Category: Business Daily

The Environment and Land Court has dismissed a petition challenging the alleged illegal allocation of 1,000 acres within the Maasai Mara National Reserve to a private company five years ago, amid growing scrutiny over dealings in the prime safari tourism destination.

The court said that it lacks the authority to order criminal investigations or investigate integrity violations-functions reserved for agencies such as the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).

Kenyans face higher air ticket prices this year as most domestic carriers raise fares amid rising demand for air travel and a persistent shortage of aircraft that has pushed up leasing costs.

Off-peak fares on major domestic routes such as Nairobi-Mombasa, Nairobi-Kisumu and Nairobi-Eldoret are set to rise by up to Sh2,000 for a one-way ticket, according to bookings on leading airlines for months ahead.

Small traders seeking to block the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) from placing them on the value-added tax (VAT) Special Table – an administrative procedure that restricts the filing of tax returns for non-compliance- have suffered a setback after the Tax Appeals Tribunal ruled that it lacks the powers to stop the taxman from doing so.

In a far-reaching decision, the tribunal rejected an application by event planner Milele Tents seeking to restrain the KRA’s Commissioner for Micro and Small Taxpayers from placing it under the administrative mechanism used to monitor non-compliant taxpayers. The tribunal held that granting such orders would amount to issuing “speculative” or “anticipatory” relief.

The beginning of the year is a season of strategy. Boardrooms are busy approving budgets, refining targets, and aligning teams around priorities that will drive performance. Finance, operations, marketing, and human resources all make their case for investment. Climate action must now be treated the same way.

For too long, climate considerations have been parked under corporate social responsibility or glossy sustainability reports. That approach is no longer tenable. Climate action is no longer a ‘nice to have’. It is a business necessity.

Public policy is making this clear. In a landmark move last year, the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) launched the Kenya Green Finance Taxonomy alongside the Climate Risk Disclosure Framework.

This signalled a decisive shift in how climate issues are viewed in the financial system. Climate risk is now formally recognised as a material financial risk that must be identified, assessed, and disclosed with the same seriousness as credit, liquidity, or operational risk.

For companies, the implications are immediate. As banks and financial institutions align with the CBK framework, scrutiny will increasingly extend to businesses seeking financing.

Firms will be expected to demonstrate how climate risks affect their operations and how they are managing them. Those without credible climate strategies may find access to capital more constrained or more expensive.

Those that can align with the Green Finance Taxonomy will be better positioned to attract sustainable finance and investment.

The business case goes beyond compliance. Climate risk is already disrupting supply chains, damaging infrastructure, increasing insurance costs, and affecting worker productivity.

Floods, droughts, and heat stress translate directly into higher costs and lower revenues. Ignoring these realities in corporate planning is equivalent to neglecting market volatility or regulatory change.

There is also a strong opportunity story. The Kenya Green Finance Taxonomy provides clarity on what qualifies as green and transition activities, opening pathways to new products, services, and financing options.

Investments in energy efficiency, renewable energy, sustainable sourcing, circular economy models, and nature-based solutions reduce operating costs while creating long-term value.

Regulation will continue to tighten, not loosen. Companies that integrate climate action early can spread costs over time, strengthen governance systems, and avoid abrupt compliance shocks. Those who delay risk being forced into reactive and costly adjustments.

Talent, reputation, and competitiveness are also at stake. Employees, customers, and partners increasingly favour organisations that demonstrate credible climate leadership. A strong climate strategy strengthens brand value and helps attract and retain skilled professionals.

As companies plan for the year ahead, the question is no longer whether climate action belongs on the agenda. The question is whether it is being treated with the same discipline, investment, and accountability as every other core business function. Climate action is now a business case that companies can no longer afford to ignore.

Samuel Muthama does yoga every day.

‘My routine includes a morning and evening session, each lasting about 10 to 15 minutes. In the morning session, I do movements that awaken my body and allow blood flow, then in the evening I do more of the breathing practices, which allow me to calm down, let go of the day, and get into rest mode,’ he says.

The start of the year offers organisations an opportunity to reset and refocus on their ambitions and goals. This refreshed mindset can also be extended to the organisation’s corporate reporting function.

The ability of organisations to understand and realise the tangible benefits of a best-in-class corporate reporting tradition, and how it contributes to an organisation’s overall success, is fundamental to ensuring that corporate reporting is well-positioned within an organisation.

Therefore, developing an organisation’s corporate reporting strategy leads to sustained benefits for the organisation in the short, medium, and long term.

It also helps an organisation to identify the resources required as input and provides clarity on the impact metrics to be achieved. For example, an organisation’s reporting should demonstrate transparency by communicating pertinent stakeholder matters using high-quality data through a robust system and process that ensures consistency with the reported information. Organisations should consider the following when developing their corporate reporting strategy in the new year.

To begin, organisations must align their purpose and overall strategic focus with their corporate reporting ambition. It should involve setting the right goals for financial and non-financial reporting that are aligned with the organisation’s context of value creation over time.

Secondly, organisations must identify their stakeholders’ expectations regarding their information needs. It will help organisations assess the types and forms of reports needed to meet these obligations, along with the related resources.

For example, organisations can gain insight into where to include certain sustainability-related information either through an entirely separate report or by using an existing report, such as the integrated report.

Also, organisations can allocate their resources in proportion to the value they create to meet these obligations. The next consideration is selecting the relevant corporate reporting frameworks to apply to both financial and non-financial reporting.

For example, some organisations already apply IFRS Accounting Standards for financial reporting and plan to adopt the IFRS Sustainability Standards for non-financial reporting.

After selecting their reporting frameworks, organisations need to determine their metrics and targets, ensuring they are aligned with the organisation’s strategy and stakeholder expectations.

Management should then put in place appropriate data management and quality processes tailored to their organisation. Finally, organisations must consider establishing a robust, bespoke governance process for reporting.

From the United States to Saudi Arabia, new taxes are threatening to derail diaspora remittances to Kenya in 2026, unsettling an increasingly important source of foreign exchange.

The United States, Kenya’s top source of remittances, has introduced a one percent excise tax on money sent abroad, effectively raising the cost of sending funds back home from January 1.

As Kenya steps into 2026, its healthcare sector is still grappling with a widening gap between ambitious policy goals and on-the-ground implementation.

Dr Henry Mutai, the director of the Kenya School of Law, says nothing that could particularly incriminate him. Perhaps only exonerate him. It is somewhere in the guide to becoming a lawyer.

Every so often, between the weightlessness of his pauses, he throws in small personal details: the yoga class he has taken up, the sweet tooth he wrestles with, his favourite song. The song, in case you are wondering, is ‘All My Enemies Are Suffering’ by Bien-Aimé Baraza. ‘Not that I have enemies,’ he quickly clarifies.

Kenyan businesses that depend on digital platforms for sales are increasingly facing reduced visibility, higher costs and sudden access restrictions following recent algorithm changes and enforcement updates across major social media and search networks.

The changes, rolled out through system updates and policy revisions, have altered how customers are reached, how sales are made and how income flows for businesses operating primarily online.