Author: Lorine Otamo

Kenya’s annual inflation rose to 4.4% in March 2026, up from 4.3% in February, as food costs continued to squeeze household budgets, the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics reported on Tuesday. The Consumer Price Index moved from 149.20 in February to 150.00 in March, translating to a monthly inflation rate of 0.5%, compared with 0.2% the previous month. Prices overall stood 4.4% higher than in March 2025. Food Remains the Biggest Pressure Point Food and non-alcoholic beverages drove the bulk of the increase, rising 7.7% over the year and contributing 2.2 percentage points of the total 4.4%. Transport added 3.8%…

Britam has appointed Mrs. Celestine Munda as Interim Chairperson of its Board with immediate effect, following the passing of Board Chairman Mr. Kuria Muchiru on 19 March 2026. The decision was made at a duly convened Board meeting on Monday, 30 March 2026, and is subject to regulatory approval. Munda, who has served as an Independent Non-Executive Director at Britam and as Chairperson of the group’s Board Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee, will hold the interim role until the Board communicates a substantive appointment in due course. The Board expressed confidence that she will provide steady leadership and clear strategic…

Kenya generates roughly 8 million tonnes of waste every year. More than 95% of it goes unrecycled. Around 73% risks leaking into the environment entirely. For a country committed to cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030, this is both a climate liability and, increasingly, an economic one. A new investment prospectus published by Invest Kenya in March 2026 reframes the problem. Titled Waste Management and Circular Economy Investment Opportunity in Kenya, the document argues that Kenya’s waste streams represent a largely untapped resource base and that with coordinated investment, the country could unlock up to $730 million in…

KCB Bank Kenya has appointed Peter Kipkorir Ng’eno as Director of Corporate Banking, effective March 27, 2026, subject to regulatory approval. Ng’eno steps into the role vacated by John Okulo, who left KCB to take up the position of Managing Director and Chief Executive at Sidian Bank. Ng’eno comes to the role from within. He served as Executive Head of Client Coverage and Business Development in the Corporate Banking division from February 2022, building direct oversight of the unit’s revenue and client relationships before his elevation. Earlier in his tenure at KCB, he led the Manufacturing sector desk between 2019…

Sidian Bank’s Board of Directors has named John Okulo as the bank’s next Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. His appointment takes effect on 1 May 2026, pending regulatory approval. A Seasoned Hand at the Helm Okulo brings 28 years of banking experience across regional and international institutions, with a career built on corporate banking, trade finance, strategy execution, risk management, and regional business leadership. He joins from KCB Bank Kenya, where he directs Corporate Banking and oversees one of East Africa’s largest corporate banking portfolios — managing strategic client relationships, financial performance, and risk frameworks at scale. Before KCB,…

Kenya broke ground on Thursday on the next phase of its Standard Gauge Railway, a project that stopped near Naivasha in 2019 when Chinese government financing for large African infrastructure projects was cut. The new construction is funded through the securitisation of railway levy revenues rather than sovereign debt, a structure that reflects both Kenya’s constrained public finances and a shift in how China and African governments are now structuring infrastructure deals. The Naivasha-Kisumu main line will span 264km, complemented by an 8.69km line branching to the proposed new Kisumu Port while the Kisumu- Malaba section will cover 107km, seamlessly…