Author: Muindi

Kenya’s sugar industry has suffered a steep decline in 2025, with output dropping 28.4% year-on-year to 440,652 metric tonnes (MT) between January and September. This compares to 615,499 MT in the same period of 2024. September was particularly weak, with production plunging 54.2% YoY to just 33,845 MT, marking one of the lowest monthly totals in recent years. The collapse began in April, erasing strong first-quarter gains and underscoring the return of a boom-bust cycle driven by cane shortages and low factory throughput. KNBS Data Confirms Decline Figures from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) show factories produced 406,807…

Kenya’s Q1 FY 2025/26 sector report reveals surging broadband, rising mobile subscriptions, and a decisive shift to data‑driven platforms powering the digital economy. Fixed Broadband Growth Driven by Fibre and Wireless Kenya’s fixed broadband market expanded strongly between July and September 2025, with total subscriptions rising 6.9% to 2.29 million. Broadband Market Overview Segment Subscriptions (Q1 2025/26) Growth Rate Notes Total Fixed Broadband 2.29 million +6.9% Overall market expansion Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) 1.27 million +5.4% 960,000+ users prefer 10–30 Mbps speeds Fixed Wireless 814,782 +10.2% Fastest growth, peri-urban focus Satellite 19,762 Marginal <1% of the market, led by Starlink Market Leaders…

Experts at the Africa Investment Conference (AfIC) 2025 in Nairobi stressed that Africa’s growth must be financed internally, urging governments to deepen local capital markets and reduce reliance on external aid. “Africa cannot depend solely on external financing. We must unlock capital within our borders,” said Francis Nasyomba, president of CFA Society East Africa. https://youtu.be/QSVvpxM4f0I Kenya Positions Itself as Regional Investment Gateway Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Investment Promotion, Abubakar Hassan Abubakar, highlighted reforms aimed at improving the ease of doing business, strengthening investor protections, and creating a predictable regulatory environment. “We are committed to positioning Kenya as a gateway for…

East Africa’s growth story in 2026 is set to be defined by Kenya’s public expenditure-driven resilience, Uganda’s oil-fueled expansion, Tanzania’s reform agenda, and Rwanda’s balancing act between strong growth and fiscal risks, according to the latest NCBA Bank 2026 Macroeconomic Outlook report. Kenya: Growth Anchored in Public Spending and Services Kenya’s economy is forecast to expand 5.1% in 2026, supported by momentum from Q4 2025. According to NCBA’s December 2025 outlook, the near-term growth model rests on public expenditure, agriculture, and service sector resilience. However, debt servicing remains a pressing challenge, with the Treasury reporting that KES 509 billion was spent…

Safaricom PLC’s debut green note has made waves in the capital markets, attracting a staggering KES 41.6 billion in bids, nearly three times the initial KES 15 billion Tranche I target. That’s a 175.7% oversubscription, a clear signal of investor confidence and appetite for sustainable finance. “This strong uptake reflects investor confidence in our performance and strategy,” said CEO Peter Ndegwa. Safaricom will take up KES 20 billion, the original KES 15 billion plus a KES 5 billion greenshoe option, leaving KES 21.6 billion to be refunded.  Why It Matters Coupon at 10.4%: It sets a high bar for upcoming…

The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has lowered its benchmark lending rate by 25 basis points to 9.0 per cent, marking the ninth consecutive cut in 2025. This represents a cumulative 175 basis points unwind of the Central Bank Rate (CBR) this year, underscoring the Monetary Policy Committee’s (MPC) commitment to stimulating private sector credit and supporting economic activity. “The Committee concluded that there was scope for a further easing of the monetary policy stance by reducing the CBR by 25 basis points. This will augment previous policy actions aimed at stimulating lending by banks to the private sector and…