53 mins ago

What’s next for TikTok in the US as deal prospects remain uncertain?

DEC 16 – A billionaire investor keen on buying TikTok’s US operations has told the BBC he has been left in limbo as the latest deadline for the app’s sale looms. The US has repeatedly delayed the date by which the platform’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, must sell or be blocked for American users. US President […]

1 hr ago

Workers to pay more as new NSSF deductions take effect in 2026

NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 16 – Kenyan workers will pay higher National Social Security Fund (NSSF) deductions from February 2026 under revised mandatory pension contribution rates, further tightening household budgets amid rising living costs. Under the new structure, employees earning more than Sh100,000 per month will pay a maximum monthly contribution of Sh6,480, up from the […]

1 hr ago

Ford to scale back electric vehicle plans, taking $19.5bn hit

DEC 16 – Ford is backing away from plans to manufacture large electric vehicles, the US carmaker said on Monday, citing lacklustre demand and recent regulatory changes under US President Donald Trump. The company will instead invest in producing profitable hybrid and gas-powered vehicles and smaller, more affordable EV models. Ford said it expects its […]

1 hr ago

Health advocates urge Africa to adopt WHO GLP-1 obesity guidelines

NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 16 – Health advocates are calling on African governments to leverage new World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines on the use of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) therapies to prevent and treat obesity, warning that failure to act could deepen the continent’s growing non-communicable disease burden. In a statement, senior researcher and Stowelink Foundation founder […]

1 hr ago

32 drought-stricken Counties need food, livestock interventions – DP Kindiki

NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 16 – Thirty-two counties are in urgent need of human and livestock food interventions following the poor performance of the October to December short rains, Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has said. Prof. Kindiki said an estimated 2.1 million people are facing food and nutritional stress, prompting coordinated action between the national and […]

2 hrs ago

Trump sues BBC for defamation over Panorama speech edit

DEC 16 – US President Donald Trump has filed a multi-billion-dollar defamation lawsuit against the BBC over an edit of his 6 January 2021 speech in a Panorama documentary. Trump accused the broadcaster of defamation and of violating a trade practices law, according to court documents filed in Florida. He asked for $5bn (£3.7bn) in […]

2 hrs ago

Govt to set up company to run Sh5tn Wealth, Infrastructure Funds

NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 16 – The Government will establish a new limited liability company to manage its Sh5 trillion wealth fund following Cabinet approval, marking a major shift in how the State mobilises and deploys long-term development capital. According to a State House dispatch, the National Infrastructure Fund will act as the central vehicle for […]

4 hrs ago

PSSF Eurobond holdings jump 69pc to hit Sh4.4bn

Move highlights plan to diversify portfolio beyond domestic government securities.

Yest 16:57 PM

Airbnb fined £56m by Spain for advertising unlicensed properties

DEC 15 – The Spanish government has fined property rentals giant Airbnb €64m (£56m) for advertising unlicensed apartments. It also said that some of the properties advertised in the popular tourist destination were banned from being rented. The fine means that Airbnb has to withdraw the adverts promoting unlicensed properties. Although the Consumer Affairs Ministry […]

Yest 16:50 PM

Cabinet okays transfer of smart driving licence issuance to private investor

NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 15 – The issuance and management of smart driving licences will be transferred from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) to a private investor following Cabinet approval of a new public-private partnership (PPP) framework. Under the arrangement, the rollout of Second-Generation Smart Driving Licences will be undertaken through a PPP, integrating […]

Yest 14:34 PM

KETRACO signs Sh40.4bn PPP to expand, modernise power transmission network

NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 15 – The Kenya Electricity Transmission Company Limited (KETRACO) has signed a Sh40.4 billion ($311 million) Public-Private Partnership (PPP) agreement with a consortium comprising Africa50 and Power Grid Corporation of India, marking a major step in the expansion and modernisation of Kenya’s power transmission network. The project will be fully financed, implemented, […]

Yest 14:28 PM

Why retirement planning is now a personal responsibility as family support declines

By Asman Mugambi NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 15 – The modern retirement reality is self-sponsored. Gone are the days when one could comfortably depend on children or extended family to provide financial support in old age. For many, this marks a profound cultural shift. In African societies, family has long been seen as the safety net. […]

Yest 13:52 PM

Tala launches tokenized lending platform for global underbanked

NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 15 – Digital lender Tala has partnered with Huma Finance to launch the world’s first scalable, tokenized consumer lending platform for the global underbanked, deploying a $50 million USDC credit facility built on the Solana blockchain. The new platform brings blockchain-enabled, permissionless lending to millions of underserved borrowers by combining Tala’s AI-driven […]

Yest 13:31 PM

TRIFIC to unveil Sh5bn green dollar-denominated I-REIT

NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 15 – Two Rivers International Finance and Innovation Centre (TRIFIC), the operator of the Two Rivers Special Economic Zone (SEZ), has unveiled plans to launch a Sh5 billion green, USD-denominated Income Real Estate Investment Trust (I-REIT) to finance the development and acquisition of environmentally sustainable commercial towers. The proposed TRIFIC I-REIT will […]

Yest 13:30 PM

Hundreds of flights cancelled amid thick smog in India

NEW DELHI, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) — Hundreds of flights were cancelled or delayed Monday as thick smog blanketed the Indian capital territory and its outskirts, officials said. Local newspaper The New Indian Express said due to poor visibility, Indigo has announced the cancellation of 109 flights, while Air India has cancelled 37 flights. Air India […]

Yest 11:50 AM

BasiGo opens third Shell-hosted EV charging station

NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 15 – BasiGo, a leading provider of electric bus solutions, has officially opened a new electric vehicle (EV) charging station at the revamped Shell Athi River service station, expanding Kenya’s fast-growing e-mobility infrastructure. The Athi River site becomes BasiGo’s third Shell-hosted charging location in Kenya, following earlier launches at Shell Waiyaki Way […]

Yest 11:45 AM

Dolphin friendships act as natural anti-ageing serum: study

SYDNEY, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) — Male bottlenose dolphins with strong friendships age more slowly than their more solitary peers, an Australian-led study has found. The research by Australia’s University of New South Wales (UNSW) reveals for the first time in any non-human species that social bonds can slow ageing at the cellular level, a UNSW […]

Yest 09:55 AM

Philippine remittances slightly grow in October

MANILA, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) — Personal remittances from overseas Filipinos reached 3.52 billion U.S. dollars in October 2025 from 3.46 billion dollars in September, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said Monday. From January to October 2025, the BSP added that cumulative personal remittances amounted to 32.49 billion dollars compared to 28.97 billion dollars in […]

Yest 09:50 AM

Shaka Kariuki ousted as Competition Authority Chair

NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec – Shaka Kariuki has been removed as Non-Executive Chairperson of the Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK) following a fresh presidential appointment. In a gazette notice dated December 11, 2025, President William Ruto appointed Charles W. Mahinda as the new Non-Executive Chairperson of the CAK Board for a three-year term, effective the same […]

Yest 08:06 AM

Roomba vacuum cleaner firm files for bankruptcy

DEC 15 – The US firm behind the Roomba smart vacuum cleaner, iRobot, has filed for bankruptcy protection after facing competition from Chinese rivals and being hit by tariffs. Under the so-called pre-packaged Chapter 11 process, the main manufacturer of its devices, Shenzhen-based Picea Robotics, will take ownership of the firm. The tough commercial landscape had […]

Yest 08:05 AM

Africa Logistics Properties gets CMA nod for dollar-denominated REIT

NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 15 – Africa Logistics Properties Holdings Limited (ALPH) has received regulatory approval to launch a US dollar-denominated Real Estate Investment Trust. The Capital Markets Authority (CMA) has cleared the firm to establish the ALP Industrial Real Estate Investment Trust (ALP REIT) and issue units to investors through a Restricted Offer. Once listed, […]

Yest 06:08 AM

Government to expand Nairobi Central Railway Station capacity

NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 15 – The government has kick-started the process of expanding the Nairobi Central Railway Station, in a bid to ease congestion and improve connectivity within the country’s capital. According to the  Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) from the KENYA Railways corporation for Phase One of the Nairobi Railway City project, the […]

Yest 06:07 AM

Spain’s commitment to renewable energy may be in doubt

DEC 15 – On the edge of the sleepy town of Figueruelas, a single, vast wind turbine spins around, casting its shadow over the buildings nearby. It’s a reminder of the importance of renewable electricity in this windswept area of Aragón, in north-eastern Spain, whose plains are host to many of the country’s wind and […]

Yest 04:11 AM

Strain on Kenya Power as 2,234 staff retire in five years

Firm forced to adopt phased hiring to avert crisis, especially for technical units.

14 Dec 18:07 PM

Kenyans spared fuel price hike ahead of Christmas, New Year

NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 14 – Kenyans have been spared a fuel price increase after the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) maintained pump prices for the next 30 days, up to January. In its latest monthly review, EPRA kept prices for super petrol, diesel and kerosene unchanged. In Nairobi, a litre of super petrol will […]

14 Dec 15:06 PM

Cabinet to okay Sh5tn National Infrastructure Fund tomorrow

NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 14 – The Cabinet will meet tomorrow (Monday) to consider and approve the National Infrastructure Fund (NIF) and begin Kenya’s journey of lifting the economy from third world to first-world status, the President has announced. The President explained that the fund will be the instrument used to mobilise Sh5 trillion required to […]

14 Dec 08:00 AM

How group’s innovations are transforming chicken farming

Two farmers at the forefront of technological revolution in poultry keeping.