Author: Muindi

Jambojet intends to launch flights to Entebbe and Dar es Salaam in 2027, marking the low-cost carrier’s most ambitious regional push since the Covid-19 pandemic grounded much of its network. The airline, which currently operates routes within Kenya and a single international service from Mombasa to Zanzibar, frames the expansion as the first step in a broader strategy to rebuild and extend the regional footprint it lost during the pandemic. Leadership has signalled that more destinations will follow. Fleet grows as the airline prepares for regional competition Jambojet recently added a Bombardier DHC-8-400 to its fleet, bringing total aircraft to…

Heineken has closed the door on nearly four decades in the Democratic Republic of Congo, selling its brewing subsidiary Bralima to Mauritius-based ELNA Holdings after armed conflict stripped it of control over its eastern operations. The Dutch brewer announced the sale on Friday without disclosing financial terms. ELNA Holdings takes over production, distribution, and all staff. Bralima traces its origins to 1923, when Belgian investors founded it, and Heineken has held a majority stake since 1986, making this one of the most significant exits from its African portfolio. Heineken Keeps the Brands, Loses the Breweries Despite leaving direct ownership, Heineken…

Kenya’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) kept the Central Bank Rate (CBR) unchanged at 8.75% on April 8, 2026, pausing the longest easing cycle in the Central Bank of Kenya’s history. CBK Governor Dr. Kamau Thugge announced the decision after ten consecutive rate cuts dating back to June 2024, a cumulative reduction of 425 basis points from a cycle high of 13.0%. The committee said it wants to monitor potential second-round inflation effects from rising energy prices before easing further. Banks Called It Before the Meeting The hold was widely expected. Both the Kenya Bankers Association (KBA) and NCBA’s research desk…

Kenya Airways has pushed back against reports claiming the National Treasury has crossed the 50% ownership threshold and that the Employee Share Ownership Scheme (ESOP) has been wound up, calling the claims factually incorrect. In a statement dated April 8, the airline confirmed that the National Treasury remains the majority shareholder with a 48.90% stake, followed by KQ Lenders Company 2017 Limited at 36.30%. KLM holds 7.76%, the ESOP holds 2.44%, and Individuals & Institutional Investors hold 4.60%. “Contrary to information published in the Business Daily newspaper on 05 April 2026, and other digital media channels regarding the shareholding structure…

Kenya’s private sector contracted in March for the first time in seven months, as squeezed household budgets, higher fuel costs and disruptions linked to the Middle East war pulled the Stanbic Bank Kenya Purchasing Managers’ Index down to 47.7 from 50.4 in February. The reading, compiled by S&P Global from survey responses collected between 12 and 27 March 2026, marked the fourth consecutive monthly decline and the first drop below the 50.0 threshold that separates growth from contraction since August 2025. “A weaker Stanbic Kenya PMI in March reflects demand-side concerns, softer spending power constraining demand and supply-side concerns about…

Bamburi Cement Plc has named Geoffrey Ndugwa as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective 1 April 2026, as the company accelerates a major expansion of its production capacity in Kenya. Ndugwa succeeds Mohit Kapoor, who steered the business through a critical transition period. Board Chairman Dr. John Simba described Kapoor’s tenure as one of stabilisation and business turnaround, and extended the company’s gratitude for his leadership before welcoming his successor. A Career Built Across the Continent Ndugwa arrives with more than two decades of executive experience across sub-Saharan Africa, all of it within the Holcim Group ecosystem. He most recently…