Category: Economy&Finance
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Road upgrades in Nico Bar Crecent in Nairobi’s Pangani Ward, Starehe subcounty. /CITY HAL Nairobi’s road network is receiving a facelift as the Ward Development Programme steps up rehabilitation works in key residential and commercial areas across the city. The programme’s latest inspection tour covered Starehe, Kasarani and Roysambu subcounties, where ongoing projects are expected…
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Naivas Supermarket, Kenya’s largest retail chain, has opened its 110th store at West Bay Mall in Redhill, Kiambu County, as the homegrown retailer pushes ahead with its rapid nationwide expansion. The new branch will serve the growing communities of Gachie, Redhill and neighboring areas, offering fresh produce, groceries, household goods, and lifestyle products. Kenya’s formal…
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Kenya continues to strengthen its trade ties with African countries, recording consistent growth in exports and imports between 2020 and 2024. According to data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), exports rose from Sh246.13 billion in 2020 to Sh425.63 billion in 2024, while imports increased from Sh185.28 billion to Sh270.69 billion over the…
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You may be familiar with the age-old story of the bamboo tree, a symbol of patience and resilience. In parts of Asia, for years after planting, the bamboo tree shows no visible growth, nothing above the soil. But beneath the surface, it’s developing a complex root system. Then, almost overnight, it shoots up to 90…
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Debt has become the silent business killer—eating margins, strangling cash flow, and turning promising entrepreneurs into professional firefighters. What separates those who survive from those who sink isn’t bravado; it’s structure. NCBA’s ecosystem—M-Shwari, Fuliza (with KCB), LOOP, NOW digital loans, and the NCBA Now App—gives founders a way to convert chaotic obligations into predictable, automated,…
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Poultry farmers from neighbouring counties have expressed outrage over Machakos County’s decision to impose a fee on the movement of chickens into the county. The new charge, introduced under the county’s recent finance bill, requires poultry farmers to pay 20 Kenyan shillings for every chicken brought into Machakos. Farmers say the move will increase production…
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In Kenya today, more than 43 commercial banks, 175 SACCOs, 13 MFIs, and several telcos with financial licenses compete fiercely for a core base of about 25 million financially active adults. That means every institution is chasing essentially the same customer pool. And yet paradoxically, 8+ million Kenyans remain financially excluded— a signal that the…
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The government is intensifying its efforts to control the rising cost of living after the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) reported that inflation increased to 4.6 percent in September 2024, up from 4.4 percent in August. Although the inflation rate is still within the government’s target range of 2.5 to 7.5 percent, the steady…
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DAMNING nationwide research reveals that the new tobacco bill will fuel illicit trade, enrich criminals, and destroy honest jobs, while blocking access to safer nicotine alternatives that are supported by the overwhelming majority of consumers. The Tobacco Control (Amendment) Bill 2024 seeks to ban flavoured vapes and nicotine pouches and impose punitive restrictions on other…
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NCBA hosted its commercial banking customers for a forum aimed at helping entrepreneurs navigate emerging risks in the operating business environment. With over 100 attendees, business leaders discussed strategies on how to tackle cybercrime, climate change, fraud, and employee liability. Recent reports from the Communication Authority of Kenya indicate 4.5 billion cyberthreats in 2025, and…