Author: Korir Issa

SBM Bank Kenya has launched the Busara Banking App, a family-focused platform that gives children a supervised environment to earn, save, and spend real money turning household routines into practical financial lessons. The app launched in Nairobi on 17 March 2026. What the Busara App Actually Does Parents assign tasks or chores to their children through the app and link each task to a reward or allowance. When the child completes the task, the parent approves a digital payment. The child then manages that money — saving it, spending it, or working toward a goal — within a controlled environment…

Special Funds are one of the fastest-growing corners of Kenya’s investment landscape — and one manager dominates them. Here is what these funds are, why they matter, and what every investor should know before putting money in. What is a Special Fund? A Special Fund is a type of Collective Investment Scheme, a pool of money drawn from multiple investors who share a common goal. Most Kenyans are familiar with money market funds or unit trusts. Special Funds occupy different ground. They target a defined group of investors and channel their capital into non-traditional, higher-yield securities: think commodities, derivatives, and…

SBM Bank Kenya returned to profit in 2025, posting a KSh 613.96 million profit before tax for the year ended 31 December, against a KSh 1.6 billion loss in 2024. After tax, the bank recorded a KSh 444.22 million profit, compared with a KSh 1.21 billion loss the prior year. The shift from an operating loss of KSh 1.8 billion in 2024 to an operating profit of KSh 780 million in 2025 captures the scale of the change. Chief Executive Officer Bharath Shah attributed the results to restructuring and operational work carried out over the preceding two years. “Our 2025…

Stanbic Holdings Plc closed 2025 with a net profit of KES 13.7 billion, matching its 2024 earnings while aggressively expanding its balance sheet through a year of significant Central Bank Rate cuts and global economic turbulence. Total assets climbed 18.9% to KES 541.3 billion, a signal that the Group’s three-year growth strategy is taking hold. Loans and advances to customers rose 18.5% to KES 272.9 billion, fuelled by a resurgent private sector, while customer deposits grew 17.5% to KES 373.7 billion. Holding the Line on Revenue Despite Rate Cuts The Central Bank of Kenya cut rates by a cumulative 225…

The Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED) has sold its 54.08% controlling stake in Nation Media Group (NMG) to Taarifa Ltd, owned by Tanzanian billionaire Rostam Abdulrasul Azizi. The deal ends a six‑decade partnership with one of East Africa’s most influential media houses. Azizi, ranked by Forbes as Tanzania’s first dollar billionaire, now controls 92.6 million ordinary shares, cementing majority ownership of NMG. Despite the change in control, NMG shares will continue trading on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) and remain cross‑listed in regional markets. Legacy of Independent Journalism Founded in 1959 when His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan…

Kenya’s Capital Markets Authority (CMA) has gazetted new licensing regulations that scrap the long-standing flat annual fee for fund managers and replace it with a variable charge tied directly to the size of assets under management (AUM).  The rules, published as Legal Notice 197 of 2025 on 11 December 2025, are already in force. How the new fee structure works Under the Sixth Schedule of the Capital Markets (Licensing Requirements)(General) Regulations, 2025, fund managers now pay an annual regulatory fee calculated as follows: Collective Investment Schemes(CIS): 0.05% of AUM, subject to a minimum of Ksh 100,000 and a maximum of…