Kenya’s retirees continue to face a financial squeeze. The Retirement Benefits Authority’s (RBA) 9th Pensioner Survey (2024) shows that the average income replacement rate stands at 34.3%, below the ILO’s recommended minimum of 40%. This shortfall leaves many pensioners unable to sustain their pre‑retirement lifestyle. “The greatest challenge facing retirees is whether their retirement savings are sufficient to maintain and sustain a decent standard of living,” the report concludes. Dependency Burden: Adult Children and Grandchildren Dependency remains the defining challenge of retirement in Kenya. The survey found that 83.2% of retirees support dependants, often children, grandchildren, or extended family. New…
Author: David Indeje
Sanlam Kenya Plc, listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange as SLAM, formally rebranded to Sanlam Allianz Holdings Kenya PLC in October 2025. The transition followed the joint venture between Sanlam and Allianz, creating SanlamAllianz, now Africa’s largest non-banking financial services provider. Backed by more than two centuries of combined experience, the rebrand signaled a new identity and a bold repositioning of financial services in Kenya. “The rebrand signified a new phase, a new identity and an opportunity to reposition financial services in Kenya,” said Jacqueline Karasha, CEO and Principal Officer of Sanlam Allianz Life Insurance Kenya. Global Expertise, Local Solutions…
Kenya’s manufacturing sector has issued a strong call for coordinated government support to unlock industrial growth, strengthen competitiveness, and expand intra‑African trade. This was during the launch of the Manufacturing Priority Agenda (MPA) 2026 by the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM). The MPA comes at a critical time. Manufacturing contributes 7.3% to Kenya’s GDP, despite its central role in job creation, government revenue, innovation, exports, and linkages across agriculture, services, and logistics. While the economy remains stable, high production costs, regulatory burdens, delayed VAT refunds, and limited regional trade integration continue to constrain industrial expansion. Speaking at the launch, Principal…
China will grant zero‑tariff treatment to imports from 53 African countries with diplomatic ties to Beijing, beginning May 1, 2026. The move signals a major expansion of China’s economic engagement with Africa and comes as uncertainty lingers over the renewal of the U.S. African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and ongoing trade disputes with the European Union. ─────────────────────────────────── 1‑Minute Key Insights ─────────────────────────────────── 📌 China opens its market Starting May 1, 2026, imports from 53 African countries will enter China duty‑free. ⏳ Strategic timing The move comes as U.S. AGOA faces renewal uncertainty and EU trade deals remain contentious. 🌍 Broader…
Africa’s livestock sector holds immense potential, yet much of its value remains untapped. Equity Group Holdings is leading efforts to transform this pastoral asset into a structured industrial system, positioning livestock and leather as drivers of food security, inclusive incomes, and industrial growth. “Informality reflects the absence of system architecture rather than a social or cultural condition. When pastoral and informal producers are integrated into structured production, processing, and market systems, they can meet global standards at scale,” writes Brent Malahay, Chief Strategy Officer at Equity Group Holdings, in his paper, “From Pastoral Asset to Industrial System: Transforming Africa’s Livestock…
Kenya is positioning itself as a continental leader in artificial intelligence by operationalising its Cloud‑First Policy and building robust data infrastructure. The ongoing pre-consolidation briefing sessions on AI and emerging technologies policy roundtable discussions with the government, private sector and tech community on Wednesday revealed a pragmatic approach: treat cloud and data as public goods, unlock sharing frameworks, and design regulation that attracts capital while safeguarding citizens. The policy development process is being led by the Ministry of Information, Communication and the Digital Economy (MICDE), with KICTANet serving as the primary implementing partner. It is supported by the British High…

