Author: Korir Issa

The High Court has ruled that the housing levy proposed in the Finance Act 2023 is unconstitutional and unlawful.  The levy would have deducted 1.5% from employees’ salaries to fund the government’s affordable housing agenda. A three-judge bench comprising Justices David Majanja, Christine Meoli, and Lawrence Mugambi delivered the ruling on Tuesday, following a petition by Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah and six others.  The petitioners challenged the legality and constitutionality of the Finance Act 2023, which was passed by the National Assembly without the concurrence of the Senate. The judges found that the housing levy violated Article 10 of the…

The Kenyan government announced on Monday that it plans to sell 11 state-owned enterprises through a privatisation program.  The enterprises are: Kenya Literature Bureau (KLB) Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) National Oil Corporation (NOC) Kenya Seed Company Limited Mwea Rice Mills and Western Kenya Rice Mills Limited Kenya Pipeline Company New Kenya Cooperative Creameries Kenya Vehicle Manufacturers Limited Rivatex East Africa Limited Numerical Machining Complex The decision to sell these enterprises was made during a cabinet meeting chaired by President William Ruto at State House on Monday, November 27, 2023. The latest announcement follows the government’s stance to sell 35 state-owned enterprises…

Stanbic Bank Kenya Limited, a subsidiary of the Standard Bank Group, has announced a net profit of KSh 9.3 billion for the first nine months of 2023, a 33% increase from KSh 6.9 billion in the same period of 2022. The bank attributed its strong performance to its ability to leverage emerging market opportunities and offer innovative solutions to its customers. “Our performance reflects our ability to take advantage of emerging market opportunities,” Dr. Joshua Oigara, CEO of Stanbic Bank Kenya & South Sudan, said. “We have continued to invest in our digital platforms, enhance our customer experience, and support…

Regional low-cost airline Jambojet is set to open a new route from Mombasa to Zanzibar starting in July 2024. The route will connect the two coastal destinations that share a rich cultural heritage and offer stunning beaches and attractions. Tourism is a vital sector for the economies of the East African Community (EAC) region. It contributes about 17% to export earnings, about 10% to GDP, and about 7% to employment.  The EAC Tourism Marketing Strategy aims to position the region as Africa’s leading sustainable tourism destination with five key objectives, including developing competitive multi-destination tourism products and branding East Africa as a single tourism destination.…

Sheynnis Palacios, 23, from Nicaragua, was crowned Miss Universe 2023 on Saturday night in San Salvador, El Salvador.  She is the first woman from her country to win the prestigious title. MISS UNIVERSE 2023 IS @Sheynnispalacios_of !!!! 👑 🇳🇮@mouawad #72ndMISSUNIVERSE #MissUniverse2023 pic.twitter.com/cSHgnTKNL2 — Miss Universe (@MissUniverse) November 19, 2023 Palacios is a mental health activist and an audiovisual producer. She holds a degree in mass communications from the Universidad Centroamericana.  She loves producing and editing video content, according to her Miss Universe bio. Sheynnis Palacios beat 83 other contestants from around the world, including the first runner-up, Anntonia Porsild from…

Spotify, the world’s leading music and podcast streaming platform, has partnered with Orange, one of the largest mobile operators in Africa, to offer millions of African music fans access to Spotify via the Orange platform. The partnership was announced by Jocelyne Muhutu-Remy, Spotify Managing Director, Sub-Saharan Africa, with the first launches in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, Mali, and Guinea, and more markets to follow in the future.  Orange mobile users will enjoy music and podcasts on Spotify with free data. “This is about serving consumers, digital inclusion, and easier access to the same services enjoyed by hundreds of millions…