Category: Business Daily

Ronald Mutie loves to tell a good story. Like how he shows up for his kids, who are too small to know the ways the world beyond the gate could hurt them. Or how he got into this career. They wanted him to be a doctor, a lawyer, an engineer. But he had not read the script. He trusted the gods, who wrote him this character, as the Big Kahuna, the CEO of Karen Blixen Group, which owns, among other things, the Karen Blixen Museum.

He hasn’t done too shabbily for himself. It is here in Karen, which is eponymous to the Karen Blixen Coffee Garden, where the who’s who of the who’s frequent. Mutie remains unfazed, or if he is, he betrays not a flicker of it. This year, he says, he is not throwing pity parties. ‘I’ve been a good boy this year.’

Over a pork-bone broth of your dreams that your cardiologist should probably not know of, Mutie tells another story of Karen Blixen, and her coffee garden, and Karen estate, which is stuck between the ghosts of what it once was, and haunted by the mystery of what it will become, as the sibilant, sylvan silence surrounds us, making you feel a little, erm, out of Africa.

What has been the most exciting part of the year so far?

Tourism and hospitality are exciting all through because every day you learn something new. Our clients are almost 80 percent international. And there are so many challenges affecting such a kind of clientele. If there is recession, insecurity, or a fluctuating economy, they can’t travel.

They have no money. It’s a very sensitive part of business that depends a lot on the outside environment, but we keep bouncing back because people like to travel.

We were talking earlier about you taking a holiday before the festivities when it gets busy here. What did you do over the three weeks that you were away?

I combined both holiday and some work. I went to the US to New York, San Diego, and also ended up in Vancouver, Canada. I visited several places just to rewind and refresh and reset myself for the coming season.

Previously, I’ve travelled to beach areas in Watamu and Diani, and Mt Kenya and Samburu with my family. I avoid the Maasai Mara because we have property there, so we go any time [chuckles]. And of course, being a hotelier I want to see what other hotels are doing too.

You have pre-empted my question. How different is travelling as a hotelier for you?

You always want to pick something from that hotel, but you are on holiday [chuckles]. I want to see how they are setting their food. How is the service quality? How is it plated? How are the toilets? How clean? What extra facilities do they have? Are they sustainable? What kind of detergents, products are they using? I get to those details, and I make notes. I never stop working.

What’s the first thing you do when you land in a new country or city?

Compared to our own country, how are the operations of that airport? The customs, the service from the immigration people, and the facilities, as I know our weaknesses and strengths. I start from the airport because I’m a hospitality person, then the movement from the airport to the hotel.

What has been the hardest part of this year?

The number of tourists this year has decreased in our own facilities by close to 15 percent and 20 percent. And when you convert that to revenue, it’s several thousand dollars. That means you may not be able to maintain the number of staff or deliver to the quality you want because of costs.

There is no disposable income, and here we deal with high-net-worth and medium-net-worth individuals (the CEOs and GMs) who don’t seem to have that disposable income

That’s on the business side. And on Ronald’s side, personally?

For Ronald, I lead an organisation with about 300 staff, and as a leader, you want everyone to be happy, and that has been a challenge, to maintain their employment and remunerate them well to sustain their families. Of course, there is your normal malaria or something. Or your shoulder isn’t working right anymore e[chuckles]

Do you prefer December in Kenya or December away from the country?

December in Kenya because there are so many things happening in the industry. And we’re also planning for next year.

What is a song that best summarises this year for you?

Eh! Haha! I am not a very good musician, and I don’t have a lot of hobbies.

Which meal or drink then summarises this year for you?

Red-dry wine.

What’s the most Kenyan Christmas thing you look forward to every year?

Sitting together and finding that time to enjoy the local delicacy like nyama choma and a good drink. You bring your friends together, and that of course cleans your system, and you are ready for the next year.

Are you the one doing the roasting?

Yes, I am really good at that. I come from Ukambani and I have quite the number of goats. I even do the slaughtering. [chuckles]

Presuming you have children, have you passed down the gene?

I have tried, but those guys are different haha! They don’t want to see the slaughtering, but they will eat when it’s on the table [chuckles].

Do you have a family ritual over the holidays?

For us, either we do it in the village, or in our houses in Nairobi. So whoever is available, either family member, extended family, I can call them, or my brother, or cousin, will invite us and tell us they are holding a bash for us. And everything is on them [chuckles].

What habit have you kicked this year?

I don’t think I’ve kicked any because I’ve been a very good boy this year haha! I’ve been a very good boy, very disciplined, no bad habits [chuckles].

Conversely, what has sustained you throughout the year?

Focus, and discipline. I have kids who are at the age where they need a lot of guidance from me, and in May this year, I decided to spend quality time with my daughter and sons and ensure I understand them fully.

I wanted them to pick quite a bit from me, and that has kept me going, despite also spending some time in the church.

What is the one fatherhood tip you can pass on?

Despite our busy schedules, it’s important to take care of your family, especially the young ones who like your presence. People should not hide in their busy schedule; let the family be part of the busy schedule.

What would you want your children to remember about you when they are your age?

Discipline. Hard working. And they need to respect their seniors.

What have you had to unlearn to become a better father?

If you want to be a good father, it’s about democracy. It’s a discussion; it’s very participatory, and there is no dictatorial parenthood anymore.

How are you stepping into 2026?

More energised. I want to be very positive with everything. Family, to work, to business.

Did you make any resolutions that you’ve kept this year?

No, no, no, no. I stopped making resolutions. You get frustrated. For example, I’m actually doing my PhD. And I said I will finish it this year [chuckles]. But I haven’t even finished my project, so I got frustrated. And that was goal number one. The only thing I do now is I just want to pray to have good health.

What success metric no longer defines you?

I would say, when it comes to success, I don’t want to be limited by what people are doing or my weaknesses. They used to say, ‘Mwanaume ni effort.’ But now they say, ‘Mwanaume ni success.’ Man is success. I focus on my strengths and the positive side.

What are you apologising to yourself for this year?

No, no. I’ll never do that. I’ll take it the way it comes. Because you lose self-esteem, and you start seeing yourself as a weakling. Get up, dust yourself, and get moving.

Even as a young man, refuse to be defined by your failures, pick that section which looks like it will take you to Canaan, and get going.

Ronald Mutie loves to tell a good story. Like how he shows up for his kids, who are too small to know the ways the world beyond the gate could hurt them. Or how he got into this career. They wanted him to be a doctor, a lawyer, an engineer. But he had not read the script. He trusted the gods, who wrote him this character, as the Big Kahuna, the CEO of Karen Blixen Group, which owns, among other things, the Karen Blixen Museum.

He hasn’t done too shabbily for himself. It is here in Karen, which is eponymous to the Karen Blixen Coffee Garden, where the who’s who of the who’s frequent. Mutie remains unfazed, or if he is, he betrays not a flicker of it. This year, he says, he is not throwing pity parties. ‘I’ve been a good boy this year.’

Over a pork-bone broth of your dreams that your cardiologist should probably not know of, Mutie tells another story of Karen Blixen, and her coffee garden, and Karen estate, which is stuck between the ghosts of what it once was, and haunted by the mystery of what it will become, as the sibilant, sylvan silence surrounds us, making you feel a little, erm, out of Africa.

What has been the most exciting part of the year so far?

Tourism and hospitality are exciting all through because every day you learn something new. Our clients are almost 80 percent international. And there are so many challenges affecting such a kind of clientele. If there is recession, insecurity, or a fluctuating economy, they can’t travel.

They have no money. It’s a very sensitive part of business that depends a lot on the outside environment, but we keep bouncing back because people like to travel.

We were talking earlier about you taking a holiday before the festivities when it gets busy here. What did you do over the three weeks that you were away?

I combined both holiday and some work. I went to the US to New York, San Diego, and also ended up in Vancouver, Canada. I visited several places just to rewind and refresh and reset myself for the coming season.

Previously, I’ve travelled to beach areas in Watamu and Diani, and Mt Kenya and Samburu with my family. I avoid the Maasai Mara because we have property there, so we go any time [chuckles]. And of course, being a hotelier I want to see what other hotels are doing too.

You have pre-empted my question. How different is travelling as a hotelier for you?

You always want to pick something from that hotel, but you are on holiday [chuckles]. I want to see how they are setting their food. How is the service quality? How is it plated? How are the toilets? How clean? What extra facilities do they have? Are they sustainable? What kind of detergents, products are they using? I get to those details, and I make notes. I never stop working.

What’s the first thing you do when you land in a new country or city?

Compared to our own country, how are the operations of that airport? The customs, the service from the immigration people, and the facilities, as I know our weaknesses and strengths. I start from the airport because I’m a hospitality person, then the movement from the airport to the hotel.

What has been the hardest part of this year?

The number of tourists this year has decreased in our own facilities by close to 15 percent and 20 percent. And when you convert that to revenue, it’s several thousand dollars. That means you may not be able to maintain the number of staff or deliver to the quality you want because of costs.

There is no disposable income, and here we deal with high-net-worth and medium-net-worth individuals (the CEOs and GMs) who don’t seem to have that disposable income

That’s on the business side. And on Ronald’s side, personally?

For Ronald, I lead an organisation with about 300 staff, and as a leader, you want everyone to be happy, and that has been a challenge, to maintain their employment and remunerate them well to sustain their families. Of course, there is your normal malaria or something. Or your shoulder isn’t working right anymore e[chuckles]

Do you prefer December in Kenya or December away from the country?

December in Kenya because there are so many things happening in the industry. And we’re also planning for next year.

What is a song that best summarises this year for you?

Eh! Haha! I am not a very good musician, and I don’t have a lot of hobbies.

Which meal or drink then summarises this year for you?

Red-dry wine.

What’s the most Kenyan Christmas thing you look forward to every year?

Sitting together and finding that time to enjoy the local delicacy like nyama choma and a good drink. You bring your friends together, and that of course cleans your system, and you are ready for the next year.

Are you the one doing the roasting?

Yes, I am really good at that. I come from Ukambani and I have quite the number of goats. I even do the slaughtering. [chuckles]

Presuming you have children, have you passed down the gene?

I have tried, but those guys are different haha! They don’t want to see the slaughtering, but they will eat when it’s on the table [chuckles].

Do you have a family ritual over the holidays?

For us, either we do it in the village, or in our houses in Nairobi. So whoever is available, either family member, extended family, I can call them, or my brother, or cousin, will invite us and tell us they are holding a bash for us. And everything is on them [chuckles].

What habit have you kicked this year?

I don’t think I’ve kicked any because I’ve been a very good boy this year haha! I’ve been a very good boy, very disciplined, no bad habits [chuckles].

Conversely, what has sustained you throughout the year?

Focus, and discipline. I have kids who are at the age where they need a lot of guidance from me, and in May this year, I decided to spend quality time with my daughter and sons and ensure I understand them fully.

I wanted them to pick quite a bit from me, and that has kept me going, despite also spending some time in the church.

What is the one fatherhood tip you can pass on?

Despite our busy schedules, it’s important to take care of your family, especially the young ones who like your presence. People should not hide in their busy schedule; let the family be part of the busy schedule.

What would you want your children to remember about you when they are your age?

Discipline. Hard working. And they need to respect their seniors.

What have you had to unlearn to become a better father?

If you want to be a good father, it’s about democracy. It’s a discussion; it’s very participatory, and there is no dictatorial parenthood anymore.

How are you stepping into 2026?

More energised. I want to be very positive with everything. Family, to work, to business.

Did you make any resolutions that you’ve kept this year?

No, no, no, no. I stopped making resolutions. You get frustrated. For example, I’m actually doing my PhD. And I said I will finish it this year [chuckles]. But I haven’t even finished my project, so I got frustrated. And that was goal number one. The only thing I do now is I just want to pray to have good health.

What success metric no longer defines you?

I would say, when it comes to success, I don’t want to be limited by what people are doing or my weaknesses. They used to say, ‘Mwanaume ni effort.’ But now they say, ‘Mwanaume ni success.’ Man is success. I focus on my strengths and the positive side.

What are you apologising to yourself for this year?

No, no. I’ll never do that. I’ll take it the way it comes. Because you lose self-esteem, and you start seeing yourself as a weakling. Get up, dust yourself, and get moving.

Even as a young man, refuse to be defined by your failures, pick that section which looks like it will take you to Canaan, and get going.

Kenya has been ranked as the world’s fifth-largest market by cryptocurrency transaction volumes as stablecoin use increases, highlighting the growth of digital asset adoption.

Stable coins are digital currency currencies that are convertible into traditional currencies such as the US dollar on a 1:1 basis.

Kenya follows Ukraine, the United States, Nigeria and Vietnam in transactional crypto use, according to the 2025 World Crypto Rankings report by global cryptocurrency exchange Bybit. This is attributed to widespread use of the digital assets in remittances, merchant payments, cross-border settlements and day-to-day transfers.

Stablecoins like Tether (USDT) and USD Coin (USDC) are designed to have a relatively stable price by being pegged to a currency.

The report notes that global stablecoin transaction volumes hit an all-time high in July 2025.

‘Adoption was led by USD-pegged stablecoins such as USDT and USDC, valued as a hedge against inflation and a gateway to dollar exposure, especially in emerging markets facing currency volatility,’ Bybit says. Kenya is ahead of the United Kingdom, Pakistan, the Netherlands, India and Indonesia, according to the Dubai-based crypto exchange, which is the world’s second-largest by trading volume.

With high peer-to-peer (P2P) crypto transaction volumes, Kenya often ranks globally and in Africa, driven by remittances and a strong mobile money base.

Data from the New York-based analytics firm Chainalysis, for instance, shows that the country made Sh426.4 billion ($3.3 billion) stablecoin transactions in the year to June 2024.

Chainalysis placed Kenya as the fourth-largest recipient of stablecoins on the continent during this period behind Nigeria, South Africa and Ghana. In 2021, the firm ranked Kenya the world’s top country in P2P exchange trade.

The Bybit report notes that the Kenyan market has demonstrated readiness to adopt cryptocurrencies, especially in retail transactions.

‘This activity points to a population that is already comfortable moving value on-chain, a key prerequisite for scaling crypto payroll,’ Bybit’s report says.

On-chain transactions are recorded and verified directly on a blockchain’s main network, providing greater security.

Still, despite Kenya’s strong transactional performance, the report ranks the country at 51st in ‘institutional readiness’ due to an unclear regulatory environment.

This is, however, expected to change with the recently enacted Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASP) Act.

The law requires all crypto service providers, including platforms facilitating stablecoin salary payments, to be licensed and meet anti-money laundering, consumer protection and operational security standards.

‘It will give employers and payroll platforms a legal pathway to send on-chain payments through regulated intermediaries,’ says the Bybit report.

‘This removes one of the biggest barriers for companies: uncertainty over whether using crypto for salaries could trigger compliance or enforcement issues.’

Stablecoins are viewed as a quicker and cheaper payment method, especially cross-border ones, which traditionally take days to settle and are subject to interchange and other fees.

Local traders are increasingly using the crypto to pay for imports, while Kenyans in the diaspora use it to wire cash to family. Similarly, multinationals are using stablecoins to repatriate billions of shillings, bypassing local commercial banks.

Kenya’s payments ecosystem is seen as uniquely positioned to support regulated crypto payroll at scale.

With one of the continent’s highest mobile-money penetration rates, the market already supports near-instant conversion of on-chain USDC to Kenyan shillings through platforms such as TransFi, even in the absence of a native M-Pesa stablecoins.

‘This makes it possible for a software developer in Nairobi to be paid by a US-based employer in stablecoins and then cash out locally within minutes, all without touching traditional correspondent banking rails,’ the report notes.

If the VASP law is implemented effectively, Bybit says these capabilities could position the country as a leading African hub for regulated on-chain salary payments.

‘International companies hiring Kenyan talent could offer salaries in stablecoins with automatic conversion to shillings, ensuring workers can access funds quickly while employers remain compliant,’ says the report.

It’s 6:30am and I’m standing on a stretch of road where, on an ordinary morning, more than 400,000 cars rip through fourteen lanes of traffic.

Today, instead of engines roaring, a DJ deck blares music so loud the bass seems to vibrate through the asphalt.

On a normal day, I wouldn’t survive a second standing here but today is no normal day. The superhighway is shut down. Since 2017, once every year, the Sheikh Zayed Road – Dubai’s main artery – turns pedestrian. For several hours, the highway becomes a vast, car-free playground.

I’m in Dubai for the annual 30×30 Fitness Challenge, a month-long citywide invitation to move, sweat, and breathe.

For this year’s edition, I was among the 307,000 people, residents and tourists who flooded the Dubai streets to experience the surreal thrill of running last month. Earlier in the month, the same road was transformed into a giant cycling track for the Dubai Ride, attracting over 40,000 cyclists of all ages and skill levels. But I digress.

At exactly 6:45 a.m., the gun fires, the run begins. I’ve signed up for the 10KM-a test of patience, of heart, of lungs endurance exam. I glide through the futuristic skyline, past Dubai’s most iconic landmarks, the Museum of the Future, the towering Burj Khalifa, and the Dubai Water Canal.

52 minutes later, I crossed the finish line. Twenty minutes later, still catching my breath and still gulping tiny 100ml water bottles like a dehydrated marathoner, I spot a Kenyan jersey cutting through the crowd. Maria Kivaa. Instantly, she has my attention.

“How was the run?” I manage between breaths.

“Wow, that was fun.” she answers, realising her Kenyan accent mirrors mine.

Then her story spills out.

‘I’ve been running for a while now. I started back home, and when I moved here to Dubai a year and a half ago, I stayed consistent. This time of year – winter- there’s a race almost every weekend, but the Dubai Run? It’s different. Special. There’s a big Kenyan running community here in Dubai.’

Fitness routine

She gestures at the controlled chaos around us.

“It’s special in the sense that it closes the city down. The municipality shuts down the main road- Sheikh Zayed Road. No cars, businesses paused, and everyone from residents”Ten or five kilometres you choose, no registration fee, bibs provided, water everywhere, bands playing along the route. It’s a cultural thing here. People come just for the experience of it, the joy of it. You saw how the crowd turned out.’

I nod, remembering the bands stationed at different stretches of the highway, each section pulsing with different rhythms.

Every few metres the music shifted, afrobeat thumping, Arabic drums rolling, pop anthems lifting the spirits of the tired legs and making the run under the beautiful early breeze feel lighter, and an enjoyable experience.

Even the elderly showed up for joy. A man who must have been pushing 70 blazed past me like a gust of wind. I never caught up, not even close.

Only spotted him later at the finish, seated on the green lawn, smiling like he had done this a thousand times. He was faster, stronger, and more agile than me. I’ll admit that defeat gracefully.

For Maria, though, this wasn’t merely a fun run. This was fuel, another layer in her already disciplined fitness routine.

The mother of two, aged 10 and 8, radiates the energy of someone in her mid-thirties, though she’s 42. Dubai made her intentional. She wasn’t always like this.

“This wasn’t always me. A year and half ago, before Dubai, I was someone else. I ate everything. Didn’t move much and was overweight. My body kept score.”

The scar she carries isn’t visible, but it runs deep, a dark road in the past that still shapes every step she takes today.

’12 years ago, I lost my first baby to pre-eclampsia. That experience changed everything. After losing my first child, I realised life is precious and I have to take care of my body. That’s why I run now. I run for my body, for my mind, for my soul. I run because I would never want to have such an experience again. That loss was one of the darkest chapters of my life. I can’t undo it. But I can make sure it never happens again. So, shedding excess weight reduces the chances of pre-eclampsia recurring,” she explains.

Pre-eclampsia is a pregnancy complication marked by high blood pressure and signs of organ stress, often affecting the kidneys or liver, that usually develops after the 20th week.

It can escalate quickly if untreated, posing risks to both mother and baby.

Although she had laced up back in Kenya, she remained inconsistent bursts between life’s other demands. But Dubai changed everything. Her younger brother Vincent, entrenched in the city’s fitness industry for 15 years, became her architect of transformation.

“Vincent is the reason for my transformation. When I arrived here, he didn’t just help me settle, he rebuilt me. Connected me with running groups. Drafted my diet plans. Designed my workout programs. He saw what I needed to become before I could see it myself.”

Her progress is written not just in her stride and physique but in sharp numbers. She has shed 20kgs since her arrival, weighs 70 kgs now, and 10kgs more to go to achieve what she considers her ideal.

But Dubai demanded adaptation. When it’s considered summer in Dubai, the city becomes a beast of its own. Between June and August, the desert city simmers at 45°C, sometimes higher, hence running outside becomes dangerous rather than noble.

“I shift to strength training during summer, the gyms here are all mostly air-conditioned. Any runs happen before dawn, before the sun turns the air to liquid fire. You learn quickly here, weight and heat don’t negotiate. I had to evolve or collapse.”

The city’s architectural design itself conspires toward movement. It’s a city built not just upward, but outward, everything is grand in scale, for instance the iconic Dubai Mall, large enough to host a 10KM race along its marble corridors entirely indoors.

Here, people walk a lot.

‘In Dubai, most people use the metro. Do you know it can take nearly an hour to walk from the Mall metro station to the mall itself? And that’s just one station. There’s a lot of walking here. This city makes you walk whether you planned to or not. Every errand becomes cardio,” she says.

Metro walkways stretch like arteries through the city air-conditioned tunnels feeding thousands into commercial districts.

The Dubai Mall link alone moves over 13,000 pedestrians at a time, a slow but steady stream of footsteps, purpose, and sweat.

Still, movement is only half of Maria’s discipline. Food is the other. She eats with purpose, not pleasure as was the case many years ago.

The Gulf’s cuisine doesn’t sing to her palate, nothing tastes quite like home, flavors always slightly off-key but function trumps nostalgia.

She admits despite the lack of the full-bodied flavour she grew up with, she eats for function, not indulgence.

‘I eat three balanced meals a day. Portion control is key. More protein and vegetables. Complex carbs to keep glucose stable. I love oat pancakes. They keep you full, reduce cravings. Breakfast is overnight oats, plain yogurt, and blueberries.”

Maria’s story lingers with me long after we part ways, her resilience, her discipline, her battle back to health in a foreign land.

It mirrors what this entire morning feels like, people reclaiming their bodies, their breath, their power.

And she is not alone. Among the 307,000 participants that filled Sheikh Zayed Road that morning, about 300 Kenyans ran beside me like elite runner Philip Kiptoo 34, who zoomed past me at some super-sonic speed.

These Kenyans, some visiting and some residing in Dubai were scattered through the crowd like familiar faces in a foreign sea. Their jerseys flashed by their accents made a point, vibrant strokes of home.

I felt it then, that sense of belonging in motion. A tribe defined not just by nationality but by purpose.

Dubai, perhaps more than any other city, champions movement.

What began as a vision from the Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in 2017 – to make fitness an accessible daily culture – has grown into a global phenomenon with over two million people from across the world having participated. The Dubai 30×30 Fitness

Challenge, now an annual tradition, has rewired the rhythms of the city.

For 30 days every year, every resident is encouraged to commit at least 30 minutes of exercise daily. Roads turn into running paths, parks pulse with Zumba, open gyms and HIIT, waterfronts fill with cyclists, gyms open their doors, and communities rally all for free.

Free gyms, cardio and zumba studios are set up in every part of the city including the Dubai beaches and even malls.

As I walked away from the finish line that morning covering an extra three kilometers to my hotel, calves aching, lungs stretched, heart pumping faster, I felt more than just the high of completion.

I felt changed. Not because I ran 10 kilometres, but because I ran them in a place where health is not a luxury or an afterthought, but a shared civic heartbeat.

Perhaps that explains why almost everyone I encountered looked remarkably fit.

You’d have to narrow your eyes, really search, to spot even one rounded belly, something so ordinary on the streets of Nairobi that you hardly notice it anymore.

Investment bank Dyer and Blair and stock brokerage Francis Drummond have been picked to guide Kenya Pipeline Company’s initial public offering (IPO) in which the government seeks to raise Sh100 billion by selling a 65 percent stake.

Sources have confirmed the selection of the two market intermediaries to this publication ahead of the expected floating of the State corporation’s shares on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) in the first quarter of 2026.

Dyer and Blair which is affiliated to businessman Jimnah Mbaru has been selected as the lead stockbroker while Francis Drummond has been appointed as the co-sponsoring broker for the IPO. Dyer and Blair has the primary objective of organising the initial public offering by working with other investment banks to establish an advisory consortium.

Its scope of work also includes assessing KPC’s financials and current market conditions to arrive at the initial value and number of shares to be sold.

Earlier this month, this publication confirmed the selection of Faida Investment Bank as the lead transaction advisor for the IPO process.

Dyer and Blair was the second most profitable brokerage firm in six months ending in June 2025, booking a net profit of Sh123.6 million representing an 870 percent growth rate from Sh12.7 million a year prior.

Francis Drummond meanwhile bounced back to profitability to post Sh13.4 million in net earnings over the same period from a loss of Sh1.3 million previously.

The government has a set deadline of March 31, 2026, for the listing of Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) shares on the NSE.

The Privatisation Commission which is tasked with overseeing the sale process sought the services of transaction advisors to lay the framework for the transaction.

These include the lead and co-sponsoring stockbroker, legal advisers, an advertising agent, a public relations firm, a receiving bank and a registrar.

The lead transaction advisor will be responsible for coordinating the entire IPO process including overseeing all other advisors.

‘The National Assembly has approved the privatisation of Kenya Pipeline Company Limited through an initial public offer of shares on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE). The expected closing date for the transaction is March 31, 2026,’ the Privatisation Commission said in a notice in October.

Members of Parliament approved the transaction in the same month with the deal expected to see the government offload a 65 percent majority stake to private investors. The Privatisation Commission is expected to ensure that all liabilities and risks affecting the valuation of KPC are comprehensively assessed, transparently disclosed and factored into the transaction valuation before proceeding with the IPO.

The advisors including law firms involved in the process are expected to book hundreds of millions of shillings in fees, lifting their bottom-line in the process.

The firms usually attract fees that are mostly a percentage of the entire transaction.

Investment bankers and lawyers who are guiding the sale of the government’s 15 percent stake in Safaricom are expected to pocket nearly Sh2.3 billion in fees, mirroring the sizable earnings available for the facilitation of market deals.

South Africa domiciled Vodacom which is purchasing the stake told analysts on a conference call that the Safaricom share purchase deal would yield transaction costs of between 200 million rands (Sh1.51 billion) and 300 million rands (Sh2.27 billion) where the bulk covers brokerage fees and stamp duty changes.

Previously in 2023, British multinational Diageo disclosed that it spent £4 million (Sh688 million) on transaction fees when buying an additional 14.97 percent stake in EABL.

The government is planning to hand over the modernisation of the country’s driving licence system to a private investor after years of underperformance by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA).

This is after the NTSA missed the target for issuance of chip-based driving licences (DLs) for the second time in three years, blaming the underperformance on motorists’ growing preference for electronic (system-generated certifications) driving licences.

The cost of constructing houses has shot up by up to 16 percent in just 10 months, dealing a major blow to the homeownership dream of many Kenyans who are also keeping away by high mortgage terms.

A fresh update by the Architectural Association of Kenya (AAK) shows that the price of putting up homes, including bungalows, maisonettes, and luxury apartments, has climbed sharply in the 10 months to October.

The unit cost of a bungalow and maisonette grew by about 12 percent, driven by high fuel costs and inflation, piling fresh pressure on Kenya’s housing market. Putting up a bungalow now costs Sh54,730 per square metre while the cost for a maisonette is Sh59,868 per square metre.

‘The cost of constructing a standard bungalow increased from Sh48,750 per square meter in 2024, representing a 12.27 percent rise. Middle-class maisonettes recorded a more moderate increase of 11.28 percent, moving from Sh53,800 to Sh59,868 per square meter,’ said AAK.

Construction costs across all major residential building categories continued to rise between 2024 and 2025, the association has said, at a time when only a tiny fraction of households can qualify for costly mortgages.

‘Higher-end units registered sharper escalations, with luxurious maisonettes rising by 16.35 percent from Sh84,000 to Sh97,730 per square meter,’ said AAK.

‘Standard low-rise apartments experienced a 13.9 percent increase, from Sh60,435 to Sh68,837 per square meter, while luxurious apartment blocks saw their construction costs climb by 15.53 percent, from Sh77,910 to Sh90,013 per square meter,’ the lobby added.

The higher cost reflects pressure on prices of construction material such as sand for a better part of 2025.

For example, data by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) shows that the cost of construction input rose at the fastest pace in nearly two years during the third quarter of 2025, lifted by higher prices of steel, electrical fittings, sand, and bitumen, signaling budget pressure on construction projects.

The Construction Input Price Index (CIPI) increased by 1.27 percent between July and September this year, marking the quickest quarterly rise since December 2023.

The index stood at 121.27 points, up from 119.75 in the previous quarter and 120.38 in the same period last year.

The CIPI measures the price changes in the inputs used in construction, such as materials, labour, and equipment. The index helps to track overall construction costs.

The increase in CIPI, between July and September, was driven mainly by steel and reinforced bars, whose prices rose by 5.2 percent, while electrical fittings increased by 5.1 percent.

Prices of bitumen macadam and sand rose by 4.7 percent and 3.6 percent, respectively.

The cost of cement and timber, however, eased by 1.39 percent and 2.71 percent, respectively, helping to marginally moderate the overall rise in input costs.

KNBS data also showed that the Building Cost Index, which measures changes in material prices for structural works, rose by 1.48 percent to 121.29 points, while the Civil Engineering Cost Index climbed to 121.79, reflecting higher prices of bitumen and petroleum products.

This marked the sharpest quarterly movement in 21 months, reversing a period of relative price stability that had held since early 2024.

The last comparable increase was in December 2023, when construction input prices rose by 1.66 percent. AAK warns that the rising cost of materials, labour, and transport is not only inflating project budgets but also widening the gap between households and affordable home ownership.

With developers passing increased costs onto buyers, market prices for newly built homes continue to climb at a pace outstripping wage growth and household savings.

This trend is locking many first-time buyers out of the market and deepening reliance on rental housing, especially in urban centres where demand remains high.

“These increases reflect higher material costs, labor adjustments, and the general inflationary environment within Kenya’s construction sector. The trend demonstrates that residential development costs continue to rise, even with relative stability in the exchange rate,’ added AAK.

Domestic carrier Safarilink Aviation is expanding its regional footprint with the launch of a new Nairobi-Entebbe service via Kisumu, set to take off on Monday.

The move by the airline comes amid evolving tourist patterns across East Africa and the growing demand for seamless safari-to-safari and safari-to-coast travel connections.

KCB Kenya has received Sh19.5 billion ($150 million) financing from the African Development Bank Group (AfDB), allowing it to expand its lending, especially to women-led entities and green businesses.

The country’s largest lender, by asset base, said Sh12.9 billion of the funds will be subordinated debt. Subordinated debt is classified as tier two capital and contributes to a bank’s total capital position that determines the amount of lending a bank can do.

You know Procera gin, don’t you? It’s founded by a guy called Guy, which is your first cue that you’re onto something interesting here. You’ve probably drunk it or at least seen it on shelves. Very handsome bottle.

If bottles could dress up, a Procera bottle would be the guy in designer loafers-or a lady with a sharp chin, sunglasses, and a silk headscarf, flattering in the wind. You don’t throw away a bottle like that. That’s art.

Procera recently held their second cocktail competition at the distillery in Industrial Area. A cocktail competition is basically bartenders under pressure-shaking, mixing, juggling bottles. Fast hands, sharp eyes, creative flair. Taste matters. Showmanship counts. There was also music.

Benjamin Thiong’o took the day. He works at Jekyll and Hyde (I’ve never been). Moves fast. Talks little. Tattoo. He beat 42 bartenders from places like Ole Sereni, Cultiva, Hemingway’s Eden, Craft Chameleon, and Muthaiga Country Club.

Part of the final challenge was five cocktails in 10 minutes. Watching it felt like watching a man defuse a bomb made of ice cubes. I never imagined I would use the words ‘tension’ and ‘cocktails’ in the same sentence. But here we are.

After the dust and citrus settled, and Thiong’o’s back had been patted adequately, Procera announced something called the Procera Cocktail Passport. It’s basically a booklet with the top 17 finalists and their signature drinks. You take it around different bars, order the drink, get a stamp. A bar crawl but with documentation-your mother would approve.

If you manage to fill the whole passport by 30 January 2026, Procera will give you a bottle of gin, some merch, and a guided tour of the distillery, where they’ll explain things you’ll pretend to understand.

You can pick up the passport at any of the participating bars. Or just ask your bartender. If they shrug, that’s your sign to find a better bar. Either way, drink slowly. There’s art in the glass, and life is short-even for gin lovers.