Author: Korir Issa

Crown Paints Kenya PLC plans to end its reliance on imported paint binder by building its own production plant in Machakos County. The company intends to construct an emulsion binder and plastic injection moulding facility on twin plots at Lukenya, Athi River. An environmental and social impact assessment values the project at Sh355 million. The plant will let Crown Paints produce the emulsion binder polymer it currently imports, along with the plastic containers it uses to package its paints. Why Crown Paints Is Building Its Own Supply Chain Crown Paints was established in 1958 and is listed on the Nairobi…

State House confirmed on September 8, 2026 that foreign nationals running small businesses in Kenya have 90 days to sort out their immigration, work permit, registration and licensing paperwork. Miss the deadline, and enforcement follows “firmly and strictly,” according to spokesperson Hussein Mohamed. The window follows a directive President William Ruto issued on September 2 at State House, where he told Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises traders that foreign hawkers selling items such as duvets were taking business from Kenyans in small scale retail. He ordered administrative action to start “from next week” and asked Trade Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui…

Bolt has completed a decade of operation in Kenya, a run that started in 2016 and now spans six regions, 19 towns and more than 8 million riders. The company puts its investment in the country at over KSh19 billion, roughly €130 million, and says it has created income opportunities for more than 170,000 drivers and couriers. Data on the sector Bolt helped build. The 2026 Bolt Kenya & Ipsos Gig Economy Report, released in March, estimates that Kenya’s gig economy now supports approximately 1.5 million workers and generates more than KSh130 billion a year. Khusoko covered the report’s launch…

IFAD and Equity Group have launched a $200 million mechanism to move climate adaptation loans to smallholder farmers and rural businesses across East Africa, where capital has struggled to reach the people who need it. The two organisations launched the Africa Rural Climate Adaptation Finance Mechanism, or ARCAFIM, at the Africa Food Systems Forum 2026 in Kigali. The mechanism pairs the International Fund for Agricultural Development with Equity Group, which has spent years building a climate finance book across the region. The Green Climate Fund, Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Nordic Development Fund are co financing the mechanism.…

Kenya’s private sector activity contracted in August for the first time in three months, as supply constraints and cost pressures led companies to reduce output and purchases, a survey showed on Thursday. The Stanbic Bank Kenya Purchasing Managers’ Index fell to 49.7 in August from 51.3 in July, dropping below the 50.0 threshold that separates growth from contraction. S&P Global compiled the reading from responses collected between August 12 and 26. The index had crossed above 50.0 in July for the first time in five months before falling back in August. What Pushed the Index Below 50 New orders rose…

The United States has approved a two year extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), preserving duty free access to the American market for 32 eligible African countries through December 31, 2028. Congress passed the extension as part of a Continuing Resolution funding the federal government. The House approved the measure this week by a vote of 370 to 48, following Senate passage on August 8 by a margin of 90 to six. The bill now heads to President Donald Trump for his signature. AGOA has anchored trade between the United States and sub-Saharan Africa since 2000. It…