- NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 18 – The Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) has partnered with the Waste and Resources Action Programme, a climate action non-government organization, to combat plastic pollution in Kenya. Carole Kariuki, KEPSA Chief Executive Officer, stated that the partnership will help…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 18 – The government targets to increase agricultural mechanization to over 50 percent of Kenya’s arable land by the year 2029. According to the Agricultural Sector Transformation and Growth Strategy (ASTGS), the use of simple to complex machines in the agricultural sector in the…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 17 – Aspira has unveiled a checkoff financing program that is focusing on over three million salaried Kenyans across all sectors. In a statement, the firm stated that the program will enable employees to access up to 1.5 times their net pay with an installment plan of up to 36…
- ADDIS ABABA, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) — Africa’s over-reliance on road transport for the movement of people and goods is challenging the realization of smart and resilient infrastructure on the continent, a senior African Union (AU) official has said. “Over-reliance on old vehicles, poor connectivity and…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 17 – Kenya received Sh59.8 billion ($412.4 million) as remittance revenue in January 2024, which is Sh5.8 billion ($39.8 million) more than what was collected in December 2023. According to the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK), Kenyans living abroad sent Sh53.9 billion ($372 million…
- ABUJA, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) — The European Union (EU) on Friday pledged a significant investment of 37 million euros (about 40 million U.S. dollars) to bolster Nigeria’s power sector. The announcement was made during a meeting between Samuela Isopi, head of the EU Delegation to Nigeria, and Minister of…
- NEW YORK, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) — U.S. former President Donald Trump and his business organizations were ordered to pay as much as 355 million U.S. dollars of penalties on Friday in a business fraud case lodged by New York State Attorney General Letitia James. In order to borrow more money and at lower…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 17 – Kenya’s public debt remains at a sustainable level through 2026 though with a high risk of debt distress, the National Treasury said Friday. The high risk of distress is due to global shocks like the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which have slowed down economic growth, the…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 16 – The government is scaling up investment in irrigation to enhance the country’s food production capacity, President William Ruto has said. He said irrigation will help the country increase acreage under cultivation and stop reliance on rain-fed agriculture. President Ruto…
- Kenya has signed a contract with the United Kingdom’s Soy-Fujax Mining Company for the revival of fluorspar mining in Elgeyo Marakwet County. The contract was signed by the cabinet secretary of mining, Salim Mvurya, who was accompanied by his principal secretary, Elijah Mwangi, and Fujax UK…
- KIGALI, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) — The African Development Bank (AfDB) and Rwanda have launched a Center of Excellence for Aviation Skills project to meet national and international aviation training standards and industry demand. The 26.6-million-U.S.-dollar project is in line with Rwanda’s national…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 16 – The Ministry of Health has negotiated the price of Heat Stable Carbetocin, a medicine used for preventing excessive bleeding during and after childbirth, from Sh1,444 to Sh92 per dose. According to the National Health Body, the medicine does not require refrigeration,…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 16 – The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has raised the red flag on the surge of violent robberies targeting taxi drivers. In a statement, the investigative agency revealed a trend by criminal syndicates hiring taxi services for either long distances or trips with…
- NAIROBI, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) — Agriculture ministers from Africa met in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, Thursday to discuss ways of boosting research that will benefit farmers in the continent. The third Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa Council of Patron…
- MOSCOW, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) — Russian President Vladimir Putin approved on Thursday the construction of a high-speed railway (HSR) between Moscow and St. Petersburg, said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. “The basic design has been agreed upon. The details of the future document will be quickly…
- Bankers have welcomed the recent rallying of the Kenyan shilling against its American counterpart, saying it points to a positive economic outlook for the country. Kenya Bankers Association (KBA) Chairperson John Gachora said in a statement yesterday that the strengthening of the local unit…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 16 – The Kenya Reinsurance Corporation (Kenya Re) will partner with local insurers to create a pool of specialized professionals in cyber security and climate change. The capacity-building initiative will be launched through the recently established Kenya Re Academy and will…
- SINGAPORE, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) — Singapore is cautiously optimistic about 2024 and expects higher gross domestic product (GDP) growth at 1 percent to 3 percent, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said on Friday. Amid a troubled international environment and subdued global economy, Singapore’s economy…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 16 – Kenya Electricity Generating Company PLC (KenGen) has successfully paid its 190,748 private shareholders Sh545.2 million, representing 30 percent of its stockholder base. The payout is part of an approved Sh1.98 billion dividend allocation for the fiscal year ending June 30…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 16 – Absa Bank Kenya has opened its 86th branch at Eastleigh’s BBS Mall as the lender eyes the area’s business community. The financial institution adds that it will roll out tailor-made products for Muslims through Sharia banking. “We have been active in this space but now, we…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 16 – Britam has unveiled the Biashara Network, which seeks to support micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the country. The insurer says that it will provide them with resources, ensuring MSMEs access to finance as well as markets, which has led to the closure of a…
- WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) — U.S. retail sales dropped 0.8 percent in January after robust growth in December amid strong holiday spending, the U.S. Commerce Department reported Thursday. Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for January 2024, adjusted for seasonal variation…
- NAIROBI, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) — Kenya on Thursday launched a 5-million-U.S.-dollar waste management program to accelerate the country’s transition toward a circular economy. Festus Ng’eno, the principal secretary in the State Department of Environment and Climate Change, told journalists in Nairobi,…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 15 – Kenya is seeking to combat malaria through a new coalition involving the Zero Malaria Campaign Coalition (ZMCC) and the Ministry of Health’s National Malaria Control Program. Dubbed ‘The Power of EveryONE’, the initiative gives every Kenyan the opportunity to eradicate the…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 15 – The horticulture regulator has opened exports of avocado amid crop maturities in growing zones. The Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) acting director, Christine Chesaro, said that the shipments will start on March 1, 2024. However, Chesaro said that all exporters will be…
- ARUSHA, Tanzania, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) — Member states of the East African Community (EAC), a regional intergovernmental organization, on Wednesday reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing energy efficiency and exploiting wind, solar and geothermal energy as sustainable energy sources for the region. A…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 15 – Airtel Kenya has expanded to Maralal in Samburu County as the telco seeks to devolve services to customers. Located at Umbrella Mall, the new shop increases the telco’s customer care shops to 67 in 40 counties in Kenya. “This expansion is in line with our commitment to…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 15 – Yellow Card CEO and Co-founder Chris Maurice has assured Kenyans of the safety of their money while using Yellow Card. Maurice said that for Kenya to attain the best levels, she must set smart and friendly regulations that will keep people safe, protect their clients from…
- ABUJA, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) — Inside Bukunmi Adeniran’s modest gift shop in Lugbe, a low-income suburb of Nigeria’s capital Abuja, shelves were adorned with an array of chocolates, plush teddy bears, delicate bouquets, and other items. The shop beckoned eager shoppers during the Valentine’s Day…
- NAIROBI, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) — Kenya said Wednesday that more than 12 million children in the country are affected by risks associated with climate shocks and stressors. The Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry said out of the number, 2.4 million of them live in arid and semi-arid…
- SEOUL, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) — Over half of South Korea’s total population resided in the Seoul metropolitan area, with more than half of employees also living in the area, Yonhap news agency said Thursday citing government data. The number of residents registered in the capital Seoul, its surrounding…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 15 – The Kenyan shilling has significantly strengthened against the American dollar amid an inflow of greenback from global lenders as well as the buyback of the Eurobond by the government. A spot check by Capital Business shows that Equity Bank is buying one dollar for Sh135.8…
- LONDON, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) — The British economy has entered a recession following two successive quarters of contraction in the second half of 2023, official data showed Thursday. Britain’s gross domestic product fell by 0.3 percent in the fourth quarter of 2023 after shrinking by 0.1 percent in the…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 15 Java has opened two new outlets in Nairobi as it seeks to grow its market share in Kenya. The facilities are located on Ojijo Road and in Loresho, in a deal with Rubis. “The decision to open a new branch reflects our commitment to going to the people’ and creating spaces […]
- PARIS, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) — Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy was found guilty of illegal campaign financing by a Paris appeal court which on Wednesday gave him a one-year prison sentence, half of which was suspended. The court found that Sarkozy spent 42.8 million euros (45.9 million U.S.…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 15 – Registrations of businesses under the electronic Tax Invoice Management System (eTIMS) platform will not be extended beyond the March 31, 2024, deadline, the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has warned. KRA says that those firms that would not have registered by then risk not…
- ADDIS ABABA, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) — Ethiopian Minister of Foreign Affairs Taye Atske Selassie has proposed the inclusion of Amharic, a national and widely spoken language in the East African country, as one of the official languages of the African Union (AU). He made the proposal during the opening of…
- TOKYO, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) — Japan’s economy shrank an annualized rate of 0.4 percent in the October-December period last year, government data showed on Thursday. According to the Cabinet Office, this marked a contraction for the second quarter after a 2.1-percent decrease registered in the third…
- NAIROBI, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) — Kenya said Wednesday it has commenced rolling out tax incentives for foreign investors who set up establishments worth more than 10 billion shillings (about 65.5 million U.S. dollars). Abubakar Hassan, the principal secretary in the Ministry of Investments, Trade and…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 14 – A liter of petrol, diesel, and kerosene starting at midnight today will cost Sh1 less after the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) reviewed fuel prices downward. In Nairobi, one liter will retail at Sh206.36, a drop from Sh207.36 currently. Whereas a liter of…
- BANGKOK, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) — Thailand’s Pollution Control Department (PCD) reported unsafe levels of air pollution in all parts of Bangkok on Wednesday, prompting calls for remote work to combat excessive dust particles. Private sector and state agencies are urged to consider allowing their staff to…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 14 – Kenya’s issuance of a Eurobond is likely to ease concerns about the debt situation and lift the overall outlook for the country, Diamond Trust Bank has said. The new $1.5 billion bond, which attracted demand of more than $6 billion, is likely to have a positive effect on the…
- PHNOM PENH, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) — Another newborn Mekong Irrawaddy dolphin was sighted on Wednesday morning, bringing the number of newborn dolphin calves in Cambodia to two so far this year, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said in a news release. The new calf was spotted at the…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 14 – Doctors in Marsabit have issued a three-week notice to the devolved unit to address their grievance before they go on strike. In a letter to the County Secretary and Head of Public Service as well as the Department of Health Chief Officer, the Kenya Medical Practitioners,…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 14 – The uptake of wine culture in Kenya has seen a notable increase in recent years, reflecting evolving consumer tastes, changing lifestyles, and growing disposable incomes. While Kenya has traditionally been a market dominated by beer and spirits, the burgeoning interest in…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 14 – Retail chain Carrefour has tapped the second self-checkout service at the Village Market. Since the unveiling of the inaugural one at the Westgate Shopping Mall last year, the retailer has reported a 59 percent customer satisfaction score, underscoring the importance of…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 14 – The value of building approvals in Nairobi rose last year by Sh57.6 billion to Sh220.1 billion, despite an increase in construction costs. Data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) shows that this improved from Sh162.5 billion in 2022. Residential buildings…
- SUVA, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) — As part of efforts to promote a healthier and productive civil service, the Fijian government launched the first-ever national policy on healthy catering for the government on Wednesday. The policy has been designed to ensure that meals, snacks, and beverages provided at…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 14 – Aspira, through its retail partners, has announced a price drop of up to 40 percent on goods and services as Kenyans celebrate the Valentine’s Day today. The discount will apply on acquisition of luxury products such as jewelry as well as holiday bookings for both locally…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 14 – Equity Bank will discontinue the Eazzy Banking App, replacing it with the Equity Mobile App, starting March 15, 2024. The lender says that the new app offers users modern and user-friendly features. They include card top-ups, self-service options, and comprehensive mini…