Japan is looking to Africa for its next big trade move, and Kenya is right at the center of an ambitious plan that could reshape economic relations between Asia and Africa. In what represents a potential game-changer for continental trade dynamics, Tokyo is preparing to launch negotiations for a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with […]

The dawn of the artificial intelligence (AI) era presents a transformative opportunity for nations worldwide, and Africa stands at a pivotal moment. The recent 2024 Oxford Insights Government AI Readiness Index provides a crucial snapshot of this landscape, ranking Kenya eighth in Africa and 93rd globally. While these figures may seem modest on a global […]

Iran has made a significant statement regarding its long-term economic strategy in Africa, declaring Kenya as its primary gateway to the lucrative East African market. This declaration, made by Iranian Agriculture Minister Qolamreza Nouri Ghezeljeh during a high-profile visit to Nairobi, marks a pivotal moment in the relationship between the two nations. At the heart […]

The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has announced a significant decision by its Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) to lower the benchmark lending rate, known as the Central Bank Rate (CBR), by 25 basis points. This move, which brings the rate down to 9.50 per cent from the previous 9.75 per cent, marks the latest step […]

The East African Community (EAC) has long been hailed as a beacon of regional integration, with its aspirations for a common market, monetary union, and a political federation. However, the bloc’s progress has been consistently hampered by a persistent and deep-seated challenge: a chronic financial crisis stemming from its funding model. For years, the EAC […]

The Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) plays an indispensable role in Kenya’s education system, serving as the primary financier for thousands of university and technical college students. The board’s recent assurance that it has enough funds to cover the upcoming September university intake, despite a reported deficit for the 2025/2026 financial year, has been met […]

The financial stability of Kenya, a key economic hub in East Africa, has come under scrutiny as the nation’s foreign exchange (forex) reserves have experienced a significant drop. Data from the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) highlights a decrease of $509 million (KSh 65.8 billion) over the past three weeks alone. This substantial decline is […]

Kenyan exporters of agricultural produce are set to benefit from a significant trade breakthrough as the country finalizes a bilateral agreement with China. This landmark deal, which grants duty-free access to the Chinese market for key Kenyan exports, marks a pivotal moment in Kenya’s foreign trade policy. Concluded following high-level talks during President William Ruto’s […]

In a pioneering move set to revolutionize the understanding of its vital diaspora economy, the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has officially launched the nation’s first-ever Remittances Household Survey (RHS). This ambitious initiative, undertaken in close collaboration with the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) and Financial Sector Deepening Kenya (FSD Kenya), aims to collect […]

The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) has released a scathing new report, “Failing the Hustlers,” sharply criticizing the government’s flagship Hustler Fund initiative. The report concludes that the Fund, launched with much fanfare, is structurally unsound, economically unsustainable, and politically manipulated, ultimately recommending its complete shutdown. This damning assessment challenges the core of the Kenya […]