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Debt hole set to deepen, civil servants to lose perks in new plan

Treasury to borrow more from local lenders despite caution by experts and Parliament. Civil servants likely to lose perks while over 110,000 youth will be engaged in climate work.

By Graham Kajilwa and Macharia Kamau 1 month ago

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Headwinds ahead: What could derail Kenya's Sh4.2 trillion budget

Slowing economic growth, rising interest rates, US trade tariffs and inflation to determine performance of the economy.

By Graham Kajilwa 1 month ago

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How government is losing millions in rents from housing units

Further analysis of the inventory showed that 5,397 units under the State Department of Housing and Urban Development have been boarded countrywide.

By Graham Kajilwa 1 month ago

Digital deals, informal hustles: How treasury plans to tax more in 2025

Additionally, the definition of royalty is expanded to include regular payments for software distribution, further widening the royalty tax base.

By Graham Kajilwa 1 month ago

Scrap metal dealers, county officials partner on city cleanup

Key issues discussed in the meeting included licensing for the scrap dealers and vandalism, according to a statement released after the event.

By Graham Kajilwa 1 month ago

State's Sh7b plan to increase LPG usage

The government is banking on public institutions to increase the amount of cooking gas consumed in the country to 10kg per capita in line with the National Liquified Petroleum Gas Enhancement Project.

By Graham Kajilwa 1 month ago

Trump aid cuts: Expats' exodus leaves leafy suburb developers in limbo

USAID is a major funder of NGOs in the country, according to 2023 figures, with its budget for programmes in Kenya standing at $435 million (Sh56.6 billion).

By Graham Kajilwa 1 month ago

Boost as agency proposes halving consignment fee for local exporters

KenTrade has proposed to slash the $10 (Sh1,300) Unique Consignment Reference (UCR) fee by half to increase cross-border trade.

By Graham Kajilwa 1 month ago

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Inside State's Sh3.7b fresh plan to revamp MSMEs sector

The government wants to harmonise government fees, taxes, and levies affecting these businesses with the aim of promoting targeted fiscal and business incentives for MSMEs.

By Graham Kajilwa 1 month ago

HF Group first quarter profit more than doubles to Sh327 million

Local lender HF Group more than doubled its first quarter 2025 profit before tax to reach Sh327 million, up from Sh150 million last year.

By Graham Kajilwa 1 month ago

State agencies pressed to raise revenue to balance 'softer' Finance Bill

With a 'softer' Finance Bill, 2025 on the table to avoid protests that led to the scrapping of Finance Bill, 2024, Ruto's administration has placed a special focus on non-tax revenue.

By Graham Kajilwa 1 month ago

State's Sh125b headache over titanium dip

The depletion of commercially viable titanium ore reserves in Kwale County now threatens the government's ambitious plans in the mining sector.

By Graham Kajilwa 1 month ago

Kenya Power, State research firm eye battery manufacturing plant

Kenya Power is working with Kirdi on the possibility of coming up with a battery manufacturing plant, as it seeks seeks to position itself as a major player in adoption of electric vehicles.

By Graham Kajilwa 2 months ago

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Why firms are withholding salary increase

KAM Chief Executive Tobias Alando cites rising cost of operations, constrained consumer demand and global market uncertainties as the reasons behind the sluggish implementation of CBAs.

By Graham Kajilwa 2 months ago

Bread, beer and cosmetics prices to rise as Nema rules take effect

Regulations are meant to make producers and brand owners responsible for the management of waste with manufacturers required to have a track and trace system.

By Graham Kajilwa 2 months ago

No pay hike as Ruto directs 2024 minimum wage be implemented

The President directed the Labour CS to facilitate employees on contract to join unions as he underscored what he termed as the State's milestones.

By Graham Kajilwa 2 months ago

Leafy suburbs property prices drop on Trump budget cuts effect

Property prices in Juja saw the highest increase in the last year at 13.8 per cent when considering all houses, followed by Loresho at 11.7 per cent and Kiserian at 11.4 per cent.

By Graham Kajilwa 2 months ago

Private firms sack workers as State wage bill continues to rise

Several companies have laid off workers in the last two years with a majority of them citing a difficult business environment associated with increased taxes.

By Graham Kajilwa 2 months ago

Why you are likely to lose your land to family, not fraudsters

This is considering the major method of land acquisition in the country is through inheritance, according to the Kenya Housing Basic Survey Report 2023-2024.

By Graham Kajilwa 2 months ago

Treasury to revise Budget estimates

The initial budget estimates of Sh4.3 trillion as set out in the 2025 Budget Policy Statement will undergo substantial revisions before being tabled in Parliament.

By Graham Kajilwa 2 months ago

Mini-grid operators step in to bridge power needs for businesses

Some businesses, like KTDA, have developed mini-grids to supplement power from the main grid, hence cutting electricity costs.

By Graham Kajilwa 2 months ago

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Is Kenya losing its economic power to EAC neighbours?

Kenyans have raised concerns about how the business environment is suffocating industrialisation, and that the focus has now moved to Tanzania and Uganda.

By Graham Kajilwa 2 months ago

Lower inflation ups consumer spending in first quarter of 2025

Higher spending among consumers has been sustained across the first quarter of the year, with the latest ILAM Consumer Spending Index showing increased volumes in purchases made.

By Graham Kajilwa 2 months ago

NSSF's plan to pay pension dues in a day signals relief for retirees

The National Social Security Fund has revealed its plan to pay claims within 24 hours, placing its bet on technology, an agile workforce and cleaning up its records.

By Graham Kajilwa 2 months ago

Sh100m Bamburi Cement plant to ease construction

Bamburi Cement Plc, a subsidiary of Amsons Group, has launched a Sh100 million ready-mix concrete plant in Mombasa aimed at meeting the growing demand for quality concrete solutions.

By Graham Kajilwa 2 months ago

Firms list key products with export potential

The products with low demand and export potential are chemicals, machinery and electronic equipment.

By Graham Kajilwa 2 months ago

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Low incomes, few houses: How high rent prices leave tenants with empty pockets

The proximity of Kajiado County to the country's capital is one of the reasons tenants are spending more than half of their incomes on rent.

By Graham Kajilwa 2 months ago

US team to jet in for talks on Trump tariffs

A delegation from the United States is expected in Nairobi next week as the country seeks a deal to scrap the 10 per cent tariff imposed on Kenyan exports by President Donald Trump.

By Graham Kajilwa 2 months ago

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How solo entrepreneurship hinders the growth of SMEs

The problem with the small and medium enterprise (SMEs) sector, where solo-entrepreneurship thrives, especially among micro enterprises.

By Graham Kajilwa and Sofia Ali 2 months ago

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State defends tax regime as firms mull Kenya exit

Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) Deputy Commissioner Policy and Tax Advisory Maurice Oray noted that agricultural produce, for instance, is exempt from the VAT Act.

By Graham Kajilwa 2 months ago

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Role of Commissioner for Cooperatives questioned in Kuscco Sh13b saga

The role of the Commissioner for Cooperative Development in the Kuscco scandal has been questioned as affiliated societies' officials fight a directive to dismiss them from office.

By Graham Kajilwa 2 months ago

America unfazed with Chinese influence as Ruto meets Jinping

The latest invitation comes on the backdrop of tariffs imposed by Trump early in the month across 180 countries.

By Graham Kajilwa 2 months ago

Treasury PS blames ballooning debt on costly new constitution

Tresury PS Chris Kiptoo said the country's budget deficits have been widening since the adoption of the new constitution, which necessitated more borrowing.

By Graham Kajilwa 2 months ago

State taps new team to review Sacco laws

CS Oparanya revealed that the team will be chaired by Marlene Shiels, Chief Executive of Capital Credit Union, Scotland.

By Graham Kajilwa 2 months ago

Push to consolidate small pension schemes gathers pace in reforms

Industry players say this is the only way for the sector to gain economies of scale. Kenya's pension assets under management surpassed Sh2.3 trillion as of the end of December 2024.

By Graham Kajilwa 3 months ago

Will new KRA system bring more landlords into the tax net?

The lack of data on the number of landlords and rental properties in the country has been cited as a major hindrance to bringing them into the tax net.

By Graham Kajilwa 3 months ago

Manufacturers seek higher loan limit in credit guarantee scheme

Manufacturers want the State CGS for small businesses to be increased by Sh15 million and the repayment period extended to eight years.

By Graham Kajilwa 3 months ago

RBA eyes policy reforms to up contributions

Retirement Benefits Authority has set its eyes on the informal sector as it seeks policy reforms to increase contributions, amid an improved pension assets to GDP ratio.

By Graham Kajilwa 3 months ago

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NSE recovery ups pension assets under management to Sh2.3tr

Retirement Benefits Authority shows quoted equities as one of the asset classes, which has always been shunned by fund managers, seeing a revival in the year, growing by 15.6 per cent.

By Graham Kajilwa 3 months ago

Ruto vows fight back against Trump tariffs on Kenyan goods

President William Ruto has broken his silence on the 10 per cent tariff imposed on Kenyan exports to the US, asserting that the country will safeguard its interests amid the global trade war.

By Graham Kajilwa 3 months ago