Kenya has extended a temporary waiver on sulphur limits for imported petrol and diesel for a further six months, the Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry has announced, citing continued geopolitical uncertainty in the Middle East and disruptions to global petroleum supply chains. The decision, which follows a request from the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum and a recommendation by the National Standards Council, allows fuel imported into Kenya to contain up to 50 milligrams of sulphur per kilogram (50mg/kg), extending a measure first introduced in April 2026. Trade Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui said the extension was necessary to widen…
Author: Nia Mwikali
Sudan has formally lifted its ban on Kenyan tea imports, ending a restrictive trade measure that had been in place since March 2025 and had cost Kenyan exporters tens of millions of dollars in stranded cargo and lost sales. The announcement was made by Sudan’s Industry and Trade Minister, Mahasin Ali Yaqoub, according to a report by the Daily Nation on Tuesday. The move marks a significant diplomatic and economic development for Nairobi, which had been lobbying Khartoum for months to reopen one of its lucrative agricultural markets. The ban was originally imposed in March 2025 as a retaliatory measure…
Podcasting in Kenya has transformed from a marginal, experimental format into one of the country’s most dynamic creative industries. What began as a space for digitally curious early adopters has evolved into a mainstream cultural force that rivals traditional media in engagement and influence, particularly among young urban audiences. This evolution has been shaped by shifting media landscapes, technological adoption, and a deep-rooted Kenyan tradition of storytelling, yet it remains haunted by a fundamental challenge: the money has not followed the attention. The seeds of a new listening culture The groundwork for podcasting in Kenya was laid by the media…
The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has directed all advocates across the country to down their tools and withdraw from court proceedings indefinitely, escalating a confrontation with the state over the disappearance of a fellow lawyer who has been missing for more than a week. The boycott, announced Tuesday, November 10, 2026, comes as the High Court prepares to examine evidence in habeas corpus proceedings seeking to compel security agencies to produce Advocate Abshir Ahmedsadak Abdi, who was reportedly abducted in Nairobi on November 2. In a statement issued Tuesday, the LSK said its members would seek adjournments in courts…
Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) troops operating in the coastal Lamu County have successfully discovered and destroyed an improvised explosive device (IED) planted along a key supply route, military officials confirmed Tuesday, preventing what could have been a deadly attack on security personnel and civilians. The explosive was detected during a routine patrol along the Baure–Basuba Main Supply Route, an area where troops under Operation Amani Boni (OAB) have been actively combating al-Shabaab militants hiding in the dense Boni Forest. Following the discovery, an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team was deployed to the scene and neutralized the device through a controlled…
Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has issued a series of explicit threats against Vice President Jessica Alupo, demanding she vacate her office and labeling her a “traitor,” in an extraordinary escalation that has thrust the country’s succession politics into open confrontation. In posts published on his official X account on the evening of November 9, 2026, President Yoweri Museveni’s son abandoned earlier ambiguity and directly targeted the Vice Presidency. “About being Vice President. I think we have been diplomatic enough. Whoever is in that office should prepare to hand it over soon,” Muhoozi wrote. He added that…
Alice Huang, also known as Huang Le, is a Chinese business executive and former top figure at Singapore-based data center firm Megaspeed International who U.S. intelligence officials believe was recruited by China’s Ministry of State Security to gather information on Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and potentially influence access to advanced AI chips. Public details about her are limited. She is a Chinese citizen, speaks good English, and is described as well-connected in the global AI chip industry. A short online profile on a Chinese fund database (unverified by major outlets) listed prior roles including at HSBC bank and as a…
First Assurance Investments Limited (FAI) has completed its acquisition of Absa Group’s entire shareholding in two Kenyan insurance subsidiaries, bringing an end to more than a decade of South African ownership and returning majority control of the century-old insurer to local investors. The transaction, announced in a public notice dated November 9, 2026, transfers Absa’s 100 percent stake in First Assurance Holdings Limited, the parent company of First Assurance Company Limited and Absa Life Assurance Kenya Limited, to FAI, which was already an existing shareholder. Completion followed the fulfilment of regulatory approvals and other customary conditions. Following the ownership transition,…
Safaricom PLC has appointed Boniface Mungania as its Chief Financial Services Officer, effective November 1, 2026, following the receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals. The announcement, made on November 6, elevates a nearly two-decade company veteran to permanently lead the division that houses M-PESA, Safaricom’s flagship mobile money platform. Mungania, who reports directly to the Chief Executive Officer, had been serving in the role in an acting capacity since August 2026, following the resignation of Esther Masese Waititu, who left the company on July 31 after serving as Chief Financial Services Officer since February 2023. Mungania’s ascent within Safaricom is…
The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has published a list of 30 product categories that will no longer qualify for the simplified Ksh2 million consolidated cargo clearance scheme, marking a significant tightening of the trade facilitation measure introduced just two months ago. In a notice issued on Thursday, November 5, the tax authority confirmed that high-value and sensitive goods – including foodstuffs, smartphones, smartwatches, used clothing and shoes, televisions, and ready-made garments – are now fully excluded from the framework. The exclusion list also covers fabrics, cosmetics, new shoes, sanitary ware, motorcycle spare parts, carpets, and musical instruments. “For the above…
