Author: Lorine Otamo

Maurice Otieno stepped down as Executive Director of Baraza Media Lab this week. Eric Kinaga takes over the role. Otieno announced the move on LinkedIn, quoting a Swahili proverb: “Chenye mwanzo kina mwisho,” meaning that which has a beginning has an end. He joined Baraza’s founding team in 2019 and held the Executive Director title from April 2020. Otieno’s Record At Baraza His farewell post states Baraza raised $20 million in philanthropic funding and grew reach from 1,500 to 12,000 people over six years. His LinkedIn experience section states the lab raised $15 million over five years across more than…

Kenya’s corporate governance circle added two familiar names to its ranks this week. Catherine Musakali joined the board of Kenya Airways as an Independent Non Executive Director, while Mary Wangari Wamae stepped onto the board of Centum Investment Company Plc in the same capacity. Both appointments extend careers built on decades of legal and strategic work inside some of the country’s most consequential institutions. Catherine Musakali brings governance expertise to Kenya Airways Musakali is no stranger to the airline. She previously served as its Company Secretary, a role that placed her at the center of the carrier’s legal and compliance…

Betty Wamaitha is leaving Quickmart. Her exit as Chief Marketing Officer takes effect on 5 August 2026, closing a chapter that began more than a decade ago and reshaped how one of Kenya’s largest supermarket chains talks to its customers. Wamaitha joined Quickmart when the retailer ran just three outlets. She grew with the business, and it grew around her. The chain expanded to more than sixty stores during her tenure, a run that helped cement Quickmart’s position as Kenya’s second largest retail chain. She built the marketing function largely from scratch, moving from an early consulting role into the…

Visa has handed one of its most closely watched African posts to a woman who spent the past five years building a mobile money challenger from scratch. The card network named Anne Kinuthia-Otieno Vice President and Head of East Africa, effective August 4, 2026. She will run the role from Nairobi and oversee seven markets across the region. Michael Berner, Visa’s Senior Vice President and Regional Managing Director for Southern and Eastern Africa, said the timing matters as much as the hire. “Anne’s appointment comes at an exciting time for Visa and for East Africa’s digital economy,” Berner said. “Her…

Eating out in Kenya is no longer a special occasion. It is becoming a habit, and restaurants are rebuilding themselves around that shift. Research on Africa’s foodservice sector found dine in still made up roughly three quarters of restaurant visits in 2025, but delivery is now the fastest growing channel on the continent, a sign that convenience has become as important as the food itself. Artcaffe and Java House, two of Kenya’s biggest hospitality names, are both responding this month, one with a bolder menu, the other with new branches placed exactly where demand already exists. Artcaffe Trades Comfort Food…

KCB Bank Kenya has signed a US$100 million financing facility, roughly KES 12.9 billion, with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to expand credit access for micro, small and medium enterprises. The bank announced the deal this week, marking EBRD’s first investment in Kenya’s financial sector since the multilateral lender began operating in the country last year, according to reporting by The Standard. Under the agreement, 35% of the facility will go to women and youth led enterprises, while 30% is reserved for eligible green investments that help businesses adopt climate smart technology and sustainable practices. EBRD will also…