Author: David Indeje

The long-delayed takeover bid for BOC Kenya has officially lapsed, concluding an acquisition attempt marked by regulatory disputes and strategic reassessments. BOC Kenya announced that Carbacid Investments PLC and Aksaya Investments LLP, the entities seeking to acquire the industrial gas company, have withdrawn their offer. This decision follows a reevaluation of the transaction’s viability. The initial takeover bid, launched in January 2021, was suspended two months later due to a challenge brought before Kenya’s Capital Markets Tribunal. Although the Tribunal cleared the transaction in August 2024, the buyers have since opted to withdraw. BOC Kenya, a subsidiary of Germany’s Linde…

Diabetes, particularly type 2 diabetes, is rising at an alarming rate globally, but the situation in sub-Saharan Africa is especially concerning. Researchers warn that millions more people in the region could be affected in the coming decades, with recent studies highlighting that the disease is spreading far faster than previously anticipated. The Scope of the Crisis Diabetes is a condition where the body struggles to convert food into energy due to insufficient insulin production or ineffective insulin use. This leads to high blood sugar levels and can result in severe complications such as heart disease, kidney failure, blindness, and amputations.…

Tanzanian health authorities declared the end of the country’s second Marburg Virus Disease (MVD) outbreak on Thursday, March 13, 2025. This declaration followed 42 days without any new cases since the death of the last confirmed patient on January 28, 2025.  Minister of Health Jenista Mhagama stated that the 42-day period, ending on March 11, 2025, met the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria for declaring an outbreak. “Scientifically, we have met the criteria for declaring the end of the MVD outbreak. Thus, today, March 13, 2025, I hereby officially declare the end of the MVD outbreak in the country,” she…

The inaugural Africa Tech Policy Summit (AfTPS) will be held from May 12-16, 2025, in Nairobi, Kenya. Organized by KICTANet, a multistakeholder ICT policy think tank that aims to catalyse reforms in the ICT sector, this week-long event aims to bring together policymakers, private sector leaders, academia, civil society, and tech startups from across Africa to promote the harmonization of tech policies and foster technological development across the continent. Themed, “Tech for Human Development: Policy, Innovation, and Inclusive Governance,” it will generate actionable recommendations for harmonizing tech policies across Africa, foster partnerships among stakeholders, and identify pathways for supporting innovation…

Award-winning Nigerian novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has released her first novel in twelve years, titled Dream Count. Set in Nigeria and the United States, the novel intricately weaves the stories of four women, exploring their lives, loves, and longings with Adichie’s characteristic unflinching prose. Dream Count is published by 4th Estate. Themes and Style Adichie describes Dream Count as a contemporary yet timeless exploration of various themes: “DREAM COUNT is contemporary: Covid. Sexual assault inspired by a true story. Depression. A man’s extreme ‘ghosting’ of a woman. Fibroids. Teenage self-esteem. PMS. But also timeless: injustice. Dignity. Regret. What is a…

Kenya’s GDP is projected to grow by 4.9 per cent in 2025, driven by a sectoral shift from agriculture to construction and financial services, according to Absa Bank. Absa Bank Senior Economist Phumelele Mbiyo predicts inflation will average 4.5 per cent, with core inflation remaining stable at around 2 per cent since July 2024. The impact of mild La Niña on food prices is expected to peak in the first quarter and subsequently ease. These insights were shared at Absa Bank Kenya’s 2025 Economic Forum, a week-long event for customers, industry peers, and financial market stakeholders to discuss macroeconomic trends,…