Category: Business Daily

Internet service provider Liquid Telecommunications has once again been found to be in breach of data privacy laws for recording a Zoom meeting with a former employee, despite his express denial of consent.

In a landmark ruling, the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) faulted the company for retaining the recording even after one of the participants requested its deletion, raising concerns in an era when virtual meetings, often recorded, have become a corporate norm.

The ODPC ordered the telco to pay Andrew Alston, its former chief technology officer, Sh700,000 for violating his data privacy rights by unlawfully recording and retaining the Zoom call.

‘The call recording caused harm and prejudice to the complainant, in the context in which it was used. The call containing his personal data was processed by the respondent, Liquid Kenya, without his knowledge and consent,’ said Data Commissioner Immaculate Kassait in the ruling.

‘As a result of the processing, the complainant was placed in a position where he had to object to the processing and defend the admissibility of the call at his own cost.’

This marks the second time Liquid has been penalised by the data protection regulator. Last year, the company was fined Sh500,000 for using a man’s image for commercial purposes without his consent.

According to the latest case file, Mr Alston held a meeting with the head of human resources at Liquid Kenya and the overall HR head in London shortly after being laid off. ‘The call was heated, and a lot of things were said,’ he told the ODPC.

He added that although he had expressly requested that the call not be recorded and had been assured it would be deleted, he was shocked to discover it had been preserved and later used as evidence in a lawsuit he filed against Liquid Mauritius, the parent company of Liquid Kenya.

In its defence, Liquid argued that it had retained the recording out of ‘legitimate interests’, claiming that it was needed for potential evidence since Mr Alston had already threatened to initiate arbitration against the firm.

‘The recording of the call was specifically retained to document, for possible evidentiary purposes, certain proposals or threats that the complainant had made to or against Liquid Kenya during the call,’ the telco told the ODPC.

While acknowledging that the company may have had legitimate grounds to keep the recording, the ODPC ruled that Liquid failed to notify the data subject, thereby breaching the Data Protection Act.

The regulator further noted that the firm did not demonstrate how its ‘legitimate interests’ justified sharing the recording with Liquid Mauritius, a separate entity that was the subject of the lawsuit.

Ms Kassait also found that the telco’s claim of legitimate interest did not pass the necessity test, as there were ‘less intrusive’ ways to obtain the same evidence.

‘The purported legitimate interest fails the necessity test to the extent that there were other less intrusive means of achieving the same purpose, that is, evidence for purposes of litigation, such as written confirmation or minutes of the meeting,’ she said.

If you are to meet Antonina Agata in a restaurant, she will first seek to know what the menu looks like. Her eating, she says, is not dictated by what’s available; she curates what she eats to suit her holistic lifestyle, regardless of where she is.

‘I don’t just eat the way I eat at my house; even when I travel outside the country, I will look for food that aligns with my nutritional standards.’

The 47-year-old Certified Health and Holistic Nutrition Coach and founder of Emeri Holistic Health does not have fitness goals. No. She calls them standards. ‘Standards are irreducible minimums that I have set for myself; I can’t go below them. Diet is a big part of my general fitness, and I take it with the seriousness it deserves.’

Her fitness journey dates back about one and a half decades. ‘In December 2011, I went for a hospital open day where I had my vitals taken, everything. I was told, was okay except my body weight. Before this, I was not sleeping well and had elevated levels of the Prolactin hormone. I remember the doctor declaring that I was obese. This stuck with me long after leaving the hospital.’

For the longest time, she was comfortable with her weight and body structure. ‘Growing up, weight was never frowned upon; it was seen as a score of how good one was doing. So, it never struck me even remotely that I could be facing a possible health problem.’

She weighed 96 kilos back in 2011. The following year, she sought the help of a nutritionist and a gym to rebrand herself and live a healthier life. ‘It wasn’t about losing weight, though that would eventually be a consequence of the change in my lifestyle-it was more of dropping off the obese tag. I dropped out of the gym not long after.’

Then, in her early 30s and working at a leading bank, she picked up walking. She walked around Upper Hill, where she worked at the end of every working day. At home, she filled bottles with sand for weight training.

‘It never truly felt like working out. I lost 16 kilos just by minding what I ate and walking.’

So noticeable was her body’s transformation that a senior manager at her workplace noticed and asked. ‘I had just cut my hair bald, and with the massive loss of weight, my colleagues were concerned. A senior manager thought I was going through a tough season of life.’

In 2015, the weight started creeping back. ‘I went through a season of mental and professional unsettlement. I was not happy at work. I did not know where I wanted to go with my career life. I moved industries; from finance to FMCG [fast moving consumer goods] . This rapid movement did not offer a learning period. For me, this meant I was learning on the job. My working hours were affected, I had gone back to school for my masters as well, this meant I would at times have my evening meal at the university’s cafeteria on the go and mostly these were sugary snacks. The weight gain would hit me like a boulder at some point.’

Antonina is not one to let years of gains go down the drain. ‘I always go back to see what is changing, how it affects me and what I need to do to rise above it.’

The odds would have been against her if she had not adhered to her self-efficacy code. ‘I could sit back in the comfort of not finding time to eat healthy or continue with my physical fitness regime, and let life pass by. But life is about making do with what you have as you seek to reach where you want to go. I call it self-efficacy. I started waking up at 4 am to do my High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) for about 30 minutes. I made plans for my meals. I almost never ate out. I used to carry my lunch and dinner. Before leaving the office in the evening for class, I would warm my food, and just before getting to class, I would sit down and eat.’

From this part of her journey, Antonina learned something pivotal.

‘Always find a way to incorporate balance into your life. Everyone, as it is commonly said, has the same 24 hours. What happens between waking up and going to bed is what sets people apart. Balance is found in being intentional about time and activities.’

This balance, she says, may not achieve a perfect equilibrium.

‘Opportunity cost is a key factor in this business balance. My social life was heavily dented because many times, I was too pressed for time to squeeze in additional activities. You choose what you can forgo and do what must be done.’

In 2018, she returned to the gym. ‘I needed to lift heavier. My muscles had grown used to the makeshift weights I had at home.’

Antonina does not consider going to the gym as working out. ‘I call it training, teaching your body to be strong. It’s teaching your muscles resilience. The gym is your body’s classroom,’ she adds.

She got a personal trainer later on after recognising the need for one from her brother. ‘For this thing to work, you must create an environment that supports your growth. It is not a linear cast-in-stone process. You gain new knowledge on the move, and sometimes this new knowledge unsettles what you have held on to for long. The secret is in being flexible and adjusting with time. Besides, what worked 10 years ago may well not work in the present. Once you realise this, you become more receptive to change.’

Her core started to build and look stronger. She is unable to hide her excitement when showing off her midsection’s six-pack abs.

‘People see the results, no one sees the efforts. When I look at myself in the mirror and see these abs perfectly coming together to form a ‘six-pack,’ I see all the efforts I have put in training my body to look like it does right now.’ Her biceps are well-toned, and she feels good at accomplishing something not many people her age have.

She added running to her fitness catalogue in 2020. ‘It was what everyone did in 2020, but beyond this, I wanted to see how far my body could go. How much push it can accommodate.’

This is a part of the large build that is her constant movement. ‘Movement is among my very first activities of the day. I wake up and move for about 10 minutes in the estate, climb a flight of stairs three times before I can start the day.’

During this interview at the Wadi Degla Club, she parked her car at the farthest corner just so she could walk. ‘I do this even in the supermarket, I always park the farthest I can. I watch movies standing up at times. I am a creature of habit. When I started moving, it became a part of who I am, and now I just can’t sit for long periods of time.’

Around the same time in 2020, she was diagnosed with depression, which may have led to body dysmorphia. ‘Despite having lost significant weight, toning my body and attaining what many would consider an ideal body, I felt it wasn’t good enough.’

It was a dark pit that took great effort to extricate herself from. ‘I am now comfortable with the cellulite here, a wrinkle there, a dimple somewhere else, and the scars. It’s who I am, and if I don’t like myself yet I am the most important person to me, how am I supposed to be human?’

In 2022, she looked beyond the gym and training. ‘I started hiking mountains. Hiking has had tremendous benefits to my body, mind and spirit as well. It is where, besides shaping my character in terms of endurance and resilience, I hike to connect with a higher consciousness, what many would call God,’ she offers.

Her fitness journey has led her to embrace WHO’s definition of health. “A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

‘When I got depressed and later when my father died in 2024, leaving me in a bad mental state, it was running and Yoga that held me together. This worked for me. I can’t encourage anyone out there to dismiss pharmacotherapy, but I didn’t use antidepressants for treatment. I hit the road, and I did Yoga. I got healed.’

Her motivation is simple: ‘I want to be 96 and have the ability to walk and see the world.’

With the widespread use of semaglutide injections for weight loss, especially in Kenya, bariatric surgery has somewhat taken a back seat. Yet the real question isn’t which option wins, but who needs what and when.

Dr Prabu Kathiresan, a consultant laparoscopic bariatric surgeon at Aga Khan University Hospital, states that semaglutide injections can be safely combined with bariatric surgery.

‘For example, if we combine a sleeve gastrectomy, which is a restrictive procedure for a morbidly obese patient, with semaglutide, the results are much better,’ he explains.

‘If the patient is in a wheelchair because of obesity and has arthritis, we can start with semaglutide, help them lose some weight through passive exercises, and after some time, they will be safe enough to undergo surgery.’

He explains that semaglutide works by mimicking a natural gut hormone that reduces hunger and helps patients feel full sooner.

However, once the injections are stopped, the effect diminishes. Since the anatomy isn’t altered, appetite can return to previous levels, and many patients start eating more again.

Obesity is a disease that affects more women in urban areas than men.

In a typical month, Dr Kathiresan sees six to seven patients seeking bariatric surgery. But before any intervention, he first checks whether they have followed standard weight loss protocols and examines what truly drives their weight gain. ‘What is the weight problem? Is it hormonal issues, depressive or psychiatric issues?’

For instance, if a patient has hypothyroidism and is gaining weight because of it, that must be addressed first. If it is the only cause, the patient often responds well once the thyroid issue is managed. The next step, he says, is to motivate the patient to make lifestyle and diet changes.

For bariatric surgery, surgeons either bypass the normal food pathway or restrict how much a person can eat, which naturally reduces calorie intake.

‘In restriction, we remove around 75 to 80 percent of the stomach from the body. In bypassing, we create a small pouch in the stomach and connect it directly to the small intestine. So, malabsorption will occur, and nutrients won’t be absorbed like in a normal person,’ he says.

Which procedure is more common?

According to Dr Kathiresan, the choice depends on the patient’s needs and profile. ‘For example, if a young woman wants to lose weight so she can conceive, we prefer a restrictive procedure because we cannot risk significant malabsorption. She will need those nutrients for a healthy pregnancy,’ he explains.

For sustained weight loss, bariatric surgery still requires patient commitment. ‘If patients revert to their previous eating habits, they will regain the weight,’ he says.

Success in bariatric surgery is gradual. Dr Kathiresan mentions that, for instance, if a patient is 160 centimetres tall and their ideal weight is 60 kilogrammes, weighing 110 kilogrammes means they have 50 kilogrammes of excess weight. ‘By doing surgery, after a year or two, they can lose up to 50 percent of that excess weight,’ he says.

Who should consider bariatric surgery?

The current guidance from the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery states that anyone with a body mass index (BMI) over 35 may be considered for surgery, especially if they also have obesity-related conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, or sleep apnoea.

However, before surgery, patients are encouraged to start some form of physical activity so that movement becomes part of their routine by the time they reach the theatre.

‘As a surgeon and as an anaesthetist, we’re happy when we see a patient lose around 10 percent of their body weight before surgery,’ Dr Kathiresan says.

After an uncomplicated bariatric procedure, patients can usually start consuming small amounts of liquid food on day one or two. They then gradually transition to puréed foods, semi-solids, and then solid foods.

Dr Kathiresan warns that if a patient regularly consumes large amounts of junk food, like chocolate every few hours, they will gain weight again.

‘The stomach has the capacity to stretch. Even if only 20 percent of it is left, it can still stretch to accommodate the food volume you put in,’ he explains.

Can one get pregnant after surgery? ‘Yes, but preferably after a year or two,’ he says. ‘Pregnancy is physiologically demanding, so it’s better to wait until the body has adjusted.’

When the standard gauge railway (SGR) first roared to life, it wasn’t only locomotives connecting Mombasa and Nairobi. It was people, habits, and worlds.

On one side stood Chinese engineers, disciplined and punctual; on the other, Kenyan staff, warm, social, and famously unhurried. What began as a clash of customs slowly became one of the most remarkable experiments in cultural exchange in Africa.

Culture, though often invisible, is the real engine behind every organisation. It shapes how people communicate, solve problems, and even greet one another.

Studies show that diverse teams outperform uniform ones because they challenge each other to think differently. The SGR proves this daily. The friction of difference eventually produced the spark of efficiency.

At the beginning, however, the differences were almost comic. The language barrier was so steep that a new dialect was born: ‘Chinklish,’ a lively mix of English, Kiswahili, and Mandarin. If something wasn’t satisfactory, a staff member might shrug and say, ‘No sawa.’

Food was simply ‘chaku.’ When all else failed, gestures and Google Translate did the job. What could have been chaos turned into camaraderie; every misunderstanding came with laughter, and laughter built bridges.

Greetings offered another lesson. In Kenya, saying ‘Jambo’ to everyone in sight is a sign of respect. Chinese colleagues, used to quiet starts and reserved formality, were puzzled by the constant small talk.

To Kenyans, silence felt cold; to the Chinese, chatter felt excessive. Over time, each side learned the other’s language of courtesy, sometimes literally. The same happened with timekeeping. The Chinese insistence on punctuality and scheduled meals first amused Kenyan staff, but soon it transformed operations. Time, once flexible, became sacred, and efficiency followed.

Food and festivals turned out to be the gentlest teachers of all. Chapati met dumplings, ugali shook hands with steamed rice, and curiosity replaced hesitation.

During Christmas or Eid, Chinese staff joined Kenyan colleagues in celebration; during the Lunar New Year or the Dragon Boat Festival, Kenyans returned the gesture, occasionally mastering the art of chopsticks with comic determination. These shared experiences dissolved the last traces of formality.

Working together also changed how staff saw their professions. Traditionally, Kenyans tend to specialise narrowly, but Chinese mentors encouraged versatility. Engineers began learning logistics or accounting; technicians explored management. The result was a team that could solve problems faster because everyone understood more than one piece of the puzzle.

To cement this understanding, the SGR operator introduced cultural exchange and team-building programmes, from language lessons to joint excursions in national parks. Bilingual translators eased daily communication, and more than 250 Kenyan employees have travelled to China for study and exchange visits.

Many return inspired by the precision and discipline they witness abroad, describing it not as rigidity but as deep respect for time, teamwork, and purpose.

Today, the impact of this cultural integration is visible in every arrival and departure. The trains run on schedule; safety and order are second nature. Behind the polished service is a workforce that has learned to see through each other’s eyes. They have built a common rhythm, half Kenyan warmth, half Chinese precision, and the results speak for themselves.

The SGR’s success story is a reminder that infrastructure is more than concrete and steel. It is built by people.

People who laugh through translation errors, learn new recipes, and slowly discover that respect is universal even when customs differ. Kenya’s railway may run on imported rails, but its real foundation is understanding.

When a train glides out of Mombasa on time, carrying passengers who trust its reliability, it also carries the quiet triumph of two cultures that met, listened, and learned. And that, perhaps, is the smoothest journey of all.

In a landmark ruling, the Employment and Labour Relations Court in Kisumu has decided that employees who sexually harass their colleagues at work can be lawfully dismissed, even where an employer lacks a formal sexual harassment policy.

The court held that offenders cannot use the lack of such a policy as a defence, affirming that respect, dignity and professional conduct are non-negotiable obligations in every workplace, even in the absence of a written manual.

The judgment sets a significant precedent for how courts will view sexual harassment cases, as it establishes that employers can still discipline offenders even when their policies fall short of statutory standards.

In a case involving a manager dismissed for sexually harassing a female cleaner, the court found that the offender could not use the lack of a sexual harassment policy or the absence of CCTV footage to challenge his dismissal.

The manager, identified only by initials TOO, to protect the identities of both parties, had sued a non-profit organisation after being summarily dismissed in August 2024 on allegations of sexual misconduct. The claimant was anonymised as RE.

The complainant, who was five months pregnant at the time, told the court that the manager had made sexually explicit remarks to her and indecently exposed himself to her while she was at work.

She also testified that he had sent her nude photos via WhatsApp, which he later deleted.

TOO told the court that the accusations were false, unsubstantiated and motivated by malice. He also argued that his dismissal was procedurally unfair, stating that he had been denied the opportunity to cross-examine his accuser and that the firm had relied on a non-existent policy.

He also claimed that he had given the former colleague snacks and money.

TOO had sought damages and terminal dues amounting to Sh1.78 million, citing violations of the Employment Act and the Fair Administrative Action Act.

But, the judge dismissed his argument, ruling that the absence of a formal policy under Section Six of the Employment Act did not invalidate disciplinary action against an employee accused of sexual misconduct.

‘The court is satisfied that the respondent’s sexual harassment policy was sufficient, despite the respondent not having put in place a sexual harassment policy in terms of Section Six of the Employment Act.

‘The fact the claimant [TOO] understood the ramifications of the accusations levelled against him indicate the absence of the sexual harassment policy in terms of Section Six was neither here nor there,’ reads the judgment.

The judge held that the employer had followed due process in dismissing the claimant, noting that he had been given an opportunity to respond to the charges and participate in the disciplinary hearing.

The court dismissed the claimant’s contention that the case was weakened by the absence of CCTV evidence, the complainant’s failure to report the matter to police or her earlier acceptance of snacks and small cash gifts from him.

‘The fact that she had accepted snacks from TOO does not make her complicit in any way in the misconduct by the claimant. The conduct of the claimant fits in the classic mould of sexual harassment as he chose the time the victim was cleaning the office, when no one else was around to harass her,’ the judgment states.

The NGO informed the court that the dismissal was both ‘procedurally and substantively fair’ and followed internal investigations that substantiated the sexual harassment allegations.

The firm said that the claimant had been issued with a show cause letter, had responded to it, and had been heard in a disciplinary hearing before the decision was made.

Equity Group’s health insurance subsidiary made a profit in its first month of operation, riding on its parent’s brand and underlining the opportunity for the lender in the insurance sector.

Equity Health Insurance Kenya, which started operations last September, reported a pretax profit of Sh23 million, the bulk of which was from investment income.

The health unit posted Sh31 million in investment income over the month and incurred claims of Sh6.4 million.

‘The insurance sector is posting numbers that bankers only dream of. The health insurance was formed in September, and this one-month-old baby has made a profit of 23 million,’ said Equity Chief Executive James Mwangi.

‘That is the magic of Equity; you open a business and in a month it has broken even.’

Equity Group-which operates life, general and health insurance business- reported a 36.4 percent growth in pretax profit for its overall insurance business in the nine months to September to Sh1.46 billion, up from Sh1.07 billion a year earlier.

The general insurance, which started to operate at the beginning of the year, recorded a pretax profit of Sh140 million. The nine-month-old business had written premiums of Sh1.66 billion, generating insurance revenues of Sh1 billion. The life insurance business, which has been in existence since 2022, posted a pretax profit of Sh1.2 billion, up from Sh1 billion in a similar period a year earlier.

The life business has issued 17.8 million policies, the bulk of which are issued through digital platforms owned by the group.

Mr Mwangi said insurance had better prospects than the banking business due to opportunities afforded by low insurance penetration.

‘We predict that insurance will become a huge part of the group. The momentum of insurance is much bigger than the momentum of the banking group,’ he said.

Kenya’s insurance penetration is at 2.3 percent, with the low uptake of insurance attributed to mistrust towards the sector. Financial inclusion under the banking sector is currently 84.8 percent, meaning eight of every ten mature Kenyans are now banked.

Equity is banking on the reach of its brand to grow its insurance business and has turned its branch staff into agents to sell insurance products.

The bank disclosed that 2,395 staff took training on certificates of proficiency in insurance, underscoring the bank’s push to rely on existing resources to push the new business line.

‘What we expected to do is to disrupt and democratise insurance to drive inclusion,’ said Mr Mwangi.

Equity Group is a large player in the health industry with Equity Afia, its medical franchise, running 147 hospitals, which were visited by approximately 4.3 million patients last year.

Its interest in the Equity Afia hospitals, which are owned and managed by doctors who go through its education scholarship programme, provides the group with a pool of potential customers for health insurance.

Former Cabinet Secretary (CS) Raphael Tuju has failed in an attempt to reopen a long-running battle with a regional bank, over a contested debt of Sh4.5 billion loan.

The High Court dismissed the fresh application by Mr Tuju and his company Dari Ltd, saying the issues raised by the former CS had been addressed in previous court decisions.

Mr Tuju had asked the High Court to review its January 2020 decision that recognised a judgment issued in London in favour of the East African Development Bank (EADB).

The London judgment compelled Mr Tuju and his companies to repay a loan borrowed from EADB in 2015, which has since grown to more than Sh4.5 billion and triggered auction of some of Mr Tuju properties.

The formeer CS argued that he had discovered new and important evidence supporting his case that warrants a review of the judgment.

‘The matter has been finally decided by a court of competent jurisdiction. This court will not permit a collateral attack on a final and valid foreign judgment already recognised by this court and the appellate court,’ said the court.

Mr Tuju told court that the new evidence emerged from a cross-examination of a key witness, David Odongo, who testified on behalf of the bank, allegedly confirming that the loan borrowed in 2015 was two-phased.

Mr Tuju further said Mr Odongo recanted key parts of his earlier sworn affidavits that were used to obtain the UK judgment and its registration in Kenya.

He said the witness also admitted that the loan agreement was part of a two -phase project, land acquisition and constructions of villas, but that the facility agreement only reflected the first phase.

Read: EADB asks High Court to clear Tuju assets sale

The court, however, said the issue of two-phased project had been litigated to its conclusion before the English courts. The court also said it would be legally improper for the High Court to make a determination on an issue that is pending before the Supreme Court.

The former CS has been battling with the regional bank over a disputed debt, arising from a loan borrowed by in 2015.

Mr Tuju’s firms Dari Ltd and SAM Company Ltd entered into a facility agreement with the lender for a loan of $9.3 million in 2015 to expand his business. The loan was secured by several forms of collateral, including an indemnity and guarantee agreement on April 10, 2015.

Mr Tuju’s two properties Entim Sidai alongside Tamarind Karen and Dari Business Park, were charged as security for the loan.

The former CS accused the bank of failing to disburse the full amount thereby causing cash flow difficulties for the principal debtor.

When Dari Ltd failed to service the loan, the bank issued a demand for the immediate repayment and soon filed a suit in the United Kingdom against the company and the guarantors -Mr Tuju, his children and SAM Company Limited.

In a judgment on June 19, 2019, Judge Daniel Toledano of the High Court of Justice Business and Property Courts of England and Wales, entered summary judgment against Dari and guarantors, jointly and severally, for $15,162,320.95.

To enforce the decision, the bank moved to the High Court for recognition of the judgment. The decision was adopted on January 7, 2020 as provided under the Foreign Judgment (Reciprocal Enforcement) Act.

Dari Ltd filed an application before the High Court, for setting aside the UK judgment but it was rejected and the matter escalated to the Supreme Court, where it is pending after the judges disqualified themselves from the case.

One of the properties, Dari Coffee and Garden Restaurant was allegedly auctioned in October for Sh450 million, but Mr Tuju contested the sale.

The planned sale of a second property, Entim Sidai Wellness Sanctuary and Tamarind Karen and Dari Business park, was stopped by the court after Mr Tuju contested the valuation tabled by Knight Frank Valuers, which was appointed to value the properties.

Venture capital firm Novastar Ventures has received a $40 million (Sh5 billion) equity investment to back climate tech startups in Kenya, Rwanda, Nigeria, South Africa and Egypt.

The Nairobi, Lagos and London-based VC company invests in early- and growth-stage African businesses using technology to solve problems in a ‘planet-positive’ manner.

The new commitment is from the Green Climate Fund (GCF), a global fund for developing countries set up by the 194 countries that are parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 2010.

It is part of Novastar’s $200 million (Sh25.9 billion) third Africa People and Planet Fund (NVIIII), which GCF said will be invested in startups that promote ‘a clean, inclusive, and sustainable development path for Africa’ in the five markets.

‘Investments will be channelled into companies focused on three main themes: services that enable adaptation and resilience; clean technology for decarbonising economic growth; and innovative climate technology for natural resources,’ the multilateral fund said in a statement.

Other investors in Novastar’s NVIIII include British International Investment and three Japanese players: the Japan International Cooperation Agency, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation and Mitsui OSK Lines.

Since it was launched in 2014, Novastar’s portfolio spans Africa’s four largest venture capital destinations -Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Egypt-and Ethiopia and Rwanda.

Locally, it includes the electric vehicle startup BasiGo, the agri-tech venture iProcure, clean cooking firm Koko Networks, Poa Internet- an Internet Service Provider, and the insurance technology startup Turaco.

There has been increased investment interest in climate tech and green energy solutions across Africa in recent years, as the sector inches closer to financial technology (fintech), whose startups have received the largest chunk of investment.

Last year alone, data from the startup funding tracker Africa: The Big Deal shows that fintech ventures attracted over $1 billion (Sh129 billion), representing 47 percent of the continent’s startup funding.

Climate-related tech startups claimed 32 percent of the amount in the energy, agri-tech, green transportation and waste management sectors.

The database also indicates that since 2019, 26 of the top 100 most funded startups in Africa fall into the ‘climate tech’ sub-sectors. Fintech has produced 42.

Officially, Nicanor Sabula is the CEO of Kenya Association of Travel Agents (Kata). Unofficially, he is the arbiter of taste of what’s hot in the cushion world. The man loves a good pillow.

Among his stated dreams is to return to Chamonix, in the French Alps, an idealised destination; a metaphor for freedom. But it is South Africa that first fluttered its eyelashes at him, and he winked back. ‘God created the world, and then He rested. And then God created Cape Town.’

If he is living his life right, then perhaps his three children might fall closer to his tree: outdoorsy, mountaineering, running. All this counterweighted by a good steak, which he also makes, to the chagrin of his wife. Money, you often hear said, can’t buy happiness, but it can buy good steak, and if you are not happy with a good steak, then this is not a problem that money, or a good pillow, can fix.

Now that travel is your work, how do you switch off when you’re not working?

You know, it’s interesting because people assume that since I work in travel, I spend my day on holiday. But that’s just a part of it. That said, I’m an outdoors person. I spend my time in the wild. I’m in love with bush experiences and would be camping every day were it not that my wife is a luxury traveller.

I do a lot of running and walking on the weekends. I have done mountaineering, and occasionally I love visiting new places. It’s work outside work. But the weekend is also for my family.

What’s the first thing you do when you get to your hotel room or Airbnb?

Haha! I throw myself on the bed and test the pillow [chuckles]. This will determine whether I’m going to have a good sleep or not. Then I’ll walk to the window and hopefully I am on the 40th floor to see the world, and what awaits me. That’s my ritual. Bed, pillow, window.

What makes a great pillow?

I need a fluffy, white, balanced pillow that is not too soft and not too hard, one that gives me comfort, which assures me that when I’m deep asleep, my wellbeing is taken care of. It’s got to come in the right size. At some point, I even contemplated carrying my own pillow.

Are you also the kind of guy who shops for pillows often?

No, I don’t shop for pillows. I only use one pillow. I don’t experiment. My body has gotten used to a certain specific pillow. So when I go to a hotel and I find a pile of them from which you have to select, I keep on testing until I find the one that fits me [chuckles].

What’s the best lesson you’ve learned on the road?

Your destination is not necessarily determined by the road you take. You can have very different experiences on the road towards your destination, bumpy or smooth, or clear. I once went to a place deep in the interior of Elgeyo Marakwet on a very bumpy road, but when I got there, all my troubles just dissipated. The road does not matter.

What is a travel tip that you think people should ignore?

Haha! Many people are told that if they book their own trips, it will be cheaper. But cheap is very expensive. And now that I’m in the travel industry, I’ve come to discover that one should let the professionals do what they need to do for you. It may look slightly expensive, but in the long run, it’s always cheaper for you, because travel is very unpredictable, which is why they say ‘Safari ni mjinga’ (The journey is foolish (unpredicable)). If you can, use a professional to book your travel.

How do you take care of yourself?

I exercise, which gets even more important as you age, when your body becomes vulnerable. Recently I have taken an interest in going to the spa to pamper myself. But I’ve found a lot of value in disappearing in the wild and just going and unwinding, and I realise that when I do that, I have a lot of time to think about myself and my purpose, and that renews me. Spending time listening to my music and walking around gives me clarity of mind.

What habit are you trying to kick?

My love for steak. But I’m increasingly being told I need to slow down.

By your cardiologist?

Actually, by my wife. She doesn’t like it the way I like my steak. So she’s always encouraging me to cut down on red meat. I’m struggling a bit. But hopefully I can manage it.

Can you make a good steak?

Yes, I do. That’s the only thing I cook in the house when it’s my shift for cooking. Everyone enjoys my steak; I practise what I preach. I love the steak, so I also know how to prepare it.

Does it remind you of someone, something or somewhere?

Maybe it reminds me of my childhood. Growing up, eating meat was not a very common thing. I guess when I could afford it, I decided to compensate for the meat that I never ate when I was young. I’ve found that some of the best steaks are in South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana.

What is the weirdest thing that has happened to you while you were travelling?

The late mountaineer Joshua Cheruiyot Kirui lured me to summit Mt Kenya in a day and back. We left at 6am, and I was coming back to Camp Moses at about 8pm. So I spent 14 hours climbing a mountain [chuckles]. I think it’s something that I will never do again, considering I was just an amateur.

What do you do when you procrastinate?

Haha! Procrastination, of course, is a killer of dreams. In the past, I would dismiss self-help books, but I have been reading ‘Atomic Habits’ by James Clear, one of my favourites. I hand it over to anybody who I feel needs to kick out certain habits. It has been a powerful tool to remind me about the power of building habits, and it is a book I have read numerous times.

What’s your weekend soundtrack?

Music is my love, and it is perhaps what I inherited from my late dad. I have a taste for good music, which should have good arrangement, composition, and message. My son introduced me to a new jam: ‘Taya’ by Okello Max. I love that song.

What are you looking forward to doing this weekend?

I am on dad duties this weekend. I shall be taking them for a hike without their mum, and I want to see what that will look like. I have three children, a son and two daughters, and I will be with the daughters only. We will unwind and get to connect.

Through my children, I get to see the growth in my life, the mistakes I made, and the power to shape and make a better version of who I could have become through them.

What has been the best compliment your children have paid you?

The investment I have made in my children is presence. During my last birthday, my daughter said something about me, that she is proud I have been to every event of hers in life and school. That made me proud because I have been deliberate, which is something I did not have growing up.

Congratulations. What’s your number one guilty pleasure?

Haha! Travel because I’m the kind of guy when I go into a new city, I want to explore and experience the city. And I get a certain excitement just when I’m out in a new place. But I am moderate in my expenditure.

What is the one place you went to that altered the way you see the world?

That’s a very good one. My best experience was going to Chamonix on the French side of the Alps. It’s a beautiful mountainous place, a small city in France. I had never been in a vastness of snow with very clear rivers. I feel that should be the end of the world. I am also a big fan of Cape Town. I feel like God created the world. And then created Cape Town. It’s got everything for everyone.

Are you beholden to the window seat or you don’t mind the aisle?

I’m a window seat guy [chuckles]. And I love take-offs when I’m on the plane, I just want to be able to see the world as the plane comes down. But as I grow older, I’m realising that I also need to sit at the aisle for the bathroom visits [chuckles].

Lastly, please settle this debate for us once and for all, professionally: Who gets the armrests?

I think the middle seat guy needs somewhere to rest [chuckles]. It’s the worst sitting space, and I’ve even contemplated walking out of the plane. Give the middle guy something to hold on to!

Demand for ICT skills is emerging as the most defining feature of Kenya’s labour market, with a new nationwide research showing that three out of every four employers now rank digital capability as their top recruitment priority.

A local skills gap study conducted jointly by the Mastercard Foundation and online job-listing firm BrighterMonday, across multiple sectors, indicates that 75.9 percent of employers prioritise ICT skills above all other technical competencies.

The findings, which signal that Kenya’s employment landscape is transitioning into a digital-first model faster than policy and curriculum reforms can adjust, align with wider global labour patterns observed in recent forecast publications.

‘The study established that digital and ICT-related competencies emerged as the most demanded technical skills among employers surveyed. An overwhelming 75.9 percent of employers cited digital and ICT skills as critical for their sectors,’ noted the study that interviewed youth employers, trainers, and NGOs.

‘This finding reflects the digitisation wave sweeping across sectors such as finance, education, logistics, creative industries, and public service. Employers emphasised the importance of these skills in navigating modern workplace systems, managing data, operating digital tools, and maintaining competitive relevance.’

Multiple contemporary projections have shown that technological adoption, automation, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data-driven production will continue to shape both the fastest-growing and fastest-declining occupational classes.

Global analysts have warned that while advanced and middle-income economies are reporting accelerated uptake of generative AI tools among professionals, lower-income countries risk remaining on the margins of this transformation without deliberate national alignment in digital capabilities.

In Kenya, the shift is not limited to the technology and software industries.

The latest skills gap report shows that employers across industries spanning agriculture, logistics, hospitality, manufacturing, construction, financial services, among others, are increasingly operating on digital systems ranging from platform-based transactions and customer engagement channels to digital payments.

Other rapidly-expanding use cases include automation of back-office processes, inventory management technologies, digital traceability systems, data analytics, digital HR systems and AI-supported workflow tools.

This, the study notes, has fundamentally altered the profile of what constitutes job readiness in the country.

Where degree specialisation or sector experience once acted as the primary recruitment signal, employers now emphasise functional digital output as the more reliable predictor of workplace productivity.

Hiring teams reported that the historical advantage conferred by academic credentials is narrowing sharply, as technology continues to rapidly evolve and workplace tools become more specialised, automated and dynamic.

The survey findings come at a time Kenya is entering a phase when automation systems and AI models are increasingly enhancing their capabilities of processing repetitive or manual tasks, with the digital capacity of the workforce becoming the differentiating advantage in value-add roles.

Globally, robotics and autonomous systems adoption continues to report steady annual growth, with AI research forecasts suggesting that long-term productivity gains will be achieved where technology is applied appropriately alongside human capabilities.

Earlier in January this year, the Future of Jobs 2025 report by the World Economic Forum (WEF) projected that broadening digital access would be the most transformative trend in business growth and expansion this year, with advancements, particularly in AI, robotics and automation, among others setting the pace.

According to the report that incorporated employer views, the top three fastest growing skills in the year would include expertise in AI and big data, networks and cybersecurity as well as general technological literacy.

Additionally, technology-related roles that would drive the fastest jobs growth in percentage terms would include Big Data specialists, fintech engineers, AI and machine learning specialists as well as Software and application developers.

In Kenya, the concentration of software engineers relative to population is Africa’s sixth highest, with 1,095 techies in every one million people, highlighting the country’s rising digital talent momentum.

Kenya’s concentration of techies is placed behind Tunisia, which has 4,120 developers per a million people, South Africa (2,234), Mauritius (1,345), Morocco (1,345) and Egypt (1,224).

The fast expansion of engineering talent places Kenya in a stronger regional competitive position to capture higher-volume outsourcing value of work on the international stage, rather than remaining a consumption market for global technology systems.