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Kenya

Equity Bank's Chief Executive Officer James Mwangi is seen during a Reuters interview in Nairobi

wind down

Kenya: Should over-liquid banks return capital to shareholders?

In the middle of the pandemic, Kenyan banks doubled their net earnings year-on-year to KSh50bn ($458m) during the second quarter of 2021. However, ... upon review, these ‘strong’ earnings were primarily driven by reduction in loan impairment charges, as bad ones were down by half year-on-year during the quarter.

Article 11/11 of "Banking Africa"

Man holds up his latest M-Pesa mobile money transaction for the photographer at an open air market in Kibera in Kenya's capital Nairobi

Distress of Debt

Kenya: The cycle of mobile app loans is costing the youth its health and finances

With a debt already close to 70% of its GDP, the IMF projects that Kenya plans to borrow $12.4bn from foreign sources by June 2022. This, at ... a time when the country is at a high risk of debt distress and subject to zero limits on non-concessional borrowing. But the distress is also having a cause and effect on its population.

innovative solutions

Kenya: From tender documents in containers to a digital procurement market

Scale, a Kenyan digital startup, is aiming to disrupt all aspects of procurement in Kenya and across the African continent by offering innovative ... solutions to suppliers, public procurement entities, private companies and even banks.

Article 3/3 of "Pushing for public procurement in Africa"

Kenya's finance minister to present the budget to parliament

Political games

Kenyans question cabinet secretaries’ political neutrality

As the countdown to next year’s general election begins, Kenyan government officials who had been seen as politically neutral have been throwing ... caution to the wind. Recent controversial statements and endorsements have left many would-be voters questioning the state's commitment to a free and fair poll.

Kenya top stories

wind down

Kenya: Should over-liquid banks return capital to shareholders?

Article 11/11 of "Banking Africa"

Distress of Debt

Kenya: The cycle of mobile app loans is costing the youth its health and finances

Political games

Kenyans question cabinet secretaries’ political neutrality

wind down

Kenya: Should over-liquid banks return capital to shareholders?

Distress of Debt

Kenya: The cycle of mobile app loans is costing the youth its health and finances

Political games

Kenyans question cabinet secretaries’ political neutrality

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Political Eruptions

Kenya: After an attack on Ruto’s motorcade, are 2022 polls shaping up to be violent?

On 10 November, the campaign motorcade belonging to Kenya’s Deputy President William Ruto was attacked in Kisumu, a western county on the shores ... of Lake Victoria. It was a bad day for Ruto who had just had a smooth run across the country for weeks, in his quest to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta. However, the blame game that followed amongst the political class and security organs could threaten peace for a country that has known its fair share of deadly election aftermaths.

Nicholas Mwendwa, President of the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) at the Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi

FIFA VS Kenya

Between FIFA, FKF and Kenya’s sports minister, who will blink first?

The governing body of the International Federation of Association Football, FIFA, may have no choice but to suspend Kenya’s top football organ ... Football Kenya Federation (FKF) after its president, Nicholas Mwendwa, was recently kicked out of office by the sports cabinet secretary. But what wrong did Mwendwa commit? And what are the chances of regaining his seat?

padded budgets

Africa: Committed reformers are pushing for open procurement

In part two of our review of some of the most active stakeholders attempting to reform how governments spend their money across Africa, we profile ... an activist in Cameroon, an anti-corruption campaigner in Kenya, as well as a procurement officer and a data analysis firm in Nigeria.

Article 2/3 of "Pushing for public procurement in Africa"

regional concerns

Ethiopia: Kenyatta and Museveni try to broker peace to avoid regional fallout

Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta held private talks with Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and President Sahle Work Zewde on Sunday, as ... regional leaders scramble for a solution to the country’s year-long civil war.

Fake papers

Kenya’s politicians rush to secure fake diplomas as elections near

Back in 2018, when Kenyan Senator Gideon Moi announced that he might run in next year’s presidential race, supporters of Deputy President William ... Ruto immediately attacked him as a spoiler. One of the politicians who wouldn’t hear of it was MP Oscar Sudi, who took aim at Moi’s educational credentials.

Customers are served inside the Safaricom mobile phone customer care centre in the central business district of Nairobi

telecoms tax

How has Africa’s mobile money market adapted to the pandemic?

Covid-19 led to widespread regulatory limits on mobile money transaction fees to boost financial inclusion through the pandemic. How have the ... controls impacted mobile money operators, which earn 80%+ of revenues from transaction fees? It looks like the controls are here to stay in some countries. In others, like Tanzania, Vodacom and Airtel successfully lobbied to remove a mobile money tax.

Article 8/8 of "Digital Africa"