Category: Business Daily

On introspection, 2025 will be remembered as the year Kenya’s mobility and automotive sector pivoted decisively toward a stronger, more inclusive future. After years of fragmented discussions, pilot programmes, and cautious optimism, the country has moved from conversation to action.

As investor confidence continues to grow and government policy becomes clearer, consumers are demanding safer, more efficient, and environmentally responsible mobility solutions.

The most visible shift has been in e-mobility, where pilots have matured into a functioning market moving beyond experimentation to scale, commercial viability, and ecosystem building. Investment in local assembly and partnerships, and the integration of financing, after-sales support, and fleet solutions, has helped turn e-mobility from a future concept into a practical, customer-ready offering.

The proposed National Automotive Development Bill 2025 offers predictable incentives and renewed investor confidence. Locally assembled vehicles are increasingly getting preference for reliability and total cost of ownership rather than patriotism alone.

The revival of Kenya Vehicle Manufacturers (KVM), including reactivated assembly lines for multiple brands, demonstrates what happens when policy, investment, and industrial expertise align. As CFAO Mobility, our acquisition of KVM highlights Kenya’s potential to anchor an East African automotive value chain, create jobs, and transfer technology at scale.

Beyond assembly, Kenya must develop components manufacturing, supplier networks, and technician-training ecosystems. The African Continental Free Trade Area continues to open up regional markets, but long-term policy consistency and targeted incentives are essential to unlock the full industrial potential.

Financing has emerged as a powerful enabler. Consumers, SMEs, and logistics operators increasingly demand flexible solutions that match real income cycles.

However, challenges like currency volatility, high global logistics costs, and the dominant used-vehicle market continue to strain margins. Even as e-mobility gains momentum, infrastructure must scale to meet the rising demand.

As we get into 2026, the lesson we are carrying with us is that mobility revolution is no longer aspirational. It is happening now, powered by Kenyan innovation, resilience, and ambition, and the task ahead is urgent: to sustain the momentum.

The report by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) indicating that the country recorded a surge in demand for trucks, mini-buses and station wagons points to a sector that is ready to take-off.

Cleaner cities, smarter transport solutions, broader vehicle access, and stronger industrial foundations are within reach, and Kenya must build them together.

Sammy Kanyi has resurfaced in the insurance sector as the new CEO of Kenya Orient Insurance, marking a fresh chapter after his abrupt departure from Directline Assurance amid ownership wrangles.

Share registry firm, Image Registrars People Performance Partnership, has won a tussle with rival Custody and Registrars Services Limited over a deal to manage the upcoming sale of the government’s stake in Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC).

Every year for the next one decade, nearly one million young people will enter Kenya’s labour market, many fresh from universities, colleges and vocational institutions, and some without any formal education or skills, according to the Ministry of Co-Operatives and MSMEs Development.

However, the formal sector – led by government institutions and private firms, can only absorb 20 percent of them.

Corporates, which were once the dependable engines of salaried jobs, are under strain from challenging macro-economic conditions, rising operational costs, supply-chain disruptions and shifting labour market dynamics as more organisations go digital.

On weekday mornings and in the quiet hours of the evening, runners can be found moving through estates, parks and open roads, pacing themselves between work, family and other daily demands. Most are not training for competitions. They are running to stay fit, clear their minds and maintain routines that feel manageable.

The Employment and Labour Relations Court has upheld dismissal of a former assistant manager at Diamond Trust Bank, ruling that the lender acted lawfully in firing her for breaching banking procedures involving an unsigned and crossed cheque.

Co-working space provider Kofisi is paring back parts of its Kenyan footprint, shutting two locations in Nairobi in the wake of a $3.2 million (Sh416.7 million) loss in 2024.

When Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (Ketraco) signed a $311 million public-private partnership with Africa50 and Power Grid Corporation of India to develop a major power transmission line, the most salient feature of the deal was not its size, complexity, or even its novelty.

It was how quietly it happened. In a country where large infrastructure projects often provoke heated debate, court challenges, or public suspicion, this transaction passed with relatively little controversy. There were no loud protests, no sustained political resistance, no widespread public anxiety about hidden costs or loss of control over strategic assets.

Instead, there was a broad sense that this was a necessary, sensible and well-structured step forward.

That reaction is not accidental. It is a function of leadership.

From the outset, this project was framed and driven not as a commercial privatisation exercise, but as a development-led partnership.

Africa50; an African infrastructure investment platform promoted by the African Development Bank and African states, sat at the centre of the transaction. Its presence shaped both the structure of the deal and the way it was perceived.

In infrastructure, trust is often more scarce than capital. Kenya does not lack investors interested in roads, power, housing or ports.

What it often lacks is public confidence that these investments are aligned with national priorities, fairly structured, and transparently governed. Without that confidence, even technically sound projects struggle to gain social and political legitimacy.

Africa50’s involvement changed that dynamic. It reassured government, investors and citizens alike that the project was anchored in a development mandate, not just a commercial one.

It signalled that the transaction would be guided by long-term national interest, disciplined risk allocation, and institutional governance standards consistent with multilateral practice.

That reassurance mattered. It shifted the narrative. The conversation moved away from familiar fears about privatisation, foreign control or hidden fiscal risks, and towards more constructive questions about delivery, reliability and impact. In doing so, it created space for consensus.

The result was a rare alignment. Government secured a critical piece of infrastructure without placing additional strain on public finances.

Investors gained access to a stable, long-term asset under credible governance. Citizens gained confidence that the project served a public purpose rather than narrow interests.

This three-way alignment is unusual precisely because it is difficult. It does not emerge naturally from either public-sector planning alone or private-sector initiative alone. It emerges when institutions that straddle both worlds provide leadership.

That is the deeper lesson of the Ketraco -Africa50 transaction. The success of the project lies not only in its financial closure, but in its social acceptance. And that acceptance was not negotiated; it was earned through institutional credibility.

Kenya’s infrastructure ambitions are large and growing. The country needs new transmission lines, new transport corridors, new urban services and new climate-resilient systems. Delivering them will require vast amounts of capital, technical expertise and coordination. But just as importantly, it will require public trust.

It’s 2026 and it’s shaping up to be a massive year for the silver screens. We’ve got industry titans like Steven Spielberg, the Russo brothers, and Denis Villeneuve all coming back to the director’s chair. From big budget superhero events to biopics, there’s a lot to keep track of.

Now, I’ve broken down my most anticipated films into three categories: Day ones, excited but skeptical, and let’s wait and see.

These are the heavy hitters. Whether it’s a director I trust or a story I’m already invested in, I’m showing up on day one.

Avengers: Doomsday

The Russo brothers are back, and that alone is enough to get me in the seat. They’re the ones who gave us Winter Soldier, Infinity War and Endgame, so they know how to handle the scale of an ensemble movie. Even with “superhero fatigue” floating around, bringing back icons like Tony Stark and Steve Rogers makes this feel like the biggest comic book movie event of the year.

The Odyssey

Christopher Nolan taking on Greek mythology is a cinephile’s dream. We know him for high-concept sci-fi that challenges you psychologically, and seeing him tackle the Trojan story, shot completely in IMAX, is definitely exciting. Plus it’s star-studded, and as a Kenyan, Lupita Nyong’o is in the movie, so it’s a day one.

Dune: Part Three

Denis Villeneuve has already proven he can handle the scale of Frank Herbert’s world. Dune: Messiah will conclude this arc, and given how exceptional the cinematography and storytelling have been in the first two parts, I wouldn’t miss the conclusion of this trilogy for anything.

Michael

Antoine Fuqua is directing this Michael Jackson biopic, and it’s going to be a must-watch for any music fan, Gen X and millenials. It follows the King of Pop’s massive rise and his personal struggles, and with Jaafar Jackson in the lead, I’m interested to see how they handle such a complex legacy.

Disclosure Day

Steven Spielberg returning to his sci-fi roots is a huge deal. This looks like it’s going to be “Prime Spielberg” a director who knows exactly how to capture our attention with high-tech storytelling that still has heart. If the trailer is any indication, he’s still the master of the genre.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day

The end of the last movie felt like a total recalibration. We saw Spiderman’s high-tech Stark suits stripped away, leaving us with a much more grounded, “friendly neighbourhood” hero. I’m very excited to see this version of the character return to basics.

Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu

Apart from revolutionising filmmaking with the use of The Volume, Jon Favreau basically saved modern Star Wars with the streaming show, so seeing him bring these characters to a theatrical format is exciting. The show has always maintained high production quality, so I expect the jump to the big screen to be a great time.

Toy Story 5

I’ve never quite understood the obsession with Toy Story, but I have to respect the consistency. Pixar has kept the quality level so high for so many years that even if I’m not a superfan, I want to see what they do with Woody and Buzz next.

GOAT

This is an animated sports comedy produced by Stephen Curry. I absolutely loved the trailer, the animation style is fresh and the idea of a “sports animal” world is really fun. It looks like a great underdog story.

Excited but skeptical

I’m giving these a chance, but I’ve got some reservations about the direction or the “why” behind them.

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow

I like the look of the trailer, it has a textured, darker feel that reminds me of Guardians of the Galaxy. I’m just a bit skeptical because James Gunn isn’t directing it himself, though it’s clearly part of his new universe.

The Bride!

I’ve always been fascinated by the Frankenstein story, and Maggie Gyllenhaal’s take on a horror-infused Bride of Frankenstein in 1930s Chicago sounds bold. Christian Bale is in the movie, but I’m just not sure exactly what the final vibe will be.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

The first movie was okay, but this sequel feels like a bit of a cash grab after the first one hit a billion dollars. I love the idea of expanding the Nintendo world, but I’m walking into this one with some scepticism.

The Devil Wears Prada 2

This is pure nostalgia. The first movie was perfect as a standalone, so I don’t know who was actually asking for a sequel. I’ll watch it for the cast, but it feels unnecessary.

Hoppers

A Pixar movie about a girl putting her consciousness into a robot animal is a cool concept (just like Avatar). However, Disney has been taking Pixar in some odd directions lately, so I’m holding my breath on this one until I see more.

Mortal Kombat II

The 2021 movie was decent, but the editing was all over the place. I’m hoping they’ve refined the storytelling this time around and give us a more cohesive action focus on characters that the audience is familiar with.

Minions 3

Look, I love the Minions, but we need to know where to stop. These movies make a ton of money, but I’m not sure where the story could possibly go that we haven’t seen before.

Let’s wait and see

These are the ones I’m most skeptical about. I won’t be making a deliberate effort to see them unless they get great word-of-mouth.

Thread: An Insidious Tale

We’ve had so many Insidious movies in the last decade that I feel like the story is exhausted. It’s another Blumhouse project, so it’ll have the scares, but do we really need it?

Clayface

A Batman villain horror-thriller sounds cool in theory, but we’ve seen zero trailers or concept art. I have no idea what the story is or how it fits in, so it’s a total mystery right now.

Digger

Even with Tom Cruise involved, I’m just not confident about the direction based on what’s been teased so far. I need more context before I get excited.

Street Fighter

The character designs look okay, but video game adaptations are a coin toss. It’s all going to come down to the script.

Jumanji 3

The last two were successful because of the chemistry between The Rock and Kevin Hart, but it feels like we’re just going to get more of the same. Do we really need a third round?

Scream 7

Hollywood is definitely milking this franchise. I’m not particularly excited about another Ghostface saga, but I’m sure people will still show up for it.

Moana (Live-Action)

Disney’s live-action remakes make money, but they rarely improve on the original stories. This just feels like the same movie with a “new coat of paint”.

Scary Movie 6

The Wayans brothers are reviving this parody franchise, but I don’t know if that brand of humour still works the same way today. We’ll have to see if they try something different or stick to the old formula.

Masters of the Universe

As a Millennial, I have a very specific memory of He-Man. Modern Hollywood hasn’t been kind to 90s properties, and I’m worried they’ll water down the heart of the character.

The stock of loan defaults in the country’s banking sector has eased for the first time in eight months on the back of increased recoveries and repayments, offering a breather to banks and emboldening them to increase lending to households and businesses.