Author: Muindi

Kenya’s National Infrastructure Fund has its board. Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi appointed six members through a gazette notice dated July 8, 2026, with the appointments taking effect the same day and running for a three year term. The move marks a step in getting the fund operational. Established under the National Infrastructure Fund Act, 2026, the NIF exists to channel private capital into roads, railways, energy projects and other large scale infrastructure, reducing Kenya’s reliance on debt to finance development. Earlier this year, the government fed the fund with Ksh 103.45 billion in net proceeds from the sale of…

Spain and Belgium meet in the second quarterfinal of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, set for Friday evening at Los Angeles Stadium, better known outside the tournament as SoFi Stadium. La Roja needed a stoppage time header from Mikel Merino to see off Iberian rivals Portugal in the round of sixteen, a result that also closed the book on Cristiano Ronaldo’s international career after six World Cups. Belgium arrive having ended the co-hosts’ run, beating the United States 4-1 in a match overshadowed by a disputed red card decision involving USA forward Folarin Balogun. Both sides now head to the…

Kenya has a Sovereign Wealth Fund. President Ruto signed the Sovereign Wealth Fund Bill into law on Wednesday, 8 July 2026, during a ceremony at State House that brought together senior government officials, members of parliament and schoolchildren, whose presence marked the law’s stated aim of protecting wealth for generations still to come. How the Bill Got Here The law did not appear overnight. Kimani Ichung’wah, Leader of the Majority Party, sponsored the Sovereign Wealth Fund Bill, which parliament published in February 2026 and read for the first time in March. It cleared its second reading in late June, then…

William Troost-Ekong cannot shake one question as he watches this World Cup unfold. What if Nigeria had made it? The former Super Eagles captain has spent the tournament split between two emotions: pride in what African football continues to prove on the world stage, and frustration that his own country sits outside looking in. “I think the motivation has always been there,” Troost-Ekong says. He believes Nigeria’s squad, many of whom gained experience at the 2018 World Cup, would have matched the level shown by the continent’s other representatives had they qualified. A Painful Lesson, Not Bitterness Troost-Ekong refuses to…

The Capital Markets Authority wants eyes on every blockchain transaction flowing through Kenya’s virtual asset market. The regulator has issued a tender to procure and deploy a Virtual Assets Blockchain Analytics System, a tool meant to give supervisors real time visibility into wallets, exchanges, and the trading platforms that move digital assets across borders. Why the Authority Needs This Now Kenya’s appetite for cryptocurrency and blockchain based finance has grown faster than the rules meant to govern it. That gap has opened the door to money laundering, terrorism financing, fraud, market manipulation, sanctions evasion, tax evasion, and scams that ride…

Equity Group, AfricaNenda Foundation and the Gates Foundation have signed a partnership to speed up the rollout of Digital Public Infrastructure across Africa, betting that stronger ties between banks, regulators and technology providers can close a financial inclusion gap that still leaves nearly 400 million Africans outside the formal financial system. The agreement, announced in Nairobi, brings together AfricaNenda’s technical expertise on payment systems with Equity Group’s reach across East and Central Africa. Together, the partners will work on interoperable payment systems, digital identity, government and merchant payment solutions, and cross border payment corridors, four building blocks that determine whether…