym session or a straightforward road run. It blends both worlds into one long test of endurance and strength.

So why has this workout become such a craze in Kenya and beyond?

Abraham believes it comes down to how real and useful the movements feel in everyday life. He points to farmers’ carry as a clear example.

‘It involves carrying one dumbbell from one point to another point. In your day-to-day activity, you need that strength of carrying your things,’ he says.

Patience and control

Abraham says the sledge push is one station that looks easier than it actually is, the kind of exercise that fools people watching from the sidelines. There is nothing complicated about it, just a heavy sledge and a stretch of floor to cover, but the weight may not move as fast as tired legs want it to. It takes patience and control to keep pushing when the body wants to stop, when every muscle is begging for a break.

‘You need to push on even when you’re tired,’ Abraham says.

Running makes up the biggest part of the entire workout, and Abraham is clear about how important it is for anyone hoping to try Hyrox.

‘You have to be good at running, because it is 60 per cent of the routine.’ The other 40 per cent, he explains, comes from the functional stations spread throughout the race.

This balance is what makes Hyrox different from a normal gym session or a straightforward road run. It blends both worlds into one long test of endurance and strength.

So why has this workout become such a craze in Kenya and beyond?

Abraham believes it comes down to how real and useful the movements feel in everyday life. He points to farmers’ carry as a clear example.

‘It involves carrying one dumbbell from one point to another point. In your day-to-day activity, you need that strength of carrying your things,’ he says.

Its risks

Still, Hyrox is not without its risks, especially for people who rush into intense training without proper preparation. Abraham says the most common injury he sees among beginners is muscle pull, usually caused by not preparing the body well enough before pushing hard. He is direct about the mistake many newcomers make: the same mistake.

‘They start doing intense workouts. They start to compare themselves with the elite athletes,’ he says. ‘Just start small, build slowly, and you’ll get there.’

His advice reflects a growing concern in the fitness world, where people jump onto a workout trend they see online without recognising the years of training and conditioning that elite athletes have built behind the scenes.

‘That is a common thing in the fitness industry right now. You just try a workout because you saw it online and you don’t know when and how it’s supposed to work.’

Before jumping on the Hyrox craze, Abraham also strongly recommends training with a coach rather than attempting the exercises alone, especially for beginners who do not yet understand pacing or technique. ‘There is something we call efficiency that you need to learn from someone,’ he says.

Also, Abraham notes that not every fitness coach is equipped to guide someone through Hyrox.

‘Only trainers who have competed and studied the rules can teach the kind of efficiency that separates a good performance from a painful one,’ he says.

Recovery matters just as much as training, Abraham says. It is something he stresses to every fitness enthusiast. After every race or hard session, the body needs care, but that does not mean simply lying down and doing nothing for the rest of the day.

‘Just do something light, keep your body moving, so that it can shut down,’ he explains. ‘Gentle movement after intense effort helps the body settle instead of crashing suddenly.’

For Abraham, the pain and panting are part of the reward, the very thing that keeps people coming back for more.

‘It is a good feeling for most of the people who have done it,’ he says. ‘The fact that you have pushed yourself, you know what your body can do…I actually find that quite appealing.’

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Spending by MPs and Senators on foreign travel rose to Sh3.5 billion in the year ended June 2026, up from Sh2.6 billion a year earlier. This added more than Sh800 million to the cost of lawmakers’ overseas trips as the government faces mounting pressure to rein in public expenditure.

Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o said the National Assembly posted the highest expenditure on foreign travel at Sh2.53 billion, up from Sh1.99 billion in the previous financial year.

The Senate spent Sh924.35 million on international travel, including flights and accommodation, compared with Sh633.6 million a year earlier.

‘The National Assembly recorded the highest expenditure on foreign travel at Sh2.53 billion, followed by the State Department for Foreign Affairs and the Senate at Sh2.22 billion and Sh924.35 million, respectively,’ Dr Nyakang’o said.

Other notable foreign travel expenditures included the Parliamentary Joint Services at Sh384.46 million, the State Department for Diaspora Affairs at Sh271.87 million, and the State Department for Vocational and Technical Training at over Sh350 million.

Dr Nyakang’o noted that lawmakers also recorded the highest expenditure on domestic travel during the financial year.

Domestic travel accounted for a substantially larger Sh21.98 billion across the ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), more than twice the amount spent on foreign travel of Sh8.7 billion.

The National Assembly recorded the highest expenditure at Sh4.37 billion, followed by State House at Sh2.4 billion and the State Department for Internal Security and National Administration at Sh1.43 billion.

Other significant spenders included the Judiciary at Sh1.24 billion, the Senate at Sh1.24 billion, the National Police Service at Sh411.11 million, the State Department for Lands and Physical Planning at Sh491.3 million, and the State Department for Mining at Sh504.39 million.

The Controller of Budget attributed the National Assembly’s high domestic travel expenditure to the nature of MPs’ work.

‘For domestic travel, the National Assembly recorded the highest expenditure (Sh4.37 billion), attributed to the nature of the Members of Parliament’s work,’ added Ms Nyakang’o.

The lawmakers’ travel costs come amid pressure on the government to contain public spending and improve fiscal discipline.

Recent directives by the National Treasury require ministries and agencies to cut unnecessary expenditures, such as trips abroad by officials and hospitality spending, to rein in a gaping fiscal deficit.

On June 29, 2023, the Treasury issued austerity guidelines to streamline foreign travel as it slashed allowances for official travel and banned non-essential lunch, tea and water for civil servants.

The guidelines on foreign travel cover key issues including travel conditions, delegation sizes, application procedures, and timelines.