Category: Business Daily

Watching Glass Onion, the second entry in the Knives Out trilogy, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was watching a Bond movie. It had that distinct Bond touch, the Bond villain lair, the vehicles, the structure of a villain with a world-ending plot.

It was big, over the top, and glossy. But Wake Up Dead Man? This feels like Rian Johnson decided to pivot entirely. If Glass Onion was Bond, this is pure Sherlock Holmes. It strips away the tech and the spectacle to return to the roots of the classic mystery genre.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Let’s assume you’ve never heard of, let alone watched, a Knives Out movie. Maybe you just forgot they existed. Here is a quick refresher before we dissect Wake Up Dead Man, the latest chapter in the series.

Knives Out movie series

Rian Johnson’s franchise is essentially a modern, stylish love letter to the whodunit, anchored by the eccentric Southern private investigator Benoit Blanc, played by Daniel Craig.

Johnson is the writer, director, and producer of these films, creating a sandbox where each movie has a different cast every time.

The first film, Knives Out (2019), was a hit, earning over $300 million and proving that audiences still crave good mystery movies. Its success led to two sequels. The second, Glass Onion (2022), was much glossier and more accessible to the general audience.

Fun fact: every title in this franchise is pulled from a rock song-Radiohead’s Knives Out, The Beatles’ Glass Onion, and now U2’s Wake Up Dead Man.

Wake Up Dead Man

Wake Up Dead Man is a standalone sequel, meaning you don’t need a flow chart of the previous movies to understand it.

Daniel Craig reprises his role as Benoit Blanc, and following the trend of the first two, he is surrounded by a stacked ensemble cast including Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Jeffrey Wright, and Thomas Haden Church.

The plot centres on a rural parish in upstate New York, a parish with dark secrets and a dark past, led by the charismatic and domineering Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Brolin), who has to deal with the newcomer, Father Jud Duplenticy (O’Connor), and a congregation he has wrapped around his finger. Without spoiling it and because this is a murder mystery, someone dies, and Benoit Blanc has to solve an impossible case.

Back to the roots

As I mentioned, my immediate thought watching this was ‘Sherlock Holmes,’ and a huge part of that comes down to the visual language. The production design here is a massive departure from the sun-soaked, sterile luxury of Glass Onion.

The costume design and hair, starting with Blanc’s slightly longer, more European cut, have a stylish, deliberate feel. The colour palette is significantly more muted.

Even the priests, who you might expect to look visually flat in black vestments, are shot with a strong sense of style. The world feels Gothic and dark, anchored by the church, which sits at the centre of the mystery like a brooding character in itself.

From a filmmaker’s perspective, the movie looks incredible. The composition is married perfectly with the use of light and colour.

There is a particular scene in a forest that immediately comes to mind that is visually stunning. The church interiors are framed to capture the intensity of the dialogue, with some moments featuring Josh Brolin where the camera placement makes him feel larger than life, almost suffocating the frame. It’s an unusually somber film compared to its predecessors, and that moodiness works in its favor.

An impossible mystery

This movie presents what feels like an impossible-to-solve mystery. They mention it in the dialogue, and sure enough, this had one of the most unpredictable outcomes I’ve seen in years. It is a proper mystery.

You might have a vague idea about who did it, but the mechanics of the ‘how’ are almost impossible to figure out until the film presents it to you.

However, the structure is going to be the most divisive element for fans. If you loved the template of the first Knives Out, you might appreciate this, but it’s twisted on its head. Specifically, you don’t really see Benoit Blanc for the first 30 to 40 minutes.

But this is where Rian Johnson’s confidence as a director stands out. Not a lot of films can pull off sidelining their franchise star for the first act, but here, it pays off. Each act gets better as the story progresses. By the time the murder happens, I realised how the setup of those first 35 minutes, minus Blanc, was crucial. It was laying the thematic groundwork.

When Blanc finally begins to sift through the evidence, the movie does that thing where it presents you with everything you missed. It shows you scenes you’ve already watched but from a slightly different angle, revealing clues that were right in front of your face. It keeps you on your toes, making you feel smart for keeping up but humble for missing the obvious.

Thematic depth and direction

Thematically, this has to be the richest film Rian Johnson has made in this franchise. The first film deconstructed family and class, the second tackled influencers and new money. Wake Up Dead Man tackles faith and religion.

Johnson mixes these themes not only in the character motivation and foundation but also visually, using lighting and blocking. The lighting in the church scenes is dynamic, using shadows to suggest guilt and divinity in equal measure.

There are small moments, like one involving a phone call between O’Connor and Craig, that perfectly encapsulate the film’s depth. O’Connor’s shift during the call captures the essence of the core theme of this movie. It shifts the perspective entirely. By the final 20 minutes, you realize that Benoit Blanc may or may not have changed.

As a character, there is a clear moment at the end when you see his arc-how he has been affected by the moral weight of what he’s uncovered.

Seeing that growth in Blanc, a character who usually remains a constant while the world changes around him, was satisfying. It makes me eager for the next mystery, not just for the puzzle.

Performances

If Ana de Armas was the heart of the first film, Josh O’Connor is the centre of it all. He is effectively the lead, and I will go as far as to say he delivers the best performance in the entire franchise.

His arc is the clearest we’ve seen in this series. He conveys so much internal conflict through silence and micro-expressions. As he navigates this mystery alongside Blanc, his character arc is actually more profound than the mystery itself.

If there is a grievance to be had, it’s that O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, and Craig are so good that they overshadow everyone else. The rest of the cast is talented, but they don’t get the same room to breathe.

Glenn Close has some incredible, sharp moments as the church secretary Martha, and Josh Brolin is surprisingly funny as the intense Monsignor. But when you go down the list-Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Andrew Scott, Kerry Washington, and Jeffrey Wright-they feel a bit more like puzzle pieces than fully fleshed-out humans.

In Glass Onion, the disruptors are rich in personality and presence, so we knew almost everything about them. Here, the setting is a secretive religious congregation. By design, these people are closed off. They don’t want to share their lives.

While that makes sense for the story, because it does make the characters much more mysterious, we don’t get as much time to understand their interpersonal dynamics. I just wish we had a little more time with them, but I understand that their secrecy is part of the film’s texture.

Conclusion

Wake Up Dead Man, like the first Knives Out film, is necessarily a little slower in the beginning and a little darker than its predecessors. It demands more patience in that first act, and because of that, it won’t be for everyone at first-but sticking with it is far more rewarding than you expect.

Rian Johnson has crafted a film that feels lived-in and mature but, most importantly, a film that goes back to classic mystery like a Sherlock Holmes story.

The government’s plan to sell its 15 percent stake in Safaricom to Vodacom for approximately Sh245 billion has generated political debate, with Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro leading the criticism.

Mr Nyoro claims the government is giving away a national asset for ‘a song’, citing Safaricom’s 2021 share price of Sh41.

While this claim makes for a catchy headline, it collapses under financial scrutiny and a realistic assessment of Safaricom’s current position.

Today, the company trades at around Sh29.45 per share, and professional valuations rely on current fundamentals, not nostalgia for past peaks. More importantly, Safaricom is a diversified, multisegmented business whose true value cannot be captured by a simple comparison to historical prices.

The Sum-of-the-Parts (SOTP) methodology is the most accurate approach, valuing each business unit according to its growth, risk, and market comparables.

Safaricom’s largest segment is its core telecom business, which includes mobile voice, data, SMS, fixed broadband, and enterprise connectivity.

Telecom companies are generally valued using EV/EBITDA (a ratio that compares a company’s Enterprise Value to its Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortisation) multiples because they carry heavy capital expenditure, infrastructure, and depreciation costs that distort net earnings.

Safaricom’s current EV/EBITDA multiple stands at approximately 7.07x. Assigning 60 percent of the company’s 2024 EBITDA of Sh186.2 billion to the core telecom segment yields a value of about Sh790 billion, forming a stable foundation for the company’s valuation.

The second segment is M-Pesa and other fintech services, generating roughly Sh161 billion in revenue.

Fintech businesses typically earn higher multiples than telecom operations because they scale quickly, require less incremental capital, and have high growth potential.

Applying a conservative EV/Revenue multiple of 2.5x to M-Pesa places its valuation at approximately Sh400 billion, reflecting its central role in Kenya’s financial ecosystem.

The third segment includes enterprise services, fibre, cloud, Internet of Things (IoT), and emerging digital ventures. While smaller today, this segment represents future growth opportunities.

Assigning 15 percent of EBITDA to this segment and applying a 6x multiple results in a value of roughly Sh168 billion, which can reasonably be rounded to Sh170 billion to account for growth potential. Adding the three components together produces a total SOTP valuation of about Sh1.36 trillion, or roughly Sh34 per share based on 40.07 billion outstanding shares.

The government’s asking price of Sh245 billion for 15 percent of Safaricom implies a total company valuation of around Sh1.63 trillion, well above the SOTP estimate and Safaricom’s current market capitalisation. Rather than a giveaway, the State is negotiating at a premium, contradicting Mr Nyoro’s ‘song’ narrative.

Beyond the numbers, the sale to Vodacom carries strategic significance. By transferring the stake to a global telecom giant, the government is ensuring continuity and the long-term sustainability of Safaricom.

Vodacom brings decades of experience in telecom, mobile money, digital finance, and emerging technologies. Its interests are aligned with Safaricom’s growth trajectory, a sharp contrast to the sale of Telkom Kenya to Helios Investment Partners, where the buyers were focused on short-term profit extraction rather than sustaining the company’s future.

That transaction led to underinvestment, restructuring, and stagnation-outcomes the government is keen to avoid for Safaricom.

Selling to Vodacom protects the company’s leadership in mobile money, integrates global expertise, and positions it to capitalise on innovations in cloud computing, IoT, and digital finance.

Mr Nyoro’s critique is grounded in political rhetoric, not financial or strategic reality. Safaricom’s fair value, based on a rigorous SOTP valuation, is around Sh34 per share, making the government’s Sh245 billion price reasonable and financially sound.

Coupled with Vodacom’s long-term commitment and experience, the transaction ensures continuity, growth, and stability, securing Kenya’s crown jewel rather than undermining it.

The Court of Appeal has blocked a trader, Johmat Distributors, from escalating its long-running commercial dispute with the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) over ‘stolen’ bonds cash to the Supreme Court, ruling that the case lacks broad public importance.

A three-judge bench dismissed Johmat’s application for certification and leave to appeal to the apex court.

The dispute dates back to April 2004 when the CBK filed a High Court suit to recover Sh205 million in allegedly stolen Treasury bond proceeds. The regulator accused Johmat, Giro Commercial Bank, and several individuals of fraudulently diverting the funds through bank accounts.

The CBK argued that the bond proceeds had disappeared in the early 2000s, sparking one of Kenya’s most protracted financial lawsuits. It sought a declaration of liability, repayment of the funds, and interest.

Over time, the CBK withdrew the case against Giro Commercial Bank and other defendants, leaving Johmat as the sole respondent. Johmat denied wrongdoing and filed a counterclaim for damages and interest after its funds totaling Sh14 million were frozen for years during litigation.

In December 2019, then-High Court Judge George Odunga (now at the Court of Appeal) dismissed the CBK’s claim against Johmat, finding that the case was ‘based merely on suspicion.’

He also rejected Johmat’s counterclaim, citing insufficient proof of entitlement to interest on the frozen funds, which were released by consent in 2020.

Johmat appealed to the Court of Appeal, contesting only the denial of interest and costs.

In September 2024, the appellate court upheld the decision, stating Johmat’s claim for interest was neither liquidated nor substantiated.

The judges noted that interest is discretionary under the Civil Procedure Act and that Johmat failed to prove the applicable rate. They also agreed with the High Court that neither party had fully succeeded, making cost awards unjust.

Johmat then sought Supreme Court intervention, arguing that the 14-year freezing of its funds raised constitutional and commercial litigation concerns.

It argued that the prolonged freezing of its funds and issues around Mareva injunctions and undertakings raised broader legal questions.

However, the Court of Appeal rejected this, applying the apex court’s test for certification. It ruled that Johmat’s grievances were case-specific and did not present unsettled legal questions of public interest.

‘The gist of the applicant’s complaint is whether it was entitled to interest on the frozen amount,’ the court said, emphasising that ‘mere apprehension of injustice is not a basis for certification.’

The insurance industry in Kenya has deepened its use of artificial intelligence (AI) in onboarding new customers, assessing risks, and managing claims in a shift that has cut the claims payment periods to as little as 30 days.

The Association of Kenya Insurers (AKI) said that the technology has helped insurers automate routine processes, enhancing fraud detection, and customer engagement to ensure genuine claims are paid out on time.

The development marks a shift in an industry that has long been characterised by heavy paperwork, delays in claims settlement, and customer complaints.

‘The insurance industry in Kenya is increasingly adopting automation and AI to enhance operational efficiency and customer experience. Automating routine processes such as client onboarding, claims submission, and adjudication has streamlined policy management and improved access to insurance services,’ says AKI in the latest industry report.

AKI says several insurers have introduced AI-powered chatbots that provide instant responses to customer queries. The lobby says one such platform-working in collaboration with numerous healthcare providers across Kenya- has achieved a 500 percent increase in daily claims processing, with approval times now reduced to under a minute.

‘This innovation has significantly shortened payout turnaround times to between 30 and 60 days, compared to the lengthy delays-often several months to a year-experienced under traditional systems,’ said AKI.

The shift to paperless onboarding and claims handling marks a key development in an industry burdened by extensive paperwork and delays in claims assessment and payment. The move has helped cut costs and enhance customer experience.

Insurers are also integrating machine learning and AI into actuarial modelling and fraud detection. Fraud remains a growing concern in the Kenyan market, with the market estimating that nearly 30 percent of all claims received are fictitious.

Jubilee Holdings said it foiled fictitious insurance claims worth Sh400 million in the financial year ended December 2024 on the back of enriching its digital systems with AI capabilities.

Britam Holdings disclosed in its 2024 annual report that it has started using AI to improve risk identification, assessment, and loss mitigation processes, allowing it to be ‘more accurate for casting and proactive risk management.’

Many insurers have been facing a delicate balance between weeding out fictitious claims and setting genuine ones on time to avoid eroding their profitability and driving up costs.

AI-powered analytics are able to sift through huge amounts of data to identify anomalies and flag suspicious patterns, helping insurers prevent fraud before losses occur.

‘With fraudulent claims posing a growing challenge in the Kenyan market, AI tools are helping identify and prevent suspicious activities, thereby safeguarding industry profitability,’ said AKI.

According to AKI, some insurers are using voice recognition technologies for identity verification. They are also using chatbots and virtual assistants for instant support around the clock. Advanced analytics tools are also guiding customer service agents to offer faster, accurate, and more personalised interactions.

Some insurers are transitioning toward branchless business models to reduce administrative costs and enhance customer engagement. AKI notes that these fully digital models use automated onboarding, digital claims processing, and smart document recognition for seamless extraction and verification of customers’ data.

AKI expects the uptake of AI among insurers to grow further, given that there are those exploring further AI-powered products to start offering personalised covers.

‘Through deep data analysis, insurers can now better understand customer behaviours and preferences-allowing them to customize offerings, anticipate needs, and ultimately improve service quality and satisfaction,’ said AKI.

The Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA) has been supportive of innovations in the insurance sector by allowing initiatives such as the Financial Sector Deepening-backed BimaLab-a sandbox that allows insurers and insurtech start-ups to test innovative technologies in controlled environments.

Kenyan insurers’ move is aligned with the KPMG 2025 Africa CEO Outlook report, which found that 41 percent of chief executives consider AI integration into business workflows as their top investment priority.

Security firm G4S Kenya has raised a red flag on inconsistent compliance with labour laws, warning that it is distorting competition and trapping hundreds of thousands of guards in poverty-level earnings.

Laurence Okelo, the chief executive of G4S Kenya, said that the sector, which is estimated to employ nearly one million guards, remains fragmented and poorly regulated, with some firms defying the rules on salaries, house allowance, and overtime.

‘From a policy perspective, we would like to see better clarity on terms and conditions [of employment]. I think there could be enhanced enforcement.because it’s not just pay; it is pay, house allowance, overtime, and working hours,’ Mr Okelo said in an interview.

‘If there was complete clarity for all stakeholders, it would create a level playing field and ensure that guards receive fair remuneration and clients get value for money.’

The firm says the government should seal the loopholes in the regulatory environment through firmer and more uniform enforcement.

The renewed push by the multinational follows a February 2025 ruling by the Employment and Labour Relations Court, which upheld the Sh30,000 minimum wage for security guards announced by the Private Security Regulatory Authority (PSRA) in November 2023.

The court dismissed a petition filed by John Kipkorir on behalf of the Private Security Industry Association, challenging the notice on grounds that it lacked public participation and that minimum wages should only be set by the Ministry of Labour.

The court dismissed the challenge, affirming PSRA’s powers and effectively reviving the stalled enforcement of the higher wage level.

Currently, Kenya’s gazetted minimum wage places a day guard in the five cities of Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, and Eldoret at Sh16,113.75 and a night guard at Sh17,976.54 per month.

The gazetted monthly pay in the industry is nearly half the Sh30,000 threshold PSRA set in 2023, but which has not been implemented due to industry resistance and multiple court battles.

Former PSRA director-general Fazul Mahamed said in March that security companies have actively undermined enforcement of the Sh30,000 minimum wage to protect their profit margins, generated on cheap labour.

‘When we set the minimum wage at Sh30,000, many dismissed it as regulatory overreach. However, the courts have affirmed our position,’ Mr Mahamed said.

‘The enforcement has been deliberately undermined by security firms that thrive on exploitation. These firms claim they can’t afford to pay guards the legal minimum wage, yet they report billions in revenue. Their business model depends on keeping guards in poverty while they pocket the profits.’

The comments underscore long-running tensions between regulators seeking to professionalise a sector critical to national security and employers who argue that higher wage floors would push up contract costs and trigger widespread job losses.

Mr Okelo says the sector is entering an era of transformation, driven by rising client expectations and integration of technology such as surveillance systems, remote monitoring, and access-control tools.

He argues that the shift demands both better-skilled personnel and transparent wage structures that reflect evolving job requirements.

The G4S chief added that clear, enforceable standards would also protect firms that comply with the law from being undercut by rivals offering lower-priced contracts made possible by illegal underpayment.

‘With proper clarity and consistent enforcement, everyone – the guard, the client, and the provider – benefits,’ Mr Okelo said.

Britam Holdings’ micro-insurance unit is targeting up to 20,000 households in Tana River with its flood cover that has been scaled up following a pilot phase that paid out Sh14.1 million claims in 2023.

The cover, dubbed Britam Mafuriko, is index-based and triggers payouts automatically when rainfall levels cross a set threshold. The cover benefited 300 families in Tana River during the 2023 floods that hit multiple counties in the country.

The manufacturing sector in Kenya is a vital part of the economy, providing employment to millions and fueling growth. However, a recent amendment, the Standards Levy Order 2025 (Legal Notice No. 89 of 2025), which took effect on May 16, 2025, risks undermining this foundation.

Although the changes aim to finance the Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) for improved quality oversight, their implementation disproportionately disadvantages Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), effectively favouring large manufacturing corporations.

Workers will pay up to Sh2,160 extra to the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) from February, weakening their purchasing power.

This marks the fourth year of implementing the higher mandatory NSSF contributions, which increased to a maximum of Sh1,080 in 2022 from Sh200 and the current Sh4,320.

The higher payouts have coincided with a five-year period that has seen salary increases lag cost-of-living measures.

Employees earning less than Sh50,000 will not be affected by the latest review of the NSSF rates, which will see workers earning more than Sh100,000 pay Sh6,480 monthly from the current Sh4,320.

However, the workers will see their payslips shrink by Sh1,512, not Sh2,160, because the NSSF is a tax-deductible expense that workers subtract from their gross pay to reduce the income subject to taxation.

Employers are expected to match the workers’ NSSF contribution, raising the maximum total payment to the fund to Sh12,960.

Workers under a private pension scheme can be spared the additional pain on their payslips with the approval of the regulator-the Retirement Benefits Authority (RBA).

Their employers can reduce the contribution to the company-sponsored schemes by Sh2,160 and transfer the amount to the NSSF, offering relief to the workers.

The higher contributions have made NSSF Kenya’s largest pension fund, with assets of Sh558 billion at the end of June from Sh476 billion last December and Sh295.6 billion in December 2022.

The annual contributions to the fund increased to Sh83.97 billion in the year to June from Sh19.29 billion in the year to June 2022.

This is expected to cross the Sh100 billion-mark next year due to the higher rates.

‘Contributions to NSSF have been on steady growth over the last three years. The increase in contributions is attributed to the continued implementation of the NSSF Act 2013,’ said the Retirement Benefits Authority (RBA).

The higher rates have come when workers’ disposable income has shrunk further due to additional taxes and levies, including the housing tax and the controversial healthcare insurance levy.

The Affordable housing law requires employers in the formal and informal sectors to deduct 1.5 percent of gross monthly pay from workers, matching the contributions towards the housing levy.

The High Court has upheld the environmental permit for the cooking gas plant that Lake Gas owns in Kilifi, handing the firm a major boost as it seeks to expand capacity of the facility.

Justice Evans Makori of the Environment and Land Court in Malindi revoked an earlier ruling by the National Environment Tribunal (NET), which had in March this year nullified the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) permit of the facility.

Kenya is pushing to break ground for the first Public private Partnership (PPP)- backed construction of two $311 million (Sh40.4 billion) electricity lines by August next year to ease pressure on the network.

Principal Secretary in the State Department of Energy Alex Wachira on Monday called on Africa50 (an infrastructure investment platform founded by the African Development Bank) and PowerGrid Corporation of India to expedite negotiations with lenders and contractors and start the project within eight months instead of the 12 months stated in the agreement.

The two on Monday inked a PPP deal to build the 400 kilovolts (kV) Lessos-Lossuk line and the 220kV Kisumu-Kibos-Kakamega-Musaga line. They will also build substations for the two lines.

Kenya is currently grappling with an overstretched transmission network which is sometimes blamed for power outages especially in Western Kenyan whenever the lines are not able to accommodate sudden surges.

‘The agreement says that works should start within 12 months but as a government we need to fast-track this to within eight months to move with speed and ease pressure on our current transmission lines,’ Mr Wachira said.

The lines will increase transmission capacity of electricity to Kisumu, Vihiga and Kakamega counties and thus reduce the voltage instability which has seen the Western part of Kenya bear the brunt of blackouts tied to transmission challenges.

An ageing overloaded transmission network is one of the major causes of unstable power supply especially to Western Kenya, highlighting the push to go for a PPP model and speed up efforts to construct new lines to ease the pressure.

Read: Sh50bn funding gap puts six key power lines at risk

These are the first PPP-funded electricity transmission lines that the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (Ketraco) will deliver.

Africa50 and PowerGrid will own, operate and maintain the lines for 30 years within which they will recoup their investment and also pay the loans funding the project.

African Development Bank, Trade Development Bank and the Dutch Entrepreneurial Bank are expected to provide loans which will fund slightly above three-quarters of the project.

Africa50 and PowerGrid privately initiated the project in 2018 which was approved by the PPP Directorate in July this year. The Attorney General then cleared the project in September this year paving the way for finalisation of the negotiations.

The PPP model has become the main route to build new power transmission lines and substations amid struggles by the Exchequer to free up funding the capital-intensive projects.

The State-owned firm recently disclosed that it is betting on the PPP model to bridge a funding gap of more than $4 billion (Sh517.8 billion) over the next 20 years.

The Employment and Labour Relations Court has rejected a push to reinstate a Kenya Airways (KQ) staff member who was dismissed for allegedly reselling his special discounted air tickets to a colleague.

The court ruled that the sacked employee failed to prove that he would suffer irreparable harm that could not be remedied by monetary compensation if his case succeeds during trial. The court dismissed the application filed by the long-serving staffer, who sought to prevent KQ from filling his former position and to secure reinstatement pending the outcome of the trial.

KQ offers its staff rebated travel privileges, including heavily discounted or free standby tickets (known as “buddy passes” for personal travel, allowing staff to fly with family and friends at minimal cost. The tickets are, however, subject to seat availability and strict rules against selling them.

Court documents reveal that the employee had worked for KQ for 23 years and was serving as a Turnaround Coordinator in passenger ramp services when his employment was terminated in June 2024.

At the time, his salary was Sh89,000 and a house allowance of Sh41,000.

His dismissal followed internal investigations into alleged misuse of the airline’s Buddy Pass Programme, which permits staff to nominate up to five individuals for discounted tickets.

In the termination letter, KQ stated that investigations confirmed he had surrendered all five of his Buddy Pass entitlements in 2023 and 2024 to another employee, allowing unauthorised individuals to access rebated tickets.

The airline further alleged that he received Sh10,000 from a colleague in exchange for the slots, violating company policies prohibiting the transfer or commercialisation of staff travel benefits. The dismissal letter classified this as gross misconduct.

However, the employee denied wrongdoing and challenged the termination in court.

Read: Kenya Airways extends freeze on staff complimentary tickets scheme

The court declined to grant interim relief, noting that the position had already been filled. “Court orders cannot be issued in vain,” the court stated, adding that courts should hesitate to interfere with an employer’s managerial decisions.

He contended that, even if rules were breached, the appropriate penalty under the Buddy Pass policy should have been suspension or revocation of travel privileges-not termination. He also claimed the disciplinary process was unfair and predetermined.

He sought court orders to block Kenya Airways from hiring a replacement or advertising his former position until the case was resolved.

But the airline opposed the application, maintaining that the misconduct violated core trust principles. Kenya Airways emphasised that staff rebates are strictly personal and non-transferable, as outlined in its HR policy.

The carrier argued that the employee’s actions-selling his slots to a colleague who had registered multiple unauthorized beneficiaries-justified summary dismissal under his employment contract.

The court agreed that the dispute required a full hearing and declined to grant interim relief, noting that the position had already been filled, making any restraining order impractical.

“Court orders cannot be issued in vain,” the court stated, adding that courts should hesitate to interfere with an employer’s managerial decisions.

Regarding reinstatement, the court ruled that it is a substantive remedy only applicable after a full trial, not an interim measure.

Ultimately, the court found that the employee had not demonstrated he would suffer irreparable harm that could not be compensated through damages if he prevails in the final ruling.