- APRIL 23 – The forecast for US economic growth for this year has been given the biggest downgrade among advanced economies by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) due to uncertainty caused by trade tariffs. Growth is now expected to be 1.8% this year, down from the IMF’s estimate of 2.7% for the…
- BEIJING, April 23 (Xinhua) — Bilateral trade between China and Kenya reached a record high in the first quarter of the year, official data showed on Tuesday, demonstrating the deepening economic ties between the two countries. According to the General Administration of Customs, goods trade between…
- NAIROBU, Kenya, April 22 – GulfCap Investments Bank has partnered with real estate equity firm Heri Investments in a Sh2.1 billion sharia-compliant deal aimed at expanding Nova Pioneer’s educational footprint in Kenya. Under the agreement, GulfCap will channel its Islamic finance funds into Heri…
- TOKYO, April 22 (Xinhua) — The Japanese yen surged to the upper 139-yen level against the U.S. dollar in Tokyo’s foreign exchange market on Tuesday, marking its strongest level in about seven months. The rally came as concerns grew over the stability and independence of U.S. monetary policy after…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, April 22 – Dr. Jane Kere Imbunya has officially taken over as Principal Secretary for the State Department for Public Service and Human Capital Development, succeeding Amos Gathecha, who now serves as Deputy Head of Public Service. The transition was formalized at Harambee House…
- APRIL 22 – India and the US are making progress in negotiating a bilateral trade deal, the countries said after a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vice-President JD Vance in Delhi. Vance is currently on a four-day visit to India with his wife and three children. “We are committed…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 22 – A new report by Google has spotlighted the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the fight against harmful online content, revealing that in 2024 alone, over 5.1 billion ads were blocked or removed before ever reaching users. The 2024 Ads Safety Report, released…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, April 22 – Kenya’s abrupt replacement of its Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system in March has sparked backlash from the tourism sector and triggered potential legal action from Swiss firm Travizory Border Security, raising concerns over the country’s digital governance and…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, April 22 – Twiga Foods, an online business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce platform, has entered into a deal with three food distribution firms to strengthen its fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) procurement capabilities. Under the deal with Jumra (Nairobi and Central regions), Sojpar…
- APRIL 22 – The US Commerce Department has announced plans to impose tariffs of up to 3,521% on imports of solar panels from four South East Asian countries. It comes after an investigation that began a year ago when several major solar equipment producers asked then-President Joe Biden…
- By Desmond Odhiambo APRIL 22 – As Kenya pursues ambitious infrastructure plans, we can’t afford to overlook how we handle disputes in the construction sector. Disagreements, especially around payments and cash flow, remain the most significant reasons projects slow down or stall entirely. We all…
- APRIL 22 – US stocks and the dollar plunged again as President Donald Trump intensified his attacks on the US central bank boss calling him “a major loser” for not lowering interest rates. In a social media post, Trump called on Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell to cut interest rates “pre-…
- SINGAPORE, April 22 (Xinhua) — Singapore recorded 4.31 million visitor arrivals in the first quarter of 2025, on par with the same period last year, with China remaining the top source of tourists, according to data released by the Singapore Tourism Board on Monday. In the first quarter, the top…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, April 22 – President William Ruto will bank on his official China trip to attract more trade, investment, and infrastructure opportunities for Kenya. The head of state, who is departing tonight to the world’s second-largest economy, will pitch the abovementioned targets at the Kenya…
- APRIL 21 – China has warned it will hit back at countries that make deals with the US that hurt Beijing’s interests, as the trade war between the world’s two biggest economies threatens to drag in other nations. The comments come after reports that the US plans to pressure governments to restrict…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, April 21 – President William Ruto has urged Parliament to consider his memorandum on the Conflict of Interest Bill, which he referred back to Parliament, to help curb corruption. The President said he returned the Bill to Parliament because it did not meet the standards demanded by…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 21 – Seasoned fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) executive Joel Kamau has made a bold career move, transitioning from the alcoholic beverages sector into the oil and gas industry after a seven-year stint at East African Breweries Ltd (EABL). Kamau, who boasts a rich career…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 21 – As demand for professional laundry services grows in Kenya’s rapidly urbanizing regions, Hotpoint Appliances has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting entrepreneurs in the commercial laundry space through innovation and end-to-end business support. During a recent seminar…
- APRIL 20 – After fleeing Silicon Valley for political and business reasons, Elon Musk is building a corporate campus in rural Texas – but his new neighbours have mixed views. Half an hour east of Austin, past the airport, the clogged-up traffic starts to melt away and the plains of Central Texas…
- NAIROBI, April 20 (Xinhua) — In his hometown of Kitui in eastern Kenya, Nixon Nzioka has become one of the most sought-after transportation service providers. Nzioka owns a tricycle, which he uses to transport agricultural products, household goods, water, and various construction materials such…
- BERLIN, April 19 (Xinhua) — U.S. tariffs could slash Germany’s economic output by as much as 290 billion euros (330 billion U.S. dollars) over four years, the German Economic Institute (IW) has warned, projecting an annual GDP loss of 1.6 percent for Europe’s largest economy by 2028. The report…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 18 – The Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) has launched the African chapter of a global campaign challenging exploitative financial systems blamed for worsening poverty and deepening climate vulnerability across the continent. Speaking in Nairobi, PACJA Executive…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 18 – Head of Public Service Felix Koskei has called on internal auditors across the country to embrace greater boldness and ethical conviction in their work, underscoring the profession’s critical role in Kenya’s ongoing battle against corruption and public sector inefficiency.…
- WASHINGTON, April 18 (Xinhua) — A U.S. federal judge ruled Thursday that Google violated antitrust law by monopolizing the open-web digital advertising markets, marking another major setback for the tech giant in its antitrust litigation. According to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, April 18 – The government has banned the importation of 11 Chinese cigarette brands for violating the Tobacco Control Act 2007 and Tobacco Control Regulations 2014. Some of the brands include RGD Blue, Huangshan, Harmonization, Septwolves, Naijing, and Guiyang, among others. The…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, April 18 – The government has banned the importation of 11 Chinese cigarette brands for violating the Tobacco Control Act 2007 and Tobacco Control Regulations 2014. Some of the brands include RGD Blue, Huangshan, Harmonization, Septwolves, Naijing, and Guiyang, among others. The…
- By Nzola Miranda NAIROBI, Kenya, April 17 – As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to advance and transform various industries, a prevailing concern has arisen: Will AI render human labour obsolete? Reports highlighting automation, robotic workers, and self-driving vehicles frequently provoke…
- APRIL 17 – The fortunes of India’s BluSmart, a popular electric ride hailing service and once a formidable rival to Uber, have quickly unravelled, with the company halting new cab bookings. The brand, which still has India’s largest all electric ride-hailing fleet of more than 8,000 cars, set high…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, April 17 – Kenyan content creators are set to benefit from a new initiative by Visit Dubai and Beautiful Destinations Academy, which will see selected individuals trained and paid to produce travel content in the United Arab Emirates. The three-month program, open to aspiring and…
- APRIL 17 – The UK government has brought in a temporary ban on holidaymakers bringing in cheese and meat products from the EU in a bid to prevent the spread of foot and mouth disease (FMD). Travellers have not been allowed to bring back items such as cured meat and cheese, including in sandwiches,…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, April 17 – Kenya is looking to lift a ban on Kenyan tea exports to Iran as the government looks to diversify green leaf sales from primary countries such as Pakistan, among others. This was discussed today during a meeting between Agriculture CS Mutahi Kagwe and a group of Iranian…
- APRIL 17 – Gold has jumped to a fresh high as investors fret over the impact of the trade war between the US and China. Spot gold touched $3,357.40 (£2,540) per ounce on Wednesday, before dipping from its peak. It has risen by around a third since the start of the year. The rise follows […]
- APRIL 17 – Chinese online retail giants Shein and Temu have warned US customers that goods will get pricier from next week, after President Donald Trump imposed hefty tariffs on goods from China. In almost identical statements, the rival companies said they have seen operating expenses rise “due to…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, April 22 — The State Department for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Development has launched nationwide public participation exercises on the draft MSME Policy 2025 and proposed amendments to the MSE Act 2012. The engagement, which kicked off in Nairobi, aims to gather…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 17 – Somali Ambassador to Kenya Jabril Ibrahim Abdulle has called for deepened partnerships between Kenya and Somalia, especially in the hospitality sector, where Somali entrepreneurs have made notable strides. Speaking at the East Africa Somali Awards, Abdulle hailed the…
- NAIROBI, April 17 (Xinhua) — The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) said on Wednesday that it has lifted a nearly decade-long ban on the establishment of new commercial banks in the East African country, effective July 1. The apex bank said in a statement issued in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi that the…
- ABUJA, April 17 (Xinhua) — Nigeria’s crude oil earnings may be under threat as the aggressive trade tariff policies of the United States disrupt global markets, undermine investor confidence, and drive down prices, a senior Nigerian oil and gas official has warned. Addressing media in the capital…
- TOKYO, April 16 (Xinhua) — The number of foreign visitors to Japan in March surged 13.5 percent from a year earlier to a record 3.5 million, official data showed Wednesday. The total visitor number in the three months from January reached 10.5 million, up 23.1 percent, marking the fastest pace on…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, April 16 – The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has waived Sh158 billion in penalties, fines, and interest for 2.9 million taxpayers under a tax amnesty program, which was launched in December last year. The initiative, which will end on June 30, 2025, has seen the taxman collect Sh10.…
- APRIL 16 – “Trump is a crazy man,” says Lionel Xu, who is surrounded by his company’s mosquito repellent kits – many were once best sellers in Walmart stores in the United States. Now those products are sitting in boxes in a warehouse in China and will remain there unless President Donald Trump…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 15 – Kenya’s economic environment is showing signs of recovery as the country heads into the 2025/2026 fiscal year, but deep structural and fiscal challenges persist, according to insights presented during a pre-budget media briefing by EY experts. The briefing highlighted…
- APRIL 16 – Microchip maker Nvidia said it would be hit with $5.5bn (£4.2bn) in costs after the US government tightened export rules to China. The chip manufacturing giant, which has been at the heart of the artificial intelligence (AI) boom, will require licences to export its H20 AI chip to China…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 16 – Swiss digital border security firm Travizory Security SA has dismissed reports suggesting it is holding funds meant for the Kenyan government, calling them “misleading and inaccurate.” In a statement issued Tuesday, the company said it has remitted all funds due to the…
- SAN FRANCISCO, April 16 (Xinhua) — Uber and Waymo said on Tuesday the public will be able to hail a robotaxi in Atlanta, U.S. state of Georgia, this summer. Uber said the company is inviting customers in Atlanta to join a list if they’re interested in hailing a Waymo robotaxi as the companies…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, April 16 – Digital credit provider MyCredit has secured Sh1.4 billion in funding from global impact investors Oikocredit and BlueOrchard, aimed at financing Kenya’s fast-growing private school sector. The funding will provide tailored loans of up to Sh10 million per institution,…
- NAIROBI, April 15 (Xinhua) — The drought situation in Kenya’s arid and semi-arid lands has worsened, with conditions deteriorating in all 23 counties, putting millions of people at risk of starvation, the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) warned on Tuesday. As a government agency…
- APRIL 15 – Angry Nigerians are turning to social media to describe how they have been locked out of their accounts on the digital financial platform, CBEX. People have posted videos of themselves crying, saying that they could not withdraw their investments and worried that their money had gone.…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, April 15 – SBM Bank has posted a net profit of Sh12.4 million in quarter one (Q1) of this year, an improvement from the Sh370 million loss recorded during a similar period last year. In the review period, the bank’s total assets expanded to Sh102.9 billion, an improvement from Sh90.…
- ROME, April 15 (Xinhua) — Italy’s new “baby bonus” initiative was launched on Monday, marking the latest step in the country’s ongoing efforts to reverse its declining birthrate. The Italian National Institute for Social Security on Monday unveiled the formal process for families to access a tax-…
- NAIROBI, Kenya, April 15 – Digital lending platform Tala has let go 28 staff in the customer operations department amid a high rate in loan repayments. This follows a 95 percent increase in customers choosing and managing their loan repayments, cutting workload in the department. “This represents…
