- Japan’s economy has contracted unexpectedly because of weak domestic consumption, pushing the country into recession and causing it to lose its position as the world’s third largest economy to Germany.
- The continuous rally of the Kenya shilling over the last week has signalled a significant tide turn for the currency which was expected to shed more value this year after the shilling hit an all-time high of over 160 against the US dollar.
- Japan’s economy has contracted unexpectedly because of weak domestic consumption, pushing the country into recession and causing it to lose its position as the world’s third largest economy
- Kenya’s issuance of a fresh Eurobond is likely to ease concerns about the debt situation, and therefore lift the overall economic outlook for the country.
- The Cabinet has approved the privatisation of major State-owned enterprises in the hospitality and tourism department in a move meant to grow the country’s foreign exchange.
- Kenya has just taken a calculated risk that paying more than 10% on a new international bond is worth it to avoid a default later in the year, even though history is littered with examples of this kind of gamble ending in tears.
- Sidian Bank has announced its platinum sponsorship of the Kenya Teachers Sacco Association (KETSA) for the upcoming 3rd Annual Leaders’ Summit, contributing a Ksh.1 million cheque to KETSA
- The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has adjusted the VAT return filing process which will now see tax returns pre-filled with tax information with effect from the February 2024 tax period, not the January 2024 tax period as earlier planned.
- Billionaire Jaswant Rai owned Sukari Industry Limited based at Riat Trading Center in Ndhiwa Sub County is expected to resume operations on Monday after a four-day worker’s strike.
- This comes after the Kenyan government offered to buy back some of its tenders for Ksh. 2 billion dollars, just days after Ivory Coast and Benin returned to the international capital market for financing.
- The strategically-placed Indian Ocean nation of the Maldives, which has borrowed heavily from China and shifted allegiance from India, is at high risk of "debt distress," the IMF warned Wednesday.
- In a bid to boost the country's labor governance and practices, Kenya's National Labour Board, led by Mr. Shadrack Mwadime, the Principal Secretary for Labour & Skills Development, embarked on a comprehensive comparative learning mission in South Africa.
- Honda Motor Co said on Tuesday it was recalling 750,000 vehicles in the United States over a defect involving air bags which could deploy unintentionally during a crash.
- Online insurance platform mTek has partnered with BuyRentKenya to introduce a platform-as-a-service solution aimed at bolstering the insurance sector in Kenya and Africa through technological advancements and fostering seamless connectivity across the ecosystem.
- Chinese climate-tech company LuoKung Technology has signed a deal with Uganda to deploy a Digital Measuring, Reporting, and Verification (DMRV) platform that will measure Uganda's carbon footprint.
- The dollar rose to a two-month high against its major peers on Monday as traders clawed back bets for aggressive rate cuts by the Federal Reserve this year.
- US aircraft manufacturer Boeing said Sunday it has learned of new problems with the fuselage of its flagship 737 model which, while not posing an immediate in-flight danger, will require "rework" on dozens of planes.
- Amazon founder Jeff Bezos plans to sell up to 50 million shares of Amazon stock over the next year, according to a regulatory filing posted on Friday.
- Influencer-powered social commerce platform Twiva has announced a partnership with Shortlist, a talent advisory firm that connects African talent with startups, social ventures, and mission-driven organizations.
- Kenya Electricity Generating Company PLC (KenGen), is to offer testing services to the public and industries after receiving accreditation of its Calibration Centre laboratory by Kenya Accreditation Service (KENAS).
- The government through the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection has launched the National Skills Inventory following a directive issued by President William Ruto during a cabinet meeting on the 15th of January.
- The circulation of explicit and pornographic pictures of megastar Taylor Swift this week shined a light on artificial intelligence’s ability to create convincingly real, damaging – and fake – images.
- The Ministry of Investments, Trade, and Industry has formed a committee that will be tasked with addressing obstacles hindering both Foreign and Domestic Direct Investments, particularly in the aftermath of the discontinuation of the World Bank Ease of Doing Business Reforms in 2021.
- Pornographic, AI-generated images of the world’s most famous star spread across social media this week, underscoring the damaging potential posed by mainstream artificial intelligence technology: its ability to create convincingly real and damaging images.
- The head of Kenya's public debt management office at the finance ministry plans to leave his post in the next two months, the Business Daily newspaper reported on Thursday.
- The Kisumu County government on Wednesday launched a cashless system in conjunction with telco giant Safaricom to address challenges in optimising revenue collection, administration, and reporting.
- According to Kenyan market analysts, 2024 presents opportunities for investment in the agricultural space, with financial counters expected to improve and rebound.
- The African Development Bank (AfDB) and the United Kingdom have announced the selection of Kenya’s Transmission Network Improvement Project as a beneficiary project under the Room to Run Sovereign transaction (R2RS).
- Oil prices edged lower on Wednesday, weighed down by concerns over tepid demand and a stronger dollar even though escalating geopolitical tensions limited the losses.
