Category: Business Daily

Shares of insurance firm Britam have jumped to an 11-year high of Sh19.95 in the wake of a rally this month on investors’ expectations that the company will resume paying dividends after a six-year drought.

The company’s stock has gained 60 percent in the last three weeks, double the gain it had made in the first six months of the year. Its year-to-date gain of 119 percent is only second to Car and General (136 percent) among the top-performing stocks at the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE).

The company’s market capitalisation -the measure of investor wealth-has now risen by Sh18.7 billion to Sh50.3 billion over the three weeks as a result of the share price rally.

Analysts said that the counter has seen speculative trading by local investors attracted by the announcement earlier this year that the company is cleaning up its balance sheet by paying down accumulated losses of Sh5.88 billion.

The Company Act bars an institution from paying dividends if it has accumulated losses.

“There is no special market action driving the rally, other than the balance sheet cleanup that has some investors seeing the prospect of resumption of dividend payments. The demand has come from local investors, particularly fund managers,” said Melody Ndanu, a research analyst at Standard Investment Bank.

Britam shareholders approved a resolution to use part of its share premium of Sh13.2 billion to clear the accumulated losses during the firm’s annual general meeting in May, clearing the way for a resumption of dividend payments.

Share premium represents the excess amount paid by investors for newly issued shares above their par value. Reduction in share premium does not affect the shareholding of a company or its equity position.

Before dipping into the premium, Britam had been relying on dividends from its subsidiaries to cut back the accumulated losses over five years, given that it is not an operating entity.

Britam operates life assurance, general insurance and asset management in seven countries, including Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan, Mozambique and Malawi.

The company has now gone for six years without paying dividends, but its managing director, Tom Gitogo, said in March that clearing the accumulated losses would open the door to a payout this year, possibly an interim dividend. The company reported a 10 percent growth in net profit for the year ended December 2025 to Sh5.5 billion, up from Sh5 billion in 2024.

Among the six listed insurers at the NSE, only Britam and Sanlam Allianz Holdings failed to pay a dividend in 2025. Sanlam Allianz reported a net profit of Sh838 million last year, but has not paid a dividend for 12 straight years.

The other listed insurance firms have recorded lower gains compared to Britam in the year-to-date. Kenya Re has a gain of 18 percent to Sh3.55 per share since the beginning of the year, while Jubilee Holdings’ share price has appreciated 12 percent to Sh375.50.

Sanlam Allianz Holdings is up 3 percent to Sh8.72 per share, CIC Insurance is flat at Sh4.56 and Liberty Holdings has shed 10 percent to trade at Sh9.10 per share.

Overall, only Britam and Car and General have recorded share price gains above 100 percent this year, with the next best performers being I and M Group (63 percent), Uchumi Supermarkets (62 percent) and Kenya Airways (61 percent).

The bourse has added Sh959.6 billion or 33 percent in investor wealth in the period, partly boosted by the new listings of Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) and Family Bank, which have injected a combined Sh206.7 billion in new wealth into the market

Britam has gained 60 percent in the last three weeks, double the gain it had made in the first six months of the year. Its year-to-date gain of 119 percent is only second to Car and General (136 percent) among the top-performing stocks at the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE).

The company’s market capitalisation -the measure of investor wealth-has now risen by Sh18.7 billion to Sh50.3 billion over the three-week period as a result of the share price rally.

Analysts said that the counter has seen speculative trading by local investors attracted by the announcement earlier this year that the company is cleaning up its balance sheet by paying down accumulated losses of Sh5.88 billion.

The Company Act bars an institution from paying dividends if it has accumulated losses.

“There is no special market action driving the rally, other than the balance sheet cleanup that has some investors seeing the prospect of resumption of dividend payments. The demand has come from local investors, particularly fund managers,” said Melody Ndanu, a research analyst at Standard Investment Bank.

Britam shareholders approved a resolution to use part of its share premium of Sh13.2 billion to clear the accumulated losses during the firm’s annual general meeting in May, clearing the way for a resumption of dividend payments.

Share premium represents the excess amount paid by investors for newly issued shares above their par value. Reduction in share premium does not affect shareholding of a company, ort its equity position.

Prior to dipping into the premium, Britam, had been relying on dividends from its subsidiaries to cut back the accumulated losses over a five-year period, given that it is not an operating entity.

Britam operates life assurance, general insurance and asset management in seven countries, including Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan, Mozambique and Malawi.

The company has now gone for six years without paying dividends, but its managing director Tom Gitogo said in March that extinguishing the accumulated losses would open the door to a payout this year, possibly an interim dividend.

The company reported a 10 percent growth in net profit for the year ended December 2025 to Sh5.5 billion, up from Sh5 billion in 2024.

Among the six listed insurers at the NSE, only Britam and Sanlam Allianz Holdings failed to pay a dividend in 2025. Sanlam Allianz reported a net profit of Sh838 million last year, but has not paid a dividend for 12 straight years.

The other listed insurance firms have recorded lower gains compared to Britam in the year-to-date. Kenya Re has a gain of 18 percent to Sh3.55 per share since the beginning of the year, while Jubilee Holdings’ share price has appreciated 12 percent to Sh375.50.

Sanlam Allianz Holdings is up three percent to Sh8.72 per share, CIC Insurance is flat at Sh4.56 and Liberty Holdings has shed 10 percent to trade at Sh9.10 per share.

Overall, only Britam and Car and General have recorded share price gains above 100 percent this year, with the next best performers being I and M Group (63 percent), Uchumi Supermarkets (62 percent) and Kenya Airways (61 percent).

The bourse has added Sh959.6 billion or 33 percent in investor wealth in the period, partly boosted by the new listings of Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) and Family Bank which have injected a combined Sh206.7 billion in new wealth into the market.Charles Mwaniki

cmwaniki@ke.nationmedia.com

Insurance firm Britam’s share has jumped to an 11-year high of Sh19.95 after rallying this month on expectations among investors that the company will resume paying dividends after a six-year drought.

The company’s stock has gained 60 percent in the last three weeks, double the gain it had made in the first six months of the year. Its year-to-date gain of 119 percent is only second to Car and General (136 percent) among the top performing stocks at the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE).

The company’s market capitalisation -the measure of investor wealth-has now risen by Sh18.7 billion to Sh50.3 billion over the three-week period as a result of the share price rally.

Analysts said that the counter has seen speculative trading by local investors attracted by the announcement earlier this year that the company is cleaning up its balance sheet by paying down accumulated losses of Sh5.88 billion.

The Company Act bars an institution from paying dividends if it has accumulated losses.

“There is no special market action driving the rally, other than the balance sheet cleanup that has some investors seeing the prospect of resumption of dividend payments. The demand has come from local investors, particularly fund managers,” said Melody Ndanu, a research analyst at Standard Investment Bank.

Britam shareholders approved a resolution to use part of its share premium of Sh13.2 billion to clear the accumulated losses during the firm’s annual general meeting in May, clearing the way for a resumption of dividend payments.

Share premium represents the excess amount paid by investors for newly issued shares above their par value. Reduction in share premium does not affect shareholding of a company, ort its equity position.

Prior to dipping into the premium, Britam, had been relying on dividends from its subsidiaries to cut back the accumulated losses over a five-year period, given that it is not an operating entity.

Britam operates life assurance, general insurance and asset management in seven countries, including Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan, Mozambique and Malawi.

The company has now gone for six years without paying dividends, but its managing director Tom Gitogo said in March that extinguishing the accumulated losses would open the door to a payout this year, possibly an interim dividend.

The company reported a 10 percent growth in net profit for the year ended December 2025 to Sh5.5 billion, up from Sh5 billion in 2024.

Among the six listed insurers at the NSE, only Britam and Sanlam Allianz Holdings failed to pay a dividend in 2025. Sanlam Allianz reported a net profit of Sh838 million last year, but has not paid a dividend for 12 straight years.

The other listed insurance firms have recorded lower gains compared to Britam in the year-to-date. Kenya Re has a gain of 18 percent to Sh3.55 per share since the beginning of the year, while Jubilee Holdings’ share price has appreciated 12 percent to Sh375.50.

Sanlam Allianz Holdings is up three percent to Sh8.72 per share, CIC Insurance is flat at Sh4.56 and Liberty Holdings has shed 10 percent to trade at Sh9.10 per share.

Overall, only Britam and Car and General have recorded share price gains above 100 percent this year, with the next best performers being I and M Group (63 percent), Uchumi Supermarkets (62 percent) and Kenya Airways (61 percent).

The bourse has added Sh959.6 billion or 33 percent in investor wealth in the period, partly boosted by the new listings of Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) and Family Bank which have injected a combined Sh206.7 billion in new wealth into the market.

The world’s largest asset management firms, like Janus Henderson and BlackRock, are seeking a piece of the Kenyan business through local partnerships, expanding domestic investors’ access to offshore markets.

UK-based asset management firm Janus Henderson has become the latest major player to enter the Kenyan market through a strategic partnership with the AXYS Group, joining other global household names like BlackRock and Vanguard.

Janus Henderson has become the latest major player to enter the Kenyan market through a strategic partnership with the AXYS Group, joining other global household names like BlackRock and Vanguard.

The collaboration establishes a direct channel through which institutional and private investors can access offshore funds managed by Janus Henderson.

The move reflects a broader industry shift where Kenyan investment banks and fund managers are pushing for offshore investments in response to investors changing preferences for hard currency and geographically diversified portfolios.

The local players have evolved to either create their own active offshore-focused funds or leverage partnerships with already established firms in the global arena.

Digital investment platform Ndovu Wealth Management, for instance, offers access to global equities and exchange-traded funds (ETF) in markets like the US through collaborations with asset managers, including BlackRock and Vanguard.

The firm’s platform functions as a gateway to institutional-grade funds, allowing Kenyans to access global financial markets like ETFs and fractional shares of firms such as Apple and Nvidia at a significantly lower entry cost.

BlackRock has an asset base of $15.3 trillion, covering mostly inflows across its ETFs, while Vanguard’s AUM is tabulated at $12 trillion.

Both fund managers count millions of investors across the globe and their assets under management are more than 100 times the size of Kenya’s GDP.

AXYS Investment Bank, formerly AIB-AXYS stock brokerage, has created an integrated cross-border platform which combines execution, custody and advisory capabilities.

Janus Henderson deploys an active investment framework anchored on fundamental research, portfolio discipline and vigorous risk assessment.

The strategies deployed cover global equities, fixed income and multi-asset allocations, designed to respond to shifts in monetary policy, liquidity conditions and regional growth trends.

“Investor allocation is increasingly influenced by the need to manage currency exposure and navigate divergent economic cycles. This partnership introduces an additional set of tools for constructing portfolios that are responsive to those conditions while remaining grounded in disciplined investment processes,” said Bansri Pattni, the chief executive of AXYS Investment Bank.

The firm says the partnership will help it support allocations beyond domestic markets while maintaining alignment with local regulatory requirements.

The asset manager was set up in 1934 as Henderson Administration before merging with the Denver-founded Janus Capital in 2017. The firm estimates its assets under management (AUM) at £366.7 billion and has 26 offices globally.

Three-quarters or 65 percent of the firm’s AUM is in North America, while 26 percent of assets are in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, with the balance in the Asia Pacific region.

Nearly half, or 49 percent, of the assets are held by intermediary investors, while 32 percent of the AUM is held by institutional investors and the remaining share is held by retail investors.

The introduction of Janus Henderson funds in Kenya forms part of AXYS Investment Bank’s broader approach to developing its offshore investment offering through the inclusion of third-party asset managers, alongside leveraging its internal capabilities.

Most local fund managers have opted to explore offshore markets by leveraging internal capabilities, launching multi-asset funds and dollar-denominated investment vehicles to attain the goal.

Most of the products created sit under the collective investment schemes/unit trusts ecosystem, including dollar-denominated money market funds (MMFs), fixed income and equity funds and special funds.

Investment banks in Kenya have leveraged their expertise to transition into fund management, unveiling unit trust businesses to join a ‘gold-rush’ underpinned by strong interest in pooled investments by Kenyans.

The number of investment banks in the unit trusts space has more than doubled over the last five years to 10, from four previously as of March 2026, as per an analysis by this publication.

Janus Henderson counts the partnership with AXYS Investment Bank as an important step in growing its African footprint.

“This partnership is an important step in our strategic expansion across Africa, underscoring our long-term commitment to the region,” said Meshal Jaber, a Managing Director and the asset management firm.

Kenya’s electric mobility push is running into a new hurdle as the high cost of establishing battery-swapping stations slows expansion into rural areas, exposing the financial limits of a business model that has fuelled the sector’s rapid growth in major cities and towns.

Battery swapping has become the backbone of Kenya’s electric motorcycle industry, allowing riders to replace depleted batteries within minutes instead of waiting hours for them to recharge.

To extend these networks beyond urban centres, companies have increasingly turned to franchising. But the model is struggling to gain traction because of the high upfront investment required, threatening to slow the next phase of Kenya’s transport electrification.

In the recently launched E-Mobility Policy, electric motorcycles are expected to play a central role in cutting transport emissions, with electric two-wheelers targeted to account for at least 30 percent of all motorcycles by the end of next year and the entire fleet by 2050.

They currently account for less than 10 percent.

Spiro, which operates one of Kenya’s largest battery-swapping networks, has suspended its franchising programme as it seeks ways to reduce the minimum capital required from investors after finding that the cost had become a major barrier to uptake.

Of the company’s 416 battery swap stations, only 64, or about 15 percent, are franchise-operated, most of them in Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu. The company had hoped franchising would accelerate nationwide expansion, but prospective investors fell well short of expectations.

“Most of the people who were attracted to the programme could not, first of all, meet the bare minimum that we required. So we’ve put the [franchising] programme on hold for now, until otherwise advised,” said Rymond Kitunga, Spiro’s deputy country head for Kenya.

Under the model, franchisees were required to spend between Sh400,000 and Sh600,000 on civil and electrical works alone. They would also need to lease premises and hire staff, pushing the initial investment for a single swap station to about Sh1 million.

The capital requirement has proved too high for many of the small entrepreneurs the company hoped would spearhead the rollout of battery-swapping infrastructure outside major towns.

Becoming a motorcycle distributor required an even larger commitment. Investors needed at least Sh12 million in capital and were expected to recruit a minimum of 50 franchisees to establish battery-swapping and charging stations.

With franchising on hold, Spiro has instead relied on its own balance sheet to expand its network. Most of its swap stations remain concentrated in urban areas, with only limited coverage in rural Kenya, mainly in western counties.

“We’ve rolled out swap stations in mapped-out areas specifically to support where we are already doing commercial operations,” said Mr Kitunga. “We’re also partnering with several entities to ensure that the network spreads much faster.”

Among its partners are oil marketers Galana, Petrocity and Rubis, as well as the Catholic and Episcopal churches, which are leveraging their nationwide footprints to host battery swap stations.

Arc Ride is pursuing a similar strategy. The electric motorcycle manufacturer has deployed automated battery swap stations at selected TotalEnergies service stations and is seeking additional partnerships to expand its network.

Rather than relying on franchisees to establish full swap stations. Arc Ride installs its own automated battery-swap cabinets that allow riders to exchange batteries by scanning a quick response (QR) code. Even so, its network remains limited to Nairobi and Nakuru.

Some innovators are trying to reduce the cost of deploying swap infrastructure. In Kisumu, startup E-Safiri has developed battery swap stations powered by optoelectronic concentrators – high-efficiency solar technology that generates more electricity from fewer panels.

“For us to be able to give everybody access to EVs and charging networks, the most important thing is reducing the cost,” said Carol Ofafa, E-Safiri’s founder and chief executive.

The technology, developed by Ms Ofafa in collaboration with researchers at Glasgow Caledonian University, cuts the capital cost of establishing swap stations by more than half.

Within a year of adopting the technology, E-Safiri expanded its network of rural and peri-urban swap stations in Kisumu from four to eight. To further lower costs, it has also adopted automated battery swap cabinets similar to Arc Ride’s.

Electric motorcycles have so far driven Kenya’s e-mobility transition. Of the roughly 25,000 electric vehicles on Kenyan roads, more than 24,000 are motorcycles, accounting for about 96 percent of the total.

Yet expansion into rural Kenya – where motorcycles are the dominant mode of transport and an economic lifeline for millions – has lagged because of the slow rollout of charging infrastructure and limited electricity access.

But even if the cost challenge is overcome, another obstacle remains: battery interoperability.

Most manufacturers have designed their motorcycles to work only with their own batteries.

“The real barrier is actually in the standardisation of the battery itself,” said Ms Ofafa. “Each manufacturer is building batteries and battery management systems that are different, which makes it harder to have an interoperable network.”

The government plans to introduce common charging standards by June 2027, but Ms Ofafa argues that rural e-mobility will struggle to scale until batteries themselves become more interoperable: “The cell chemistry varies from one battery operator to the next, so you need to be extra careful in terms of standards, safety and usability,” she said.

Dealmaker Belgrad Kenne has been revealed as the majority owner of the investment firm that recently acquired a controlling 60 percent stake in fund manager Nabo Capital from Centum Investment Company for an estimated Sh271 million.

Company records show that Dr Kenne holds a 70 percent stake in Rock Investment Bank, equivalent to 1.75 million shares, with the remaining 30 per cent, or 750,000 shares, held by an entity known as Glamour City Limited.

Rock Investment Bank acquired the 60 percent stake in Nabo Capital at the end of June, ending Centum’s majority ownership after more than a decade. The value of the transaction was not disclosed, but Nabo Capital had a fair value of Sh452.3 million as of March 2025, when Centum owned it outright, according to the Nairobi Securities Exchange-listed firm’s annual report.

Dr Kenne, who also serves as Rock Investment Bank’s managing director, recently led advisory work on the Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) initial public offering in March, in which the government raised Sh106 billion through the sale of a 35 percent stake to the public.

The company records list four other directors of Rock Investment Bank – Ivy Jepchumba Cherwon, Wanjiru Waithaka, Gregory Ochieng Manyala and Clifford Otieno – but only Dr Kenne is listed as a beneficial owner.

Rock Investment Bank was initially licensed as an investment adviser by the Capital Markets Authority (CMA) in July 2025, authorising it to offer investment planning and portfolio management services. It traded as Rock Advisors Limited after obtaining the licence.

In February 2026, the CMA upgraded the firm’s licence to operate as an investment bank, prompting its rebranding to Rock Investment Bank.

Investment banks offer a broader suite of services, including market research, corporate advisory, wealth management and proprietary trading.

Rock has built its reputation by advising companies on mergers, acquisitions, capital raising and corporate restructuring, while also offering stockbroking and wealth management services.

The acquisition of Nabo Capital gives Dr Kenne’s firm immediate control of one of Kenya’s established fund managers, allowing it to broaden its offerings as competition for institutional and retail savings intensifies.

Nabo Capital was established by Centum in 2013 to tap growing demand for professional fund management from pension schemes, corporates and high-net-worth individuals.

The firm manages investments across government securities, listed equities, corporate bonds and money market instruments for both institutional and retail investors.

Kenya’s asset management industry has expanded rapidly over the past decade as pension assets have grown and more retail investors have shifted their savings into professionally managed investment products.

A growing middle class has also fuelled demand for such products as households increasingly diversify their savings beyond property.

Assets under management (AuM) by collective investment schemes rose to Sh851.7 billion in March 2026, from Sh111 billion five years earlier, according to the latest CMA data.

Money market funds (MMFs) remain the largest segment of the unit trust industry, with assets under management of Sh442.2 billion, accounting for 51.9 percent of the industry’s total AuM.

The dominance of MMFs is, however, being challenged by special funds, which typically offer higher returns because they face fewer investment restrictions.

By the end of March 2026, special funds had increased their assets under management to Sh203.57 billion, representing 23.9 percent of the industry’s total, up from Sh86.7 billion, or 17 percent, in March 2025.

After a second viewing, I can confirm the suspicions I had the first time around. This movie is overhyped, however, that doesn’t mean The Odyssey (2026) is not a cinematic event. It is easily one of the most entertaining, fast-paced big-screen experiences of the year. However, it’s not flawless, and it definitely does not sit at the top tier of Nolan’s filmography.

I need you to keep in mind that we live in a world where 300, Ben-Hur, Gladiator, Jason and the Argonauts(1963) , and Troy exist. We have a clear understanding of what an epic looks and feels like.

While Nolan clearly wanted to deliver his own definitive, grounded version of Homer’s classic poem, I think his own movie Interstellar remains a far superior modern adaptation of an odyssey than what he has given us with this movie.

Don’t get me wrong, this is an enjoyable, detailed blockbuster, but it lacks the spark that can inspire the next generation of filmmakers.

Because of the grounded approach, the film lacks the wonder that comes with an epic. But before we get ahead of ourselves

Story

The Odyssey is a 2026 epic fantasy action film written and directed by Christopher Nolan.

An adaptation of Homer’s ancient Greek epic poem The Odyssey, starring Matt Damon as Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, it chronicles his long and perilous journey home after the Trojan War and his encounters with mythical beings as he attempts to reunite with his wife, Penelope, played by Anne Hathaway.

The ensemble cast includes Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Samantha Morton, Zendaya and Charlise Theron amongs other familiar faces. Nolan and his wife Emma Thomas produced the film through their production company.

From a pure filmmaking perspective, the technical execution is obviously perfect and the results here are surprisingly realistic and effective. While the promotional material heavily marketed the towering Giants, the smaller, quieter choices display his directorial mastery.

The picture framing and composition throughout the film are beautiful. In the final act, when Odysseus disguises himself as a beggar, the deliberate use of deep shadows to obscure his face against a stark white cloth makes for a good-looking picture.

The sequence where the crew is transformed into animals is unsettling. The scene uses close-ups and good editing to make for a believably terrifying moulding ordeal.

Some moments are unsettling to the point of bordering on horror, some that feel lifted directly from a painting, when you see them, you will know.

There is a distinct tactility to the costumes. The standout is Agamemnon’s armour, which looks both cool and terrifying. The visual language of the costumes helps differentiate the groups, especially when they enter Troy.

Like in another Nolan movie, Tenet, the sound design single-handedly saves the film’s weaker moments. In his quest for realism, the choreography here is deliberately scrappy, rough and unflashy.

Real fights are messy and unpredictable, which unfortunately makes for dull action set pieces on screen.

However, the incredible soundscape and the booming musical score elevate these mediocre action sequences, injecting a sense of tension into scenes like the initial infiltration of Troy that would otherwise fall flat. There are also small sound details, like one in a cave, that prove the sheer amount of thought put into this story.

The final confrontation inside the palace is narratively satisfying because of the foundation set in place by the source material, and the chemistry between Damon and Holland is great, but the actual swordplay is too clumsy, we will get to that.

All I am saying is that the fundamental aspects of the original story are here and well put together using Nolan’s signature time-jump style.

The cost of star power

If you are wondering, Lupita is okay in this, but she doesn’t have a lot of screen time.

Where the film loses me is the casting. I completely understand this is how the filmmaking business is supposed to work, get big superstars, sell more tickets, and possibly win a few awards.

But Nolan is traditionally a film purist who strives for immersion, yet the ensemble cast picked for this film shatters the illusion.

Instead of casting unknown Greek actors with distinct Mediterranean features to ground and immerse us in the ancient world, the studio populated the film with the most recognisable superstars of our generation.

Every time the narrative starts to draw you in, a famous face yanks you right back out. It is impossible to stay immersed in ancient Greece when you are looking at Matt Damon playing Odysseus.

He is a fantastic actor, but he is fundamentally Jason Bourne. The same for Tom Holland as Telemachus, or Zendaya as Athena.

Everytime they pop up on screen you can help but think about Spider- Man: Brand new day which is coming out in the coming week.

Hathaway delivers a dramatic, emotionally charged performance as Penelope, she is great especially in the first act, which is a drama and performance-driven segment.

Pattinson is brilliant as a detestable bad guy, though just in terms of pure villainy, Hawkins steals the show.

The sheer volume of star power feels highly manufactured. The studio clearly constructed this diverse, star-studded lineup, which even features Travis Scott and Zendaya, in a move that feels like a simple play to draw young crowds, international markets, and specific demographics into theatres.

It feels like a corporate studio note forced onto a director who usually prioritises artistic purity. For the casual film fan, these performances are great and highly entertaining.

For a cinephile, the constant parade of A-listers creates a distracting sense of star fatigue. Oppenheimer was star studded too? I hear you ask. The Odyssey is explicit in it’s setting and time period that it locks it’s character to a particular time, race and region.

The trade-off of realism

My frustration extends to the character of Agamemnon, who looks spectacular in his promotional posters and trailers. His armour design is cool, yet his actual role in the film amounts to nothing more than “aura farming” (posing dramatically to look stoic and cool) without fighting. He is built up as a brutal, terrifying figure, but we never see him unleash that savagery in battle.

With a look like that, it felt like a wasted opportunity.

The action sequences as a whole suffer from this rigid commitment to realism. The sequence involving the Giants feels entirely unnecessary to the narrative, seemingly added solely to justify the studio’s marketing push for the 70mm IMAX format.

Nolan’s decision to downplay the mythological presence of the Greek gods is a double-edged sword. He provides logical, grounded explanations for most of the supernatural elements, framing the narrative around the conflicting, subjective recollections of the Trojan War participants.

While this psychological approach to the consequences of war is clever, the relentless pursuit of realism strips away the fantastical elements that make Homer’s story so entertaining.

The Odyssey is supposed to be a fantastical, highly imaginative journey. By muting the divine interventions and, for example, leaving the mythical sirens obscurred in the background or changing an important age-related trick in the third act, the film loses its whimsical chore. We are left with a technically well-put-together, dramatic shell of a grand story.

This is a good cinematic experience, but I wouldn’t call it a masterpiece. While the first watch is incredible, the rewatchability value here is low.

Performance excellence is what separates good organisations from truly outstanding ones. It is an organisation’s proven ability to deliver consistent, superior results through clear goals, disciplined execution, skilled and motivated people, streamlined operations and an unwavering commitment to continuous improvement.

At its core, it turns ambitious visions into real, measurable outcomes, reliable achievement of objectives, exceptional service that delights stakeholders, higher productivity with smarter use of resources, decisions grounded in solid evidence and constant enhancement of systems, capabilities, and workflows.

Old performance management approaches no longer fit today’s fast-changing digital world.

Technology is evolving rapidly, customer expectations are rising and uncertainty is constant, forcing leaders to rethink how organisations operate and define success.

Digital transformation is also about aligning strategy, people, processes, and technology into one coherent system. Speed, data-driven decisions, automation, and artificial intelligence (AI) are now essential for staying relevant and competitive.

According to McKinsey’s State of AI 2025 report, released in November 2025 following a major global survey, the use of AI in at least one business function jumped dramatically, from 55 percent in 2023 to 78 percent in 2024 and 88 percent in 2025.

At the same time, the number of people connected to the internet has grown from about 4.9 billion in 2020 to over 6 billion today, reaching roughly 74 percent of the world’s population.

These shifts are reshaping daily realities for organisations everywhere and creating an urgent need for better data practices, deeper skills, stronger automation, and more enlightened leadership.

The old performance playbooks are simply no longer enough. As leaders, we must now build performance excellence that is fit for this digital age by intentionally aligning our core organisational pillars.

Strategy gives us the north star as it defines where we are going, what matters most, and how we will measure progress while staying flexible enough to seize emerging opportunities.

People are the heart and soul of everything; no matter how brilliant the plan, it is their expertise, leadership, teamwork, creativity and ability to adapt that ultimately determine whether we succeed.

In the digital era, this means we must continuously invest in building data literacy, comfort with AI, and the resilience to embrace change.

Processes are the pathways that make work flow smoothly – well-designed ones cut out waste, reduce mistakes, and allow us to scale with agility.

Technology, when used wisely, becomes a powerful partner that brings speed, real-time visibility, predictive insights, and automation to support and amplify human effort rather than replace it.

When these four elements are in congruence, it becomes easier for organisations to achieve higher efficiency, stronger accountability, quicker and better decisions, outstanding customer experiences, and results that last even when the environment gets tough.

Look at Toyota for example, where a deep culture of continuous improvement, empowered people, disciplined processes and smart technology has created decades of excellence.

Or Netflix, which successfully transformed from a DVD rental business into a global streaming giant by aligning visionary talent, flexible ways of working, and powerful cloud technology.

Of course, the journey is rarely smooth. Many organisations struggle with unclear priorities that scatter energy, weak accountability that slows progress, and an over-reliance on technology without properly preparing their people and processes, a trap often called the digital fallacy.

Additionally, cultural resistance, patchy data quality, and stubborn silos between departments continue to hold many back. These are human challenges that demand human solutions rooted in wise, courageous leadership.

This is why the role of today’s manager is both challenging and deeply meaningful.

We must act as orchestrators, translating big strategy into everyday action, nurturing teams that are adaptable and ready for the future, guiding change with empathy and clarity, keeping performance on track with meaningful metrics and smart tools, constantly improving how work gets done, and building a culture where accountability and excellence feel natural.

When we do this, consistently measuring ourselves against proven standards, alignment stops being a nice idea and becomes the way we actually work.

Should you take out an education insurance policy for your child, or would you be better off investing that same money and drawing on it when fees are due?

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer, but there are useful ways to think about the trade-offs.

Most education insurance policies in the Kenyan market combine two things: a savings element that grows over the years, and a set of additional protection features that allows parents to build a fund for future school fees while ensuring that the child’s education can continue if the insured parent dies or suffers a covered disability.

That protection side is what differentiates the education policy plans from the purely savings plans.

A common protection aspect in an education policy is the waiver of premium on death. This means that if the parent paying premiums passes away, the insurer steps in and keeps paying the premium. So, when the plan matures, the insurer pays out in full when your child needs the school fees money.

A related version extends this to total and permanent disability (TPD). If the parent becomes permanently unable to work, premiums are waived the same way, since disability can wipe out income. Some education policy plans add a critical illness benefit too, triggering an early pay-out or premium waiver on diagnosis of conditions like cancer or stroke.

All these riders protect the education goal against three separate ways a family’s income can be interrupted. That’s a meaningfully different promise from a plain investment account, which has no mechanism to notice a parent has died, become disabled, or fallen critically ill. The pure investment account simply stops growing unless someone else steps in.

Now consider the investing route on its own. Put the same monthly amount into a unit trust, a money market fund, or a mix of equities and bonds, and you’re likely to have more flexibility.

You can adjust contributions as your income changes, and you’re not locked into surrender penalties if you stop paying early. The trade-off is that none of this protects the goal itself if the person funding it can no longer do so.

So, how might a parent think this through? First, who else depends on your income, and what happens to this savings goal if that income disappears tomorrow? If you already have a solid life, disability and critical illness cover elsewhere, structured to fund your child’s education specifically, the riders in an education policy may add less value, and a pure investment vehicle might do the job with more flexibility. If you don’t have that cover, the built-in protection could be filling a real gap.

Second, how disciplined are you as a saver? An education policy’s fixed premium and long-term contract work in some parents’ favour, removing the temptation to dip into the pot. Others find that rigidity frustrating, especially with an uneven income, and prefer an investment they can top up or pause as life demands.

Third, what does the fee structure look like? Education policies bundle charges for the riders and administration, making it harder to see what you’re paying for each piece. A standalone investment usually has clearer fees, but you’d need to separately price life, disability, and critical illness cover to match the protection.

There’s also a middle path some families choose: a term life policy sized specifically to cover the remaining school fees liability, paired with a separate investment account for the actual savings. This can sometimes work out cheaper than a bundled education policy, though it requires a bit more hands-on management, since you’re running two or three products instead of one.

Ultimately, this comes down to your own risk appetite, existing cover, discipline as a saver and how much you value the simplicity of a single product versus managing the pieces yourself. It is a genuinely personal decision.

If you’re weighing this up for your own household, it’s worth sitting with a certified financial or insurance advisor who can look at your full picture and help you map out which combination actually serves your child’s education best.

Every few months in Nairobi’s upscale neighbourhoods of Kilimani, Kileleshwa and Lavington, an old bungalow disappears behind corrugated iron sheets as construction cranes move in to build yet another apartment block.

Today, balconies overlook neighbouring balconies, while some windows stare directly into living rooms across only a few metres of separation. Yet many of these developments are still marketed as offering “exclusive living”.

Traditionally, exclusivity had little to do with price. It meant low-density neighbourhoods, larger homes, mature gardens, fewer neighbours and enough space to provide privacy and quiet.

Today, developers increasingly define exclusivity through rooftop swimming pools, gyms, co-working spaces, concierge services and smart-home technology. While these amenities undoubtedly add value, they do not necessarily recreate the neighbourhood qualities that once defined Nairobi’s premier suburbs.

Real estate expert Johnson Denge says the meaning of exclusivity has gradually shifted.

“Exclusivity has become more of a marketing term,” he says. “It could refer to amenities exclusively provided for residents, the level of security or simply a way for developers to differentiate themselves in a competitive market.”

Developers argue that the apartment boom reflects the economics of Nairobi’s land market rather than competition for prestige.

“It is not necessarily competition on location. It is more about developers wanting to maximise returns because land is very expensive. For you to achieve the returns you are looking for, you have to intensify development,” Mr Denge says.

Land in neighbourhoods such as Kilimani and Kileleshwa now commands hundreds of millions of shillings, making low-density developments increasingly difficult to justify.

“You realise that land in places like Kileleshwa, Kilimani and similar areas can cost up to around Sh400 million. For developers to undertake projects that deliver meaningful returns, they are forced to maximise the number of units they can build,” he says.

A parcel that previously accommodated a single home now host dozens of apartments, allowing developers to spread land acquisition and construction costs across many buyers.

The result has been an unprecedented wave of densification across neighbourhoods once synonymous with spacious living.

The same economic forces driving higher-density developments are now contributing to falling apartment prices.

“They densify by putting up more apartments so that they can balance affordability for buyers while generating enough sales to recover their investment. The lower prices are mainly driven by high supply and weakening effective demand,” Mr Denge says.

Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) data supports that trend. Apartment prices in Nairobi’s high-end estates fell 4.8 per cent in the year to March, while prices in middle-income estates declined 3.2 per cent as new developments continued to enter the market.

Many residential developers are now relying on discounts, flexible payment plans and other incentives to attract buyers for completed units.

The changing market has also altered the profile of apartment buyers. Although owner-occupiers remain active, Mr Denge says demand is increasingly being driven by investors with varying objectives, including landlords, speculators betting on capital appreciation and diaspora buyers seeking to invest back home.

Another major driver has been the rapid growth of short-term accommodation.

Short stay business has transformed apartments into income-generating assets, encouraging investors to purchase units specifically for holidaymakers and business travellers. However, as more investors entered the segment, returns have come under pressure.

“Many people who purchase these apartments convert them into Airbnb units, and that market is also beginning to experience price reductions because supply has increased,” Mr Denge says.

While many residents blame zoning changes for the rapid densification of Nairobi’s traditionally exclusive suburbs, Mr Denge argues that the regulations themselves are not the problem.

“The zoning regulations are very clear. They provide for plot ratios, plot coverage, setbacks and buffers. The challenge is enforcement,” he says.

He adds that exclusivity cannot exist in isolation.

“When you find that residents are living only a few metres apart, the lifestyle promised by the developer is sometimes not achieved, not necessarily because the developer failed, but because the development does not exist in a vacuum.”

Planning, he says, needs to extend beyond individual developments.

“There should be proper planning where developers are required to leave adequate space between apartment blocks and sufficient open spaces. Our planning rules tend to focus on setbacks from the main road, with very little consideration given to spacing between neighbouring developments.”

Despite the changing character of these neighbourhoods, Nairobi’s traditional uptown markets continue to attract investors.

Knight Frank’s Wealth and Investment Trends 2026 report notes that affluent Kenyans continue to view residential property as an important store of wealth.

Mr Denge expects future residential growth to shift beyond Nairobi’s traditional apartment hotspots.

“As infrastructure improves, we will see more development moving into satellite towns because land is relatively affordable, there is more room for expansion and infrastructure continues to improve within a 10 to 30-kilometre radius of Nairobi,” he says.

Areas such as Ruaka, Ruiru, Syokimau, Athi River and Kitengela are already attracting developers seeking lower land costs while remaining well connected to the city.

Mr Denge believes the current slowdown reflects a market correction rather than a long-term decline.

“Real estate markets have a way of regulating themselves because developers respond to demand,” he says.

He points to Nairobi’s office market, where years of oversupply eventually prompted developers to slow new projects in response to changing market conditions.

Esther Masese Waititu has resigned as Safaricom Plc’s Chief Financial Services Officer, nearly three years after she took the job.

The Business Daily has established that Ms Waititu will leave Safaricom on July 31, 2026, ending a tenure that began in 2023.

This marks the latest of C-suite exits from the telecommunications firm, with Chief Strategy Officer Michael Mutiga exiting to join Stanbic Bank Kenya and South Sudan as Chief Executive Officer effective August 1st, 2026.

“Among Esther’s defining achievements is her modernisation of M-Pesa’s technological infrastructure. She spearheaded the migration to Fintech 2.0, a cloud native architecture that future-proofed the platform’s reliability and sealed the Daraja developer ecosystem,” Ndegwa said in his email.

Before joining Safaricom Plc, Waititu had been in Africa’s banking sector for 13 years, where she served as KCB Group’s Director in charge of Corporate Banking in the period between September 2021 and February 2023 and in various roles at Africa’s largest bank by asset base, Standard Bank.

Safaricom Plc has, in the interim, tapped its Director, Public Sector Digital Transformation, Boniface Mungania, to serve as Chief Financial Services Officer.

A court has refused to enforce a 438 percent annual interest charge imposed on a digital loan, signalling closer judicial scrutiny of punitive mobile loan terms even if borrowers voluntarily accept them before receiving credit.

The Small Claims Court in Nairobi ruled that Zenka Digital Limited could not enforce contractual loan terms requiring 36 percent monthly interest, equivalent to 438 percent annually, and a further 1.5 percent daily default charge, translating to approximately 45 per cent monthly. It said the rates were punitive and unconscionable.

The dispute arose from a Sh76,000 loan that Zenka advanced to borrower Benson Njeru in September 2024 and was repayable within one month. The total payable was Sh103,360. Njeru defaulted, prompting Zenka to sue, demanding a Sh152,000 payment.

The Magistrate’s Court ruled that Zenka could only recover the Sh76,000 it lent the borrower and declined to enforce contractual interest and default charges that had raised its claim to Sh152,000.

“The interest rate charged is unconscionable,” the magistrate said in the judgment dated July 10, 2026. It noted the agreed 36 percent monthly interest translated to about 438 percent annually.

“The rationale underlying the in duplum rule is to guard against the excessive accumulation of interest and charges and to prevent a lender from recovering amounts that are grossly disproportionate to the principal debt,” the court said.

She added that the lender also imposed “a daily default rate of 1.5 per cent, translating to approximately 45 per cent monthly.”

Digital lenders are a major source of quick unsecured credit for thousands of Kenyans who increasingly rely on mobile phones to borrow small and medium-sized amounts, making disputes over loan pricing and recovery an important consumer finance issue.

The court found that the lender had proved it disbursed the money through the respondent’s M-Pesa account after reviewing the loan application and payment records.

However, the court held that the agreed interest terms produced an excessive financial burden that the court could not enforce.

The court said combining the monthly interest with the daily default charge would cause the debt to grow rapidly beyond the original amount borrowed.

“Such rates are capable of producing a debt that bears no reasonable relationship to the amount borrowed and would result in an oppressive burden upon the borrower,” the court said.

The magistrate added that enforcing those provisions “would offend the principles of fairness, equity and good conscience that guide the court in the enforcement of contractual obligations.”

While recognising that contracting parties are generally bound by agreements they freely sign, the court said it retained discretion to refuse terms producing unjust or unconscionable outcomes.

The court instead entered judgment for the principal sum of Sh76,000, awarded interest at 18 percent annually for two months from September 23, 2024, granted court-rate interest from the filing of the suit until payment in full, and awarded Zenka Sh10,000 in costs.

Mr Njeru had argued that the amount claimed was exaggerated because the interest exceeded what the law allowed. He also said he had made repayments that were omitted from the claim.

The court rejected that argument because no evidence was produced to support the alleged repayments.

“I do note that though the respondent claimed it had made some payments, the same was not supported by evidence,” the magistrate said.