Asianet Pakistan Private Limited

A travel agent based in Mombasa has sued KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, seeking a permanent injunction to restrain it from demanding payment for five tickets, allegedly purchased fraudulently.

In its case at the High Court in Mombasa, Kilindini Travel Centre Ltd says it is an International Air Travel Association (IATA)-accredited travel agent, authorised to conduct air ticketing business for both local and international travel.

For every 10 adult Kenyans living with high blood pressure, only four are aware of their condition, according to a new statistic, highlighting alarming gaps in access to treatment for a disease that puts millions of lives at risk.

The World Health Organisation’s Hypertension Profile 2025 estimates that 5.5 million Kenyans aged 30 to 79 have high blood pressure, equivalent to approximately 28 percent of the population.

The World Bank has asked Kenya to consider additional consumption taxes like excise duty and value added tax (VAT) to clear mounting supplier arrears in what could spark fresh social unrest if adopted.

The multilateral lender wants high consumption taxes to clear pending bills, which rose to Sh526 billion in June from Sh421.6 billion in March, triggering business closures, layoffs and non-performing loans.

Kenya has opted to settle a syndicated loan of $430.55 million (Sh55.6 billion) from the Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (TDB), a sign the State could not meet the lender’s refinancing terms.

Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi said the multilateral loan was very costly, adding that while the government considered taking a new facility to repay it, the expense made refinancing unattractive.

Revenue collections by the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) at border points hit a monthly record of Sh85.15 billion in September, the agency announced on Wednesday, attributing the milestone to reforms that have sealed loopholes and accelerated cargo clearance.

The historic performance shattered the previous record of Sh82.55 billion set in January this year.

Forty years ago, an idea came to Nazir Noordin and Raju Patel while working in office furniture and equipment spaces. They realised that investors in those businesses had adopted a trading perspective; no after-sales support, and customers could not always buy a new photocopying machine whenever theirs broke down.

A simple market survey showed that no company was offering such services, and Mr Noordin and Mr Patel decided to pick it up, marking the birth of Copy Cat Group. Their sole aim was to maximise the longevity of machines through the provision of technical expertise and spare parts.

Every October, Customer Service Week reminds us that service isn’t just about processes – it’s about people. This year’s theme, Mission: Possible, speaks directly to our reality: every customer interaction is a chance to build trust, loyalty, and long-term value.

The customer of today is different. They don’t buy products or subscriptions; they buy experiences. A flight is judged not just by time of arrival, but by the warmth of check-in and how staff handle disruptions.

A TV subscription isn’t only about channels – it’s about how simple it is to sign up, how smooth the payment feels, and how quickly help comes when needed. That’s why service can’t be treated as a department. It’s a culture. It’s the heartbeat of every touchpoint, from a WhatsApp chat to how we respond when a customer is frustrated. The companies which win are those where everyone – from the CEO to the newest intern – sees themselves as custodians of the customer.

Digitalisation has made service faster and smarter, but speed alone doesn’t equal satisfaction. When a customer is worried or upset, nothing replaces human empathy. The future lies in hybrid service: technology to handle the predictable, and people to handle the emotional.

Complaints aren’t problems to brush aside – they’re roadmaps to improvement. Every time a customer points out a broken journey, they give us insight to redesign better. The most forward-looking businesses are already using data to fix issues before the customer even notices.

This shift is visible everywhere. Service centres now focus less on routine transactions (which are now online) and more on solving complex issues and guiding customers.

Our frontline is no longer just transactional – they are brand ambassadors, educators, and problem-solvers. To succeed, we must continue investing in their training, tools, and empowerment. Loyalty today is earned through relevance. Customers expect to be seen, understood, and remembered. The boldest companies are already moving from personalisation to predictive service – experiences that feel effortless and intuitive.

In a tough economy, customer experience is not a ‘nice-to-have.’ It is the strategy. A delighted customer not only returns but becomes your loudest advocate.

Exceptional service sparks word-of-mouth marketing you can’t buy. And it starts with a culture that treats every challenge as a mission worth solving.

As we celebrate Customer Service Week under the banner Mission: Possible, let’s remember, this isn’t just a slogan. It’s a mindset. With the right culture, tools, and attitude, every interaction can be transformed into a moment of truth.

Because customer experience isn’t the next frontier of business success. It is the frontier.

Investors in Kenya’s $1.5 billion (Sh193.8 billion) Eurobond issued last week were given a discount of Sh4.3 billion on the face value of the securities as the government sought to keep the interest rate on the securities below the initial levels demanded by investors.

A discount on a bond represents the additional return an investor will get on redemption of the security, assuming the paper is held to maturity.

An agricultural export promotion agency of the Indian government has lost its bid to stop a Kenyan trading company from branding its imported rice as ‘Basmati Rice’.

The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) wanted the Court of Appeal in Nairobi to overturn a decision by the High Court that allowed Krish Commodities Limited to register six trademarks bearing the word Basmati.

Did you know government bonds can give you a pay cheque every month? While the Treasury papers typically pay out interest just twice a year, smart investors use the bond laddering strategy for steady income each month.

In this episode, we’re climbing the ‘bond ladder’ with financial advisor and founder of Azara Wealth, Belinda Kiplimo. She breaks down how to build a bond portfolio – a ‘ladder’- where each step brings in reliable cash flow all year round.

Make Money, a podcast series, hosted by Kepha Muiruri, from Business Daily Africa unravels ways to be financially savvy. Get practical tips and advice on how to increase your income, build wealth, and achieve financial freedom in Kenya. Whether you’re just starting out or a seasoned investor, we’ve got something for everyone.