Can Nigeria reform a public school without losing its public purpose?

The argument over King’s College, Lagos, risks becoming a dispute about ownership when the more urgent question is educational: how does Nigeria restore a historic public school whose problems extend beyond ageing buildings to teaching quality, management, infrastructure, student welfare and academic standards?

That question should be at the centre of the Federal Government’s review of the proposed concession to the King’s College Old Boys’ Association (KCOBA). The government says the school will remain publicly owned, with KCOBA assuming responsibility for financing, rehabilitation, modernisation, operation and maintenance under a public-private partnership. KCOBA, meanwhile, has proposed a ?100 billion endowment and transformation programme covering infrastructure, teacher development, scholarships, laboratories, libraries, digital systems and student welfare.

There is a reasonable case for such outside intervention. KCOBA says years of inadequate maintenance, overcrowding and weak institutional systems have contributed to the deterioration of the college, while its members have already funded projects at the school. The association has also argued that previous interventions have not been sustained because there was no sufficiently strong management structure to maintain them.

The experience of St Gregory’s College, Lagos, makes that argument worth examining. The school was returned to the Catholic Mission in 2001 after more than two decades under Lagos State Government control. Its own account says the period of government management had left the institution in poor condition and that its return opened a new chapter. Reporting on the subsequent revival has pointed to substantial alumni support, expanded boarding facilities, new laboratories and improvements in academic, sporting and other aspects of school life.

But St Gregory’s is evidence of possibility, not proof of a formula. It returned to a mission proprietor; King’s College would remain a federal public institution under a PPP arrangement. The relevant lesson is therefore not that government should simply hand struggling schools to alumni or private interests. It is that public institutions can benefit from external capital, expertise and stewardship when those contributions are placed within a governance system that protects the institution’s purpose.

That distinction should shape the King’s College review. The objective should not be to decide whether KCOBA or the government wins control. It should be to determine what arrangement can produce demonstrably better education while preserving the school’s national character.

The first measure should be academic performance. Before major capital is deployed, King’s College needs a public baseline covering examination performance, subject-level results, teacher-student ratios, attendance, teacher qualifications, laboratory and library capacity, student progression and other indicators of learning. The proposed investment should then be tied to a three-to-five-year improvement plan with published targets. A renovated laboratory matters but the real question is whether students receive better practical instruction and perform better.

Teachers should be at the heart of this reform. KCOBA has said teachers who remain under the new arrangement would receive improved remuneration, including a commitment to double salaries and allowances. The government has also indicated that teachers who do not wish to remain under the arrangement can be redeployed within the federal system. These proposals need to become a formal staffing framework covering salaries, pensions, promotion, professional development, recruitment and redeployment.

Paying teachers better is necessary but not sufficient. King’s College should be able to recruit specialist teachers where genuine shortages exist, particularly in science and technology, while existing staff should have access to continuous professional development and transparent performance expectations. A school cannot recover its academic reputation if its teachers remain an afterthought to its infrastructure.

The financial and governance arrangements require equal discipline. If ?100 billion is the transformation target, the public should know how much has actually been committed, how much has been raised and how the money will be spent. Independent annual audits, published project reports and clear procurement and conflict-of-interest rules should be mandatory. KCOBA should have meaningful oversight of funds it raises, but no stakeholder should exercise unchecked control over a public institution.

Affordability must also be contractual, not rhetorical. KCOBA has said it does not intend to increase what parents currently spend and plans scholarships for indigent students. Those commitments should be written into the final agreement, alongside rules governing fees, admissions and access. Better facilities should not gradually transform a national school into one accessible primarily to wealthy families.

The current seven-member review committee has an opportunity to establish these safeguards. It is examining the concession’s duration, funding, staff welfare, fees, operational control and KCOBA’s financial obligations. Its task should therefore be broader than deciding whether the existing agreement survives. It should determine whether the agreement can be redesigned around measurable educational outcomes.

King’s College does not have to choose between an underfunded public institution and an unaccountable private one. The St Gregory’s experience suggests that external stewardship can contribute to revival; the King’s College case can go further by combining alumni capital and expertise with continued public ownership, professional management and transparent accountability.

Five years after implementation, the test should be visible: are students learning more, are teachers better paid and better trained, are facilities functioning, is access protected and can the public account for the money invested? If those outcomes improve, the partnership will have justified itself. If they do not, arguments about ownership will have missed the real issue.

Nigeria does not need another experiment in who controls a public school. It needs a credible demonstration that a historic institution can be rebuilt around the people who matter most: its students and teachers.

Firm builds digital marketplace to fix Nigeria’s construction services gap

Bettabuilder, a Nigerian construction technology company, has launched a digital marketplace that connects homeowners, property developers, and businesses with construction professionals, suppliers, service providers, and equipment partners.

The company unveiled the platform in Lagos to address challenges in Nigeria’s construction and real estate sectors, including difficulty finding trusted professionals, coordinating service providers, and accessing construction resources.

Oladotun Oladapo, chief executive officer and co-founder of Bettabuilder, said the platform was developed from the company’s experience in construction and property development.

‘The problem we are solving is not simply about technology. It is about making construction connections easier, more structured and more accessible,’ Oladapo said.

The Marketplace brings contractors, artisans, architects, engineers, suppliers, equipment providers and construction companies onto one platform. Its location-based model is designed to help users identify professionals and services relevant to their projects.

Bettabuilder said the platform will serve homeowners, property developers, facility managers, people planning construction projects and Nigerians in the diaspora managing projects remotely. Its website describes the Marketplace as a membership-based platform connecting users with vetted professionals, building material vendors and tool rental services.

At the launch, Omoruyi Edoigiawerie, founder and lead partner of E and C Legal, stressed the importance of professionalism, legal compliance, proper documentation and accountability in construction and real estate transactions.

Sam Okosun also urged project owners to engage qualified professionals, citing the risks associated with undertaking construction work without the required expertise.

The launch also featured Alvin Cheng of SANY Group, who expressed support for the Marketplace and discussed possible collaboration in heavy construction equipment.

The proposed collaboration could connect construction companies and professionals seeking machinery with equipment providers offering heavy-duty solutions.

Bettabuilder said it plans to expand its professional network and develop an ecosystem that gives clients access to construction services while increasing visibility and business opportunities for professionals and suppliers.

The company positions the Marketplace alongside its real estate development business as part of its broader strategy to improve access, trust and coordination within Nigeria’s property and construction markets.

Troops kill 52 terrorists, arrest 350 criminals, rescue 655 in September

Troops killed 52 terrorists and criminals, arrested 350 suspects and rescued 655 kidnapped civilians across the country in September as the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) intensified counter-terrorism and other security operations.

Michael Onoja, Director of Defence Media Operations, disclosed this on Wednesday at its combined monthly and third-quarter media briefing on military operations, saying troops also recovered 52 arms and 2,335 rounds of ammunition during the month.

The operations were conducted across the North-East, North-West and North-Central theatres, as well as parts of the South-East, amid continued attacks by terrorist, bandit and kidnapping networks.

Onoja said troops sustained kinetic and non-kinetic operations throughout September, disrupting terrorist logistics, arresting collaborators and suppliers, rescuing abducted civilians and forcing terrorist fighters to surrender.

In the North-East, troops of Operation HADIN KAI recorded some of the major counter-terrorism successes, particularly in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states.

During the month, the troops neutralised 27 terrorist fighters, arrested 49 terrorists, rescued 103 kidnapped victims and facilitated the surrender of 73 insurgents and their family members.

On September 1, troops encountered a command-detonated Improvised Explosive Device along the Miyanti-Banki Junction Main Supply Route in Bama Local Government Area of Borno State.

The ensuing engagement resulted in the neutralisation of one terrorist and the recovery of a rifle, ammunition and the IED initiator.

On September 17, troops supported by an Air Component helicopter gunship repelled a large-scale terrorist advance at Gajiram in Nganzai Local Government Area of Borno State.

Further engagements around Benisheikh and Azare Village in Kaga and Gujba local government areas respectively resulted in additional arrests and recovery of ammunition.

The military also reported a significant humanitarian dimension to the operations, saying troops intercepted 44 members of terrorist families at Konduga in Bama Local Government Area on September 24.

The group comprised 13 women and 31 children who had fled terrorist enclaves amid clashes between rival factions.

Onoja noted that more than 70 terrorist fighters and their family members surrendered at various locations in Borno during the month.

Some of those who surrendered reportedly cited hunger, harsh living conditions and lack of basic provisions within terrorist enclaves in the Mandara Mountains and Lake Chad region.

In one instance, a repentant terrorist surrendered at Benisheikh with an AK-47 rifle, a hand grenade and an IED.

Troops also intensified efforts to disrupt terrorist supply chains, arresting suspected logistics suppliers, informants, spies and collaborators.

On September 23, troops arrested a suspected logistics supplier conveying Starlink internet devices allegedly destined for Chad along the Dikwa-Gamboru Road.

In the North-West, Operation FANSAN YAMMA recorded operations across Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara states.

Troops neutralised seven terrorists, arrested 26 and rescued 171 kidnapped victims during the month.

The military said troops also targeted terrorist kingpins and their forest hideouts, including operations around Yantumaki Forest in Katsina State, Magarya Forest in Sokoto State and areas around the Nigeria-Niger border in Kebbi State.

The operations led to the recovery of rifles, a machine gun, a rocket-propelled grenade launcher, ammunition and other military-related items.

‘One of the major rescue operations occurred on September 17 when a Nigerian Air Force jet intercepted terrorists moving with a large number of kidnapped victims in the Bazama area of Sakaba Local Government Area of Kebbi State.

‘The operation disrupted the terrorists’ movement and enabled more than 60 kidnapped victims to escape’, Onoja said.

In the North-Central region, Operation SAVANNAH SHIELD troops operating in Kwara and Niger states neutralised five terrorists, arrested two and rescued 27 kidnapped victims.

Troops also defused 12 IEDs during operations in Borgu and Kaiama local government areas.

Operation ENDURING PEACE, covering parts of Bauchi, Kaduna and Plateau states, recorded the arrest of 155 suspects, the neutralisation of nine terrorists and the rescue of 28 kidnapped victims during the month.

Troops also raided suspected criminal hideouts and arrested members of kidnapping syndicates operating in Plateau and Kaduna states.

In one major operation, troops working with Forest Guards ambushed suspected kidnappers at Kudu Yamma in Ningi Local Government Area of Bauchi State on September 21.

Three kidnappers were neutralised while six kidnap victims were rescued.

Operation WHIRL STROKE, covering Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa and Taraba states, also recorded significant rescue operations, as troops neutralised one terrorist, arrested 57 suspects and rescued 320 kidnapped victims during the month.

On September 19, troops raided the residence of a suspected kidnap kingpin in Bukan Sidi, Lafia, Nasarawa State, arresting the suspect and recovering a locally made revolver, military-style uniforms, a luxury vehicle and cash.

The military said evidence recovered from the suspect’s phone linked him to militia activities.

Troops also rescued 18 passengers abducted from a bus at Andaha Community along the Jos-Akwanga Road in Akwanga Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.

In the South-East, Operation UDO KA continued operations against secessionist elements, recording the neutralisation of three criminals, the arrest of 28 suspects and the rescue of six kidnapped victims.

Troops also arrested a suspected IED fabrication expert allegedly linked to a secessionist group near Okigwe in Imo State.

On September 23, troops and local security groups encountered suspected secessionist terrorists at Obibi Forest in Orsu Local Government Area of Imo State.

‘The fleeing suspects abandoned a General Purpose Machine Gun, a rifle, ammunition and a motorcycle, while troops arrested a suspected informant and rescued a woman who had reportedly been abducted about two months earlier’, DHQ said.

The Defence Headquarters said troops neutralised 554 terrorists and criminals, arrested 1,333 and rescued 1,736 kidnapped civilians during the third quarter of 2026.

The military also said 333 insurgents surrendered during the quarter, while troops recovered 244 arms and 8,160 rounds of ammunition. However, the Defence Headquarters disclosed that troops recorded 367 attacks across the various theatres during the period under review.

Operation ENDURING PEACE recorded the highest number at 147 attacks, followed by Operation FANSAN YAMMA with 115 and Operation WHIRL STROKE with 55.

Operation HADIN KAI recorded 33 attacks, while Operation SAVANNAH SHIELD recorded 13 and Operation UDO KA recorded four. Operation DELTA SAFE recorded no attacks during the period.

The military said troops responded to the attacks with superior firepower and tactical manoeuvres, while also conducting IED clearance operations, dismantling terrorist camps, recovering weapons and protecting communities and major supply routes.

The military authority commended troops for their professionalism and sacrifice and acknowledged the losses and hardships suffered by military personnel, civilians and their families during the period.

He also called for continued cooperation between the Armed Forces, other security agencies, local security groups, traditional rulers and communities.

Onoja urged Nigerians to provide credible information to the nearest military formation or through the toll-free line 193, assuring citizens that information received would be treated confidentially.

From Eagle Square to Lagos, Independence Day parade fades under Tinubu

The familiar spectacle of Nigeria’s Independence Day, soldiers marching in formation, military bands playing, fighter jets streaking across the sky and the president reviewing the parade before a crowd of dignitaries, appears to be becoming a thing of the past under President Bola Tinubu.

For decades, the October 1 celebration in Abuja was not merely a ceremonial event. It was one of the occasions when the commander-in-chief stood before the armed forces and Nigerians in a highly choreographed display of national power and military tradition.

But in Tinubu’s first four Independence anniversaries, the traditional parade has disappeared from the national calendar.

The change has been gradual. In 2023 and 2024, the president marked Independence Day with relatively low-key ceremonies at the Presidential Villa, accompanied by his national broadcast. In 2025, the government cancelled the Independence Day parade altogether. And in 2026, Tinubu again chose Lagos, his home state, for the celebration, with no military parade planned as part of the ceremony.

The development marks a departure from the established practice of successive administrations, under which the Eagle Square in Abuja regularly provided the setting for the October 1 military spectacle.

From Eagle Square to the Villa and Lagos

Tinubu’s first Independence Day as president in 2023 came only four months after he assumed office. Rather than the elaborate military display traditionally associated with October 1, the president delivered his 63rd Independence Anniversary address to Nigerians.

The following year followed a similar pattern, with the national celebration centred on the Presidential Villa rather than a full-scale parade at Eagle Square.

By 2025, however, the break with tradition became more pronounced. On September 29, the Federal Government announced the cancellation of the Independence Anniversary parade scheduled for October 1, saying other programmes would continue.

The cancellation came as military authorities were investigating serving officers over an alleged plot to overthrow the Tinubu administration. At the time, the Defence Headquarters explicitly rejected reports that the parade cancellation was connected to the alleged coup, saying the decision was made to allow Tinubu to attend a strategic bilateral meeting and enable the armed forces to maintain momentum in counterterrorism operations.

Subsequent investigations and court proceedings, however, established that the alleged coup plot was the reason behind the decision. The plot was uncovered in September 2025 and the cancellation of the October 1 parade followed the arrests of suspected participants. The military later acknowledged that officers had plotted to overthrow the government.

That episode therefore became an important turning point in the disappearance of the traditional Independence Day military spectacle. But even after the security scare of 2025, the parade did not return.

A second Independence Day in Lagos

Again, Tinubu marked Nigeria’s 66th Independence anniversary in Lagos, rather than Abuja.

For Nigerians accustomed to seeing the president at the centre of a military parade, the change was particularly visible. There was no Eagle Square ceremony, no presidential parade review and no extended military pageantry. The day’s central presidential engagement was his Independence Day broadcast.

The shift has also prompted nostalgia among Nigerians who remember October 1 differently.

One X user, Tosin, captured the sentiment in a post reflecting on the changing character of the national celebration.

‘October 1 used to feel like this…We’d wake up and tune in to NTA. The President’s speech would set the tone for days, then came the military parade, with the President waving from his vehicle.

‘Today, the President is in Lagos instead of Abuja, so there’s no traditional parade review after what I consider a subpar Independence Day speech. May God heal Nigeria.’

The post reflects a broader question about whether the fading of the parade is simply a change in the format of national celebrations or represents a deeper retreat from a tradition that connected the presidency directly with the armed forces and the public.

Tinubu’s reduced presence at military ceremonies

The change is not limited to Independence Day. Tinubu’s personal attendance at the annual Nigerian Defence Academy passing-out parade has also declined since his first year in office.

In September 2023, the president attended the NDA passing-out parade in Kaduna and addressed the graduating cadets himself. The ceremony featured the traditional parade, march-past, commissioning and presentation of awards.

Since then, however, the president has increasingly been represented at military graduation ceremonies.

In 2024 and 2025, Vice President Kashim Shettima represented Tinubu at the event.

At the September 2026 NDA passing-out parade, speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abba, represented the president.

The NDA passing-out parade is one of the most important ceremonial occasions in the military calendar because it is the point at which newly trained officers formally enter the armed forces. It provides the commander-in-chief an opportunity to speak directly to a new generation of officers about discipline, professionalism, constitutional loyalty and the security responsibilities they are assuming.

Tinubu’s predecessor, late President Muhammadu Buhari, maintained a perfect, uninterrupted 100% attendance record at the event during his administration.

A changing presidential tradition

None of this means military ceremonies have disappeared under Tinubu.

What appears to be changing is the frequency with which the president personally occupies the centre of the military’s major ceremonial occasions.

For many years, Independence Day offered perhaps the clearest annual expression of that relationship: the president, as commander-in-chief, surrounded by the country’s political leadership, reviewing soldiers and other security formations while the nation watched. Under Tinubu, that image has gradually faded.

The reasons are different from one event to another: security concerns, foreign engagements, scheduling and the president’s decision to celebrate Independence Day in Lagos all feature in the record.

But the result is increasingly unmistakable: the October 1 military parade that once defined Nigeria’s Independence Day is no longer a fixture of the celebration.

The 50-year-old building the body she wants at 80

Mrya Dennousse, 50, became a grandmother in June. Retirement from the rat race was not part of the plan. If anything, grandmotherhood appears to have given her another reason to keep moving.

‘I am not your average grandma, you know. I may be old-school, but I am still very active,’ she says with a chuckle.

Turning 50 has made her more intentional about the kind of exercises she does to keep her body in shape, her health and her understanding of ageing.

Mrya Dennousse, 50, became a grandmother in June. Retirement from the rat race was not part of the plan. If anything, grandmotherhood appears to have given her another reason to keep moving.

‘I am not your average grandma, you know. I may be old-school, but I am still very active,’ she says with a chuckle.

Turning 50 has made her more intentional about the kind of exercises she does to keep her body in shape, her health and her understanding of ageing.

Dennousse is pushing back against a narrative she believes African society has fed women for generations: that once they hit a certain age, intimacy automatically fades, and their bodies lose appeal.

‘We have always been sold this narrative that once a woman gets to 50, her performance drops. I certainly don’t feel that way,’ she says.

Dennousse says ageing is not a switch that suddenly turns off a woman’s desire, confidence or sense of self. It doesn’t mean surrendering that part of oneself, something she insists that women as humans should be able to enjoy for as long as they can, even into their older age.

She acknowledges that the female body goes through significant hormonal changes as a woman moves from perimenopause into menopause. Those changes can affect everything from energy levels and sleep to mood and intimacy.

‘You age thrice in your life,’ she says. ‘When you hit puberty and adulthood, then around age 45, and after that, when you reach age 60. But when you get to 45, the ageing is accelerated, and that’s what women don’t understand.’

Her point is that the body she had in her 30s and early 40s cannot simply be treated the same way at 50.

‘Our bodies undergo a lot of hormonal changes, and this is why many women are led to believe that at a certain age they are no longer at their best,’ she says. ‘Yes, the things you were capable of doing in your 40s, past the age of 45, become increasingly harder. So you have to be more intentional.’

For Dennousse, understanding how her body has been changing over the years as a woman goes hand in hand with her fitness.

Having been physically active for most of her life, she says turning 50 and becoming a grandmother has prompted her to rethink the way she exercises.

She once trained as many as six days a week, combining strength training with long, intense cardio and conditioning sessions.

These days, she trains four days a week, with another day dedicated to what she calls active recovery, including yoga, stretching and mobility work.

Her focus, she says, is no longer simply on looking fit but also on staying strong. So she now trains for longevity. She is no longer chasing exhaustion or trying to lose weight. Her priorities are strength, muscle mass, and bone density, with the ultimate goal being longevity.

‘The body loses muscle quite fast as you age, and this is a concern for me because muscle is the organ of longevity,’ she explains. ‘I want to be able to actively play with my grandchildren in my 80s. I don’t want to get to a point where I will become dependent on people because I got frail as a result of my muscles getting weak.’

Dennousse has also abandoned the routine where more exercise automatically means better results; that is why she has also scaled down the number of workout sessions she has in a week. Instead of spending hours doing numerous sets with light weights, she prefers fewer, heavier, and more deliberate movements.

‘As long as I have warmed up, I will go into heavy weights, minimal reps. That’s how I train these days because, as I said, my focus is strength.’

How she does it

On the bench press, she can now lift two 30kg dumbbells (a total of 60kg), for a limited number of repetitions. When she was younger, she could lift around 50kg (a total of 100kgs) but would push for more repetitions. Now, she would rather lift heavier for six to eight controlled repetitions than chase volume.

‘I noticed when I stopped forcing myself with many reps, which was volume, I recover much faster, and that ensures I get quality by maximising the output. When you are younger, volume isn’t really a big deal because your body has the capability of recovering much faster, which isn’t the same case as you age. These days I’ve scaled down. Instead of going and doing six, seven workouts in a session, I pick two. I combine with another two of a different muscle group, and I close the day. One hour, 30 minutes, I am done,’ she says.

The irony is that, despite getting older, she believes she is getting stronger.

Dennousse recalls a recent amusing encounter with a younger woman who regularly commented on her workout videos, seemingly comparing her own training with hers.

But when Dennousse revealed her age, the comments stopped.

‘I was like, okay, so when you were competing with me, you thought I was your agemate?’ she laughs.

Dennousse’s fitness journey began in her 30s, long before she had the knowledge she has today. At one point, she was on her heavier side, weighing 85kg and dealing with health concerns that included high blood pressure, palpitations, and anxiety.

Her doctor warned that if she did not prioritise her health, her body would eventually force her to.

‘I had to create time. And I say to many of my peers that it doesn’t have to be in the gym. Just create time to do something for yourself.’

Back then, finding that time meant waking up at 4am to exercise before her children woke up. On some evenings, rather than taking public transport home, she would walk.

‘I would walk from Kimbo, where I used to live, to Kahawa, where I ran my business. That is a 14km walk, and in the evening I do the same.’

She has also made a habit of abandoning her car and taking a walk when the distances are shorter than 10km for an engagement or even when going shopping.

She maintains that health cannot permanently remain at the bottom of the priority list.

‘Work is important, but your health should be your priority. Because when it comes second, trust me, one day that body will make demands and you will not like it.’

That message has become even more important to her as she watches the growing interest in fitness among Kenyans.

She believes the Covid-19 pandemic provided something of a reality check, making more people conscious of the importance of health and physical fitness. What initially looked like a fashion trend, complete with gym wear and oversized water bottles, gradually became part of a wider fitness culture.

Cosmetic surgery

However, Dennousse’s major concern is where that culture could be heading with the growing popularity of cosmetic surgery in Kenya.

Her objection is not to cosmetic procedures themselves, but to what she believes is a misplaced emphasis on looking youthful while overlooking the body’s physical strength.

‘I wish people understood that those surgeries will never fix muscle needs,’ she says.

For her, muscle is not simply about having toned arms or looking good in gym clothes. It is the foundation on which she wants to build her later years.

‘In my 80s, I don’t want to become dependent on people because I am frail as a result of my weak muscles.’

Extreme dieting

There is also something else that she has become increasingly sceptical of – extreme dieting. Looking back at photographs from when she weighed about 80kg, she says she now sees a body that carried more fat and less muscle than she understood at the time.

‘You can be the same weight, but body composition is different,’ she says.

She now appreciates the importance of adequate nutrition and maintaining a balance of proteins, carbohydrates and fats rather than eliminating entire food groups in the pursuit of weight loss.

‘Eating your macros [macronutrients such as proteins, carbohydrates and fat] in the right proportion is very key. Even the carbs that many fitness trainers will often tell you to go slow on; in reality, your body needs them for effective functioning, just the same way it needs protein.’

Health agencies cut pending bills by Sh31bn in a year

Public health agencies reduced their pending bills by a combined Sh30.51 billion in the year to June 2026, easing the debt burden on hospitals and other suppliers.

Analysis of data by the Controller of Budget (CoB) shows that outstanding bills by health-focused State corporations and semi-autonomous government agencies (SAGAs) fell to Sh23.61 billion in June this year, down from Sh54.12 billion in June 2025.

The bulk of this decline came from the insurance fund, with outstanding bills falling by Sh34.35 billion to Sh7.16 billion under the Social Health Authority (SHA), down from Sh41.51 billion under the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) in June last year.

The SHA replaced the NHIF on 1 October 2024, with the government taking over the task of settling the defunct insurer’s outstanding claims. Shortly after SHA was launched, the Ministry of Health released Sh9 billion to address outstanding NHIF bills. The ministry later said it paid Sh8.6 billion towards NHIF debts between September and December 2024.

The government has continued to pay the inherited claims. In the 2025/26 financial year, the government allocated a further Sh4 billion to settle verified NHIF bills owed to contracted healthcare facilities.

‘In terms of public debt management, the National Treasury should strengthen and implement debt reduction strategies by accelerating fiscal consolidation through the progressive reduction of the fiscal deficit,’ Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o said.

‘This will ensure that annual borrowing requirements are consistent with the targeted debt trajectory, while also strengthening domestic revenue mobilisation to address persistent revenue shortfalls.’

Dr Nyakang’o urged the State to prioritise the pending bills in the current fiscal year.

‘Further, verified pending bills should be settled on a first-in, first-out basis and adequately budgeted for in the financial year 2026/27, as well as in the medium-term budget framework, in line with Regulation 56(2b) of the Public Finance Management (National Government) Regulations 2015.’

The accumulation of unpaid bills has remained a challenge for government agencies, putting pressure on suppliers, contractors and service providers who depend on timely payments to sustain their operations.

Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) recorded the steepest increase, with its outstanding bills rising by 135 percent to Sh6.56 billion from Sh2.79 billion in June 2025.

The Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa) increased its unpaid bills by 58 percent to Sh4.39 billion from Sh2.78 billion, while Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) increased its unpaid bills by 24 percent to Sh2.14 billion from Sh1.72 billion.

This shows that MTRH added Sh420 million to its outstanding obligations during the year, while KMTC accumulated an additional Sh420 million, taking its pending bills to Sh1.32 billion from Sh900 million.

The Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri) held pending bills of Sh2.05 billion, which was largely unchanged from the previous year; however, Sh1.45 billion of this amount included penalties.

Dr Nyakang’o noted that the increase at Kemsa is significant because the agency supplies medicines and other health products to public health facilities.

According to the CoB, Kemsa’s order turnaround time improved to 27.9 days in the 2025/26 financial year, down from 69 days in 2024/25, though still above the agency’s target of 10 days.

The National Treasury increased the budget for the health sector by Sh29.73 billion to Sh164.92 billion for the 2025/26 financial year, up from Sh135.19 billion.

A warm bar, cold whisky and strange company

The last time I was at Red Ginger, there was a birthday party out in the gazebo. I had forgotten my jacket and was so cold I couldn’t have fun. I remember looking across at the bar enviously, where a bunch of very rowdy men were having the time of their lives. It looked warmer over there. How little you can do when cold gets into your bones.

Anyway, I was back, this time not for a party but to meet a pricing actuary who is a recovering alcoholic and also rears pigs. None of these things are related. Fortunately. We settled at the bar I had admired from across the winter seats. “This place is warm,” I told him. He asked if I was cold.

He looked confused. I wanted to giggle.

There are small, strange stools around the circular bar, the sort dentists sit on. Nobody in their right mind sits there. Surely. Then there are long tables, big enough for groups. We took one at the end. I ordered my whisky. My friend ordered a virgin Dawa.

The place was raucous, except for a table of older men talking somberly. Two women sat nearby having an intimate conversation. They looked like they were deciding someone’s fate. A group of middle-aged chaps gathered around a bottle. Most had tattoos. “Most likely own garages,” I said. My friend looked at me. “That’s profiling.”

Further inside, a man was on a date with a woman who we could all tell wasn’t invested. At least not yet. An office group was clapping out in the gazebo. Maybe a farewell party. Those are usually dull, the speeches especially. But the bar was busy. And warm. I looked around, smiling. My friend sipped his mocktail. “Did you know 3.8 million pigs are slaughtered daily around the world?”

I thought about it. I tried to really feel empathy for pigs, but I failed.

“I liked you better when you were a drunkard,” I said.

Airtel Money bets on low fees against M-Pesa as market matures

Airtel Money Kenya’s parent firm has signalled a mobile money market price war with Safaricom’s M-Pesa in its effort to expand its local market share, saying that high market penetration limits room for organic growth in the country.

Kenya’s mobile money segment has for years been dominated by Safaricom’s M-Pesa, which enjoys an 88.8 percent share of total subscriptions that stood at 54 million in June 2026, compared to an 11.1 percent share for Airtel Money.

However, Airtel Money has been chipping away at Safaricom’s lead over the last three years, having grown its share from 2.8 percent in June 2023, when Safaricom commanded 97 percent of the market.

Airtel Money’s current mobile money subscriptions market share is equivalent to 5.99 million users, compared to 47.95 million for Safaricom’s M-Pesa.

The parent firm of Airtel Money-Airtel Mobile Commerce NV-made the strategy disclosure in a prospectus ahead of the listing of its mobile money business in London this month.

Airtel Money provides mobile wallet, payments and other broad financial services to 53 million active users across 13 sub-Saharan African markets including Kenya, Chad, Uganda and Tanzania.

‘The group has been successfully gaining customer market share in Kenya as it leverages a clear value proposition built on lower transaction fees, superior customer incentives, improved interoperability and rapid expansion of its agent network and distribution partnerships,’ Airtel Mobile Commerce said in the prospectus.

‘There is still significant runway for mobile money growth, as evidenced by a meaningful difference in the maturity of its proliferation across the group’s footprint versus Kenya, which pioneered the use of mobile money and is today at a more developed stage in its maturity.’

The company noted that at 231 percent, mobile money total processed value (TPV) as a percentage of GDP in Kenya is three times higher than Sub- Saharan Africa’s 66 percent, indicative of significant potential growth across the other markets in which the group operates relative to Kenya.

TPV is measured as the total value of transactions on a mobile money platform generated for various products and services during a set period.

‘In Kenya, the group is focused on further scaling its distribution network to accelerate customer and revenue growth, which is also driven by top-down regulatory reforms,’ said the multinational, which is part of the businesses owned by India’s conglomerate Bharti Enterprises.

‘For example, the group recently unlocked a significant new TPV stream after the country’s regulator enforced person-to-person interoperability, opening direct payment inflows from the incumbent’s user base.’

Airtel Money has already set off the price fight by cutting fees charged on merchant payment platforms in the past three months, triggering a response from Safaricom.

On August 3, Airtel Money launched Bizna Wallet to rival Safaricom’s M-Pesa Pochi la Biashara, a low-cost product that provides small-scale traders with a simplified digital payment solution. Airtel Money’s wallet was offered free of fees to attract merchants.

Airtel Money also halved the costs on its other mobile money transactions, such as paybill payments, sending money to rival mobile money networks, bank transfers to wallets and transfers of money to bank accounts.

In response, Safaricom raised the threshold of transactions on Pochi la Biashara that are not levied fees from Sh100 to Sh200, and also halved the charges on payments to business tills and paybills.

Safaricom’s new tariffs, effective August 7, cut the maximum charges for M-Pesa tills and Paybill payments from Sh108 to Sh54 for transfers of between Sh45,001 and Sh250,000.

Pochi charges were revised for a three-month period to October 31, 2026, setting the top rate at Sh50 for transfers of between Sh2,501 to Sh250,000.

Safaricom launched Pochi in 2020 as part of its strategy to drive the adoption of digital financial services among micro-entrepreneurs, allowing them to keep business earnings separate from personal funds in a unique wallet linked to their M-Pesa account.

The number of merchants on the Pochi platform doubled to 2.1 million by March 2026, from 1.1 million a year earlier.

The Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) listed telco’s move to revise its prices indicated that it was aware of Airtel Money’s moves, lowering its own prices to protect and grow the market share of M-Pesa, its biggest money maker.

In its financial year to March 2026, Safaricom reported a 13.4 percent growth in M-Pesa revenue in Kenya to Sh182.7 billion, accounting for 45.6 percent of the company’s total revenue of Sh414.1 billion from its Kenyan operation.

Revenue from mobile data sales rose 14.4 percent to Sh83.3 billion, while earnings from fixed internet sales to homes and offices rose 12.2 percent to Sh20.2 billion. Voice revenue was up 1.3 percent to Sh81.8 billion in the period.

Airtel Mobile Commerce does not publish standalone financial performance data for markets like Kenya, instead bundling the country into a wider East Africa market.

Mau Summit-Malaba dual road plan passes first test

The planned 243-kilometre Mau Summit-Malaba dual carriageway has passed an initial viability test, with experts pointing out that the proposed toll road can be developed within the existing corridor.

The finding clears the way for a more detailed feasibility study that will establish the project’s final cost, traffic projections, tolling potential, and structure under the public-private partnership (PPP) model.

CPCS of Canada and Kenya’s Avatech Engineering undertook the pre-study that will anchor the cost of the project and toll fees to be charged by the investors who will fund the project.

Paul Kambalame, principal consultant at Canadian firm CPCS in charge of the Kenya market, said the pre-feasibility assessment examined the technical, environmental and social suitability of upgrading the existing road into a four-lane, access-controlled toll highway.

‘Our findings were that it is a suitable project. It is an important national infrastructure project for the country, and it should move forward,’ Paul Kambalame, principal consultant at CPCS in Kenya, told Business Daily.

‘It is technically viable because it falls within Kenya’s existing road right of way. Environmentally and socially, the impact is also expected to be very minimal,’ he said.

The official further said that the existing road corridor suited the infrastructure project.

‘There would not, for example, be a need for significant resettlement or for the road to pass through environmentally sensitive areas,’ Mr Kambalame said.

The planned project comprises upgrading the 243-kilometre Mau Summit-Malaba highway, converting it into an access-controlled tolled road and expanding its capacity from two lanes to four lanes. The strategic transport route is part of the Northern Corridor connecting western Kenya and Uganda and will complement the upstream Nairobi-Mau Summit highway already under construction.

The project will join the Sh170 billion Rironi-Mau Summit dual highway, marking a departure from the earlier plan, which was to extend it on the Kisumu-Busia-Malaba side.

China Road and Bridge Corporation and the National Social Security Fund have already started work on the 236-kilometre section from Rironi through Nakuru to Mau Summit.

The Mau Summit-Eldoret-Malaba section, which is part of the Northern Corridor, currently experiences heavy traffic and is prone to accidents.

The government had earlier said that the dual carriageway would be extended to Malaba through Kisumu and Busia. It had remained mum on the Mau Summit-Eldoret-Malaba section.

The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) had earlier disclosed that 24 percent of the Northern Corridor roads were in deplorable condition by 2018, forcing transporters to endure over 100 hours moving from Mombasa to Malaba, against the targeted 78 hours.

Besides the existing 27-kilometre Nairobi Expressway, KeNHA plans to construct more expressways on key transport corridors to ease the rising traffic congestion and spur both local and foreign investment.

Expressways are typically high-capacity roads designed to allow vehicles to travel quickly and efficiently over long distances with minimal interruptions. They are built to handle large volumes of traffic at relatively high speeds compared to ordinary roads and often involve tolls.

Inundation reduces hotel bookings

More than 5,400 room nights were cancelled or postponed between Sept 27 and Oct 4 nationwide, according to the Thai Hotels Association (THA), due to severe floods in Bangkok and the central and eastern regions, resulting in weak tourism confidence.

The THA surveyed its hotel members on the flooding impact, which reported 5,433 room nights were cancelled or postponed, including among 35 hotels in Bangkok and 10 hotels in Chon Buri.

Thienprasit Chaiyapatranun, the THA president, said hotel operators are worried about a slowdown in new bookings in the coming weeks as the high season approaches.

Sluggish demand stems from weak confidence following the floods. The situation was exacerbated by Thai Airways’ mismanagement, creating a baggage backlog and flight disruptions that still have not been fully resolved.

In Bangkok and Chon Buri, 1,389 and 875 room nights were cancelled or postponed, respectively, between Sept 27-29. These two provinces reported cancellations or postponements for Sept 28-Oct 4 totalling 651 and 353 room nights, respectively.

However, the association noted these numbers might also include cancellations for other reasons, due to flexible booking policies among online travel agents.

“The fourth quarter may be weaker than last year due to the recent flood and high airfares resulting from the Middle East conflict,” he said.

“Those who haven’t booked their trips yet could delay visiting Thailand or choose other destinations.”

Mr Thienprasit said the first priority to mitigate the flood impact is to restore the national carrier’s operations to normal as soon as possible.

The government should also consider reducing the cost burden for hotel operators, possibly through tax reductions, and postpone the plan to collect the 450-baht foreign tourist fee as it could worsen travel confidence, he said.

Watcharapong Khunpluem, presi-dent of the THA’s eastern chapter, said hotels in the eastern region, including Chon Buri, Rayong and Chanthaburi, reported roughly 50% room cancellations since last week, affecting both leisure tourists and meeting groups.

Hotels are offering guests the option of postponing their trips without an additional fee.

Mr Watcharapong said many hotels in Rayong and Chanthaburi are unable to resume operations as the main roads remained inundated.

In Bang Saen, the motorways to Chon Buri are accessible, but hotels cannot fully operate because some rooms need to be renovated following flood damage.

He said although new bookings are returning for this weekend, driven by the school holidays, hotels are unable to sell all of their rooms.

In October, the average occupancy rate may drop by 5-10% year-on-year, despite expectations of a rise in foreign tourist numbers, as many locals hesitate to spend on travel, said Mr Watcharapong.