Category: Business Daily

On October 25, Nairobi’s One-Off Art Gallery will unveil Kind Human, a solo exhibition by self-taught artist Naomi Van Rampelberg.

The show brings together a striking collection of works that reveal Naomi’s distinctive and emotionally charged artistic style – one that feels at once personal and universal.

Operations at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) were paralysed on Thursday after hundreds of mourners and supporters of deceased opposition chief Raila Odinga gained access to restricted areas ahead of the arrival of the former Prime Minister’s body, prompting aviation authorities to order a temporary shutdown.

The decision is expected to result in flight delays. The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) confirmed that it had suspended all operations at the airport to allow security teams to restore order and ensure the safety of passengers, crew and airport personnel.

In a statement on Thursday, KCAA Director General Emile Arao said the precautionary closure was necessary following what he termed an “ongoing security situation” triggered by the arrival of the late opposition leader’s remains.

‘A large number of mourners gained access to restricted areas, prompting a precautionary closure to allow security teams to restore order and ensure safety,’ said Mr Arao in a mid-morning notice.

‘Members of the public and travelers are advised to remain calm and avoid the airport area until further notice. Normal operations will resume once the airport is declared secure in the next two hours,’ he added.

The aviation sector regulator further said it had issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM), notifying airlines of the temporary suspension as emergency teams worked to clear unauthorised persons from the airside sections of the airport.

Mr Odinga’s remains were flown in from India earlier Thursday morning under tight security ahead of a planned transfer to Kisumu on Saturday for public viewing and burial in Bondo, Siaya County, on Sunday.

The government has declared a period of national mourning in honour of the veteran politician, whose death earlier on Wednesday has drawn widespread grief and tributes from across the world.

The brief closure of Kenya’s busiest aviation hub highlights the scale of public emotion surrounding Mr Odinga’s death and the logistical pressure it has placed on national transport systems.

JKIA, which handles an average of 20,000 passengers daily and over seven million annually, serves as the country’s primary gateway for both international and domestic travel.

The late opposition leader, who served as Kenya’s second Prime Minister between 2008 and 2013 and was a five-time presidential candidate, will be laid to rest at his ancestral home in Bondo on Sunday.

Collins Omondi Okello, a self-taught artist, always loved sketching faces, but he never imagined his pencil would one day draw him into the national spotlight. Even less did he imagine going from earning Sh500 for his early artworks to selling a single painting for Sh2 million.

The turning point was his striking pencil portrait of Raila Odinga, a piece that ultimately led to a chance to meet the former Prime Minister.

More farmers continue ditching the State’s Hustler Fund and digital lending alternatives such as Fuliza in favour of banks and savings and credit cooperatives (saccos) to finance agricultural activities, a new Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) survey shows, encouraged by lower interest charges.

The survey showed that the proportion of farmers who tapped credit from the Hustler Fund dropped to a low of nine percent last month.

Global logistics firm DHL Group is planning a pound 300 million (Sh44.9 billion) investment in its African operations, part of which will see the Germany-headquartered firm put up a new head office for its Kenyan unit in Nairobi.

The company announced the new investment in Johannesburg, South Africa during the launch of its latest logistics tracker report, which showed that Sub-Saharan Africa recorded the fastest growth in trade value in the first half of the year, ahead of the Americas and the Caribbean, driven by exports.

The Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) has offered a significant amnesty on port storage charges for long-stay containers as the import season begins, with more than 50 vessels set to dock in the next 14 days.

The Mombasa port manager has offered an 80 percent waiver on the accrued storage fees as one of the strategies to ease pressure on the port.

The KPA, in a notice to clients, outlined the terms for domestic and transit cargo, which is valid until November 6. Any cargo not cleared under the amnesty will be transferred to Naivasha Inland Container Depot (ICD).

‘This measure is expected to improve port efficiency by clearing up space currently occupied by aged cargo.

‘We intend to expedite the clearance of cargo by offering 80 percent amnesty on accrued storage fees,’ said KPA Managing Director William Ruto in an October 15, 2025, notice.

KPA said the waiver applies to long-stay containers that have been at the Mombasa port for more than 21 days from the date of the notice, and those affected cargo owners must lodge a waiver application to be considered for the reduction. While offering the amnesty, the KPA, however, warned that all long-stay transit containers that are not cleared within the notice period will be transferred to the Naivasha ICD.

‘This transfer will be at the owner’s cost. Furthermore, these containers shall attract normal storage charges from the date the container landed in Mombasa,’ Mr Ruto.

The announcement is issued at a time when the port is expected to handle a total of 50 vessels, with 34 accounting for container ships in the next 14 days.

According to the KPA port vessel schedule, Mombasa port will receive 11 conventional cargo vessels, four car carriers, and two oil tankers, with the influx benefiting the second commercial port, Lamu, which will handle seven container vessels during the period.

Read: Mombasa port container traffic hits a record in 2024

Shippers Council of Eastern Africa CEO Agayo Ogambi asked KPA to ensure services continue as scheduled during festivities to maintain efficiency, as October to December are peak importing months, as retailers replenish inventories and stock up for the holiday season.

KPA said it is undertaking a port cleaning exercise to free up yard areas and to maximise the use of all spaces to enhance safe and efficient operations and service delivery.

In the long term, KPA is expanding its container terminals with the old Kipevu Oil Terminal (KOT) already being demolished to expand berth 19.

The old KOT was decommissioned after the completion of a new facility, which has a capacity to handle four vessels.

KPA management is also working with CFS owners to expand their facilities to handle more cargo, which has remained the same for two decades despite increasing cargo flow.

‘Apart from port expansion, we are working with other stakeholders, including CFSs, to expand their facilities to accommodate increasing cargo throughput in the country,’ Mr Ruto said.

Last year, the port handled about 2.1 million twenty-foot equivalent units (Teus) with a projection to reach 2.4 teus by the end of this year from 1.4 million in 2012.

Last week, organisations celebrated Customer Service Week, a time to recognise and reflect on the importance of exceptional customer experiences.

While the week was buzzing with activities and celebrations, the conversation around customer experience is timeless, especially as expectations evolve in a digital-first economy.

Artificial intelligence (AI), chatbots and predictive analytics have transformed how businesses deliver service, enabling faster responses, greater efficiency and proactive support. Yet, technology alone cannot secure customer loyalty. The most successful organisations will be those that integrate the efficiency of AI with the authenticity, empathy and trust that only human interactions can deliver. Today’s customers no longer compare brands, they compare experiences across sectors. Whether engaging with a retail leader or a fintech startup, consumers expect seamless, real-time interactions, consistent quality across all channels, with personalised and anticipatory support.

In this environment, AI has become a cornerstone of outstanding customer experience. From instant chatbot responses to predictive service models, businesses can now anticipate and respond to needs at unprecedented speed. Yet, technology alone is not enough, the emotional aspect of customer experience remains irreplaceable.

Customer experience is not only about resolving problems but also about how customers feel during every interaction. While AI tools can process queries instantly, they lack emotional intelligence. This is particularly critical in high trust industries such as finance, insurance and healthcare, where reassurance often matters more than the answer itself.

Case in point: clients who are less digitally fluent, particularly older demographics, often value patience, personal guidance and reassurance more than speed. Building trust with these clients means meeting them where they are, simplifying processes, avoiding jargon and following up to ensure comfort and confidence.

The future of customer experience lies in hybrid intelligence, the strategic collaboration between humans and AI. AI should handle repetitive, low-complexity tasks such as password resets, balance checks, among others. Humans should manage high-stakes, emotionally sensitive or complex interactions.

Artificial Intelligence is here to stay, and its potential is undeniable. But the future of customer experience is not about replacing people, it is about enhancing human strengths with technology.

AI can anticipate needs based on prior interactions and escalate seamlessly to human agents when necessary.

On the other hand, humans should manage high-stakes, emotionally sensitive or complex interactions, build trust through empathy, transparency, and personalization. Interpreting nuance and context that machines cannot fully grasp is also best done by humans.

By leveraging AI for efficiency and humans for relationship-building, businesses can create a service model that is both scalable and human-centered. To sustain customer loyalty in the AI era, organizations must focus on automation with a human lens by training AI systems continuously for relevance and accuracy. Companies should design clear escalation paths to live support, empower CX teams with data for personalized service, gather and act on customer feedback.

Trust is built when customers know that they will be understood, supported and respected whether interacting with a bot or a human.

As Kenya rises among the top users of ChatGPT globally, Jubilee Asset Management is embracing personalization at every step of the way. We connect with our clients by name, understand their story and tailor solutions that fit their goals. By listening and acting on feedback, we are redefining both our AI and human experiences to serve our customers better.

The most memorable brands will be those that balance efficiency with empathy, speed with sincerity and automation with authenticity. In the end, customers may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.

Recently I came across a 1994 investigative information in Singapore by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB); the case of Choy Hon Tim, a former deputy chief executive (operations) of the Public Utilities Board (PUB).

Following many investigations and judicial trials, Choy was found to have taken bribes to assist a sub-contractor doing work for PUB, on several occasions. Even though, Choy fled the country, he was eventually brought back to Singapore and charged on October 27, 1995 for criminal conspiracy and accepting bribes totaling around $13.85 million. He was sentenced to prison for 14 years.

The Court of Appeal has granted 51 tea plantation workers, most of them women, allegedly infected with HIV/Aids by their managers, a lifeline to pursue justice after a 13-month delay in filing their appeal.

Justice Mohamed Warsame allowed the workers’ application for an extension of time, citing “exceptional circumstances” including missing court files, bureaucratic delays and the logistical nightmare of coordinating with witnesses under State protection.

Stella Mutheu, the estranged wife of hotelier William Osewe Guda, took a plea on Wednesday in a case in which her former husband has accused her of ousting him from one of their shared business through forgery.

Ms Mutheu was charged at the Milimani Criminal Courts with the offence of forging minutes and a share transfer document, transferring her 250 shares in Ranalo Foods Dala Limited to herself.