Nairobi residents and small businesses are bracing for higher costs from July 2025 after the county assembly approved a far–reaching five-year tariff and pricing policy that will guide future hikes in parking fees, business permits and market charges.
The policy, adopted on Wednesday, gives City Hall its strongest legal basis yet to revise charges upward by tying every fee to the actual cost of delivering a service.
Although parking fees will not rise immediately, the new framework opens the door for significant increases in the upcoming Finance Bills.
County documents show Nairobi spends about Sh520 to provide a single parking service.
This cost model will anchor future adjustments, with the 2025–2030 policy projecting daily parking fees at Sh520 once the executive implements the new schedule.
Revenue forecasts already show an expected jump in parking collections in the next financial year.
County Receiver of Revenue Tairus Njoroge said the executive will consult the public before setting new charges and will consider the broader economic environment.
He said affordability and the city’s inflationary pressures will be factored into the final decision.
Under the approved policy, some business permits will rise to as high as Sh74,743.
This marks one of the steepest revisions in years and comes at a time when traders and households are struggling with high operating costs and rising prices of essentials.
Majority Whip Moses Ogeto said the assembly had endorsed the policy to fix Nairobi’s fragmented revenue system, which for decades has relied on scattered by-laws and annual Finance Acts.
He said the city’s growing population demands better services and a more reliable revenue framework.
For the first time, every county charge will be grounded in detailed cost mapping.
Trader licences have been collapsed into a Unified Business Permit that bundles fire, health and waste-collection fees previously billed separately.
Building plan approvals will cost Sh79,715, a figure drawn from an annual Sh4.52 billion expenditure on staff, ICT, inspection equipment and insurance.
The county has also priced access to public markets based on real costs.
Stalls in Zone I markets will be priced at Sh4,152, while those in Zone II will cost Sh2,349. These figures are tied to Nairobi’s Sh700 million annual spend on sanitation, lighting, security and market maintenance.
The construction and maintenance of Nairobi’s 16,900 parking slots has been valued at Sh3.54 billion, translating to an annual capital outlay of Sh177 million.
This, the county says, is the foundation of the Sh520 parking fee.
Nairobi’s push to formalise its tariff regime follows a landmark High Court ruling last month that struck down the Nairobi County Finance Act 2023. The court found the law unconstitutional for lacking a formal tariff and pricing policy, which is required under Article 209(4) of the Constitution and Section 120 of the County Governments Act.
Justice Bahati Mwamuye ruled that counties must demonstrate the cost of each service before imposing charges. He said Nairobi had failed to justify its fees, had not disclosed essential information and had engaged in arbitrary levying of charges.
The new policy is now expected to form the backbone of the next Finance Act and could usher in some of the most sweeping fee adjustments Nairobi has seen in years.
Jeune Afrique Media Group has posted its strongest financial performance in years, with annual consolidated revenue surpassing €30 million for the 2024 fiscal year, signalling that its post-pandemic overhaul is paying off.
The Paris-based pan-African publisher said revenue rose six per cent to €30.03 million, buoyed by growth in digital products, subscriptions and its expanding events portfolio.
The media group, founded in Tunis in 1960 and long considered a continental reference point for political and economic journalism, has been implementing a four-year transformation plan aimed at modernising its newsrooms and diversifying revenue.
The strategy has centred on elevating editorial quality, reducing volume, strengthening fact-checking and integrating sector analysts and data journalists across its flagship titles Jeune Afrique, The Africa Report and Africa Business+.
The company attributes much of the momentum to surging professional demand for specialised coverage. Its B2B subscription portfolio has grown by more than 25 per cent over the past year, driven by clients in finance, law and industry.
Africa Business+, the Group’s niche corporate intelligence publication, has recorded double-digit growth in corporate subscriptions in the first half of 2025, helped by its deep coverage of African dealmaking and sector-specific rankings that have become an industry staple.
Jeune Afrique Media Group now counts 32,000 digital subscribers and draws more than 3.2 million monthly online readers, nearly two-thirds of whom are senior executives in African and global corporations.
Digital products account for 40 per cent of the Group’s total revenue, underscoring how decisively the company has shifted away from its traditional print-led model.
Alongside its publishing division, the Group’s events arm has become one of its strongest engines of growth.
The Africa CEO Forum and Africa Financial Summit (AFIS) have entrenched themselves as major meeting points for business and policy leaders on the continent.
The 2025 Africa CEO Forum held in Abidjan drew almost 3,000 executives, while AFIS convened financial sector leaders in Casablanca in November for high-level discussions on African financial sovereignty.
The company has also rolled out a new initiative, LEAD, designed to convene emerging senior public servants around global standards in public policy.
Chief executive Amir Ben Yahmed said the results validate the Group’s decision to double down on its historic strengths rather than pursue aggressive expansion.
He argued that the combination of stronger corporate subscriptions, digital revenue growth and record event attendance demonstrates that the brand remains essential reading for continental decision-makers and global actors with interests in Africa.
Founded more than six decades ago, Jeune Afrique Media Group describes its mission as connecting African audiences and diaspora communities with high-quality journalism and acting as a bridge between African newsrooms and the international arena.
The company publishes in both English and French and has positioned itself as one of the continent’s most influential media and events organisations.
A consumer rights lobby has moved to the High Court seeking to block the sale of the National Social Security Fund’s stake in East African Portland Cement to a Tanzania-linked firm, arguing that the transaction threatens Kenya’s economic sovereignty and could lead to monopolistic control of the cement sector.
The Consumer Federation of Kenya, through secretary general Stephen Mutoro, has filed a constitutional petition challenging the lawfulness of NSSF’s planned disposal of its 27 percent shareholding in the Athi River-based manufacturer to Kalahari Cement Limited for 1.6 billion shillings.
The lobby warns that the deal could cede control of a strategic state-linked asset to foreign interests without proper regulatory scrutiny.
Kalahari Cement, which is controlled by Tanzanian tycoon Edhah Abdallah Munif through Mauritius-based investment vehicles, already holds a 29.2 percent stake in EAPC acquired from Swiss multinational Holcim earlier this year for 718.7 million shillings.
With Bamburi Cement, which is fully owned by Mr Munif’s Amsons Group, holding an additional 12.5 percent of EAPC, the proposed transaction would give the Tanzanian conglomerate effective control with a combined 68.7 percent stake.
The petition, filed at the Milimani Constitutional and Human Rights Division, names the Capital Markets Authority, Competition Authority of Kenya, NSSF, Kalahari Cement, EAPC and the Attorney General as respondents.
Cofek accuses regulators of facilitating what it terms a secretive transaction involving pension assets without public participation or compliance with constitutional safeguards on transparency and prudent financial management.
Mr Mutoro argues in court papers that the NSSF stake, held in trust for Kenyan workers, cannot be transferred without full transparency, due process and regulatory scrutiny.
The group contends that regulators failed to verify whether the transaction underwent mandatory valuation reviews, capital markets disclosures or competition assessments despite repeated requests for information.
Cofek claims that CMA and CAK allegedly withheld critical information, violating constitutional rights related to access to information and fair administrative action.
The lobby argues that the transaction excluded public input, transparent valuations and competitive bidding, while sidelining minority shareholders’ pre-emptive rights.
The petition raises concerns about potential market concentration in Kenya’s cement industry.
Mr Munif’s Amsons Group completed the full acquisition of Bamburi Cement in December last year for 23.6 billion shillings , giving it significant influence in the sector.
Cofek warns that Kalahari Cement, though locally incorporated, acts as a proxy for its Tanzanian parent, enabling what it calls regulatory circumvention and anti-competitive consolidation.
The lobby cites Amsons Group’s aggressive regional expansion as evidence of credible monopolistic risks that could inflate cement prices and harm consumers.
At the close of the NSSF deal, Mr Munif would directly and indirectly control the equivalent of 31 percent of the Kenyan cement sector’s production capacity , setting up intensified competition with other billionaires in the industry including Narendra Raval and the Rai family.
Cofek is seeking conservatory orders freezing any further steps in the transaction, including sale, transfer or registration of the NSSF shares in favor of Kalahari Cement.
The group also wants the court to compel CMA to conduct a full compliance inquiry and direct CAK to carry out merger and competition assessments to determine whether the acquisition could create dominance or monopoly risks.
The lobby argues that once shares are transferred, the harm will be irreversible, making it impossible to recover public leverage or forestall potential anti-competitive behavior.
The group contends that damages would not be an adequate remedy since share transfers are irreversible and once control changes hands, judicial review would be rendered meaningless.
EAPC’s strategic value extends beyond cement production.
The company’s Athi River plant sits on 3,000 acres of prime land, and critics have questioned whether the real value lies in real estate rather than cement manufacturing.
The firm traces its origins to 1933 as a colonial-era venture originally owned by Blue Triangle Limited and the Kenyan government before being privatized in the 1990s.
NSSF acquired its 27 percent stake during a 2009 recapitalization meant to safeguard workers’ interests, a mandate Cofek argues is now compromised by the proposed sale.
The pension fund has described the disposal as part of efforts to liquidate underperforming assets, but the timing and choice of beneficiary have drawn scrutiny.
The case highlights broader questions about cross-border investment reciprocity.
Tanzania mandates 51 percent local ownership in mining and energy sectors, while Kenya’s foreign investment rules remain less stringent.
Critics argue that such asymmetries disadvantage Kenyan enterprises seeking opportunities abroad while exposing critical domestic sectors to foreign control.
The High Court has scheduled a mention for January 27, 2026, to assess respondents’ filings in response to the petition.
Regulators are expected to demonstrate that rigorous oversight was applied to the contested deal and explain their approval processes for the transaction.
Kalahari Cement has stated that it does not intend to make a takeover offer for EAPC or delist the company from the Nairobi Securities Exchange after completion of the proposed transaction.
The firm has described the investment as part of a strategic long-term plan aimed at advancing national industrialization and providing capital and technical resources to transform EAPC into one of Kenya’s leading cement manufacturers.
However, Cofek maintains that the public interest demands full disclosure and competitive processes for disposal of state-linked assets, particularly those held by pension funds on behalf of workers.
The petition frames the sale as a test of Kenya’s governance frameworks and the effectiveness of regulatory oversight in protecting strategic economic interests.
In a landmark ruling that could trigger a tsunami of similar lawsuits, the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner has slapped Platinum Credit Limited with a Ksh400,000 penalty for bombarding a Kenyan with unwanted loan advertisements, setting a precedent that could cost the lender millions.
Samuel Kamau Waweru’s victory against the credit firm has opened the door for potentially thousands of Kenyans who have been on the receiving end of relentless marketing calls and text messages from lending institutions that somehow acquired their phone numbers without permission.
The determination, delivered on February 24, 2025, by Data Commissioner Immaculate Kassait, found Platinum Credit guilty of unlawfully processing Waweru’s personal data and misleading investigators during the probe, a move that has now earned the company’s directors a prosecution recommendation.
Waweru lodged his complaint on November 27, 2024, telling the commissioner that Platinum Credit and its sales agents had been persistently sending him promotional messages and making unsolicited calls about their loan products without his knowledge or authorization.
What he didn’t know was that his complaint would expose a web of data privacy violations that regulators say warrants criminal charges.
During the investigation, Platinum Credit attempted to distance itself from the harassment, claiming that the person making the calls was not their agent or representative.
But the Data Commissioner’s office dug deeper and uncovered evidence proving the caller was indeed working for the lender, a discovery that turned the case from a simple privacy violation into a potential criminal matter.
The Commissioner found that Platinum Credit had violated fundamental principles of data protection by processing Waweru’s personal information without lawful basis, a breach of the Constitution’s guarantee of privacy and the Data Protection Act of 2019.
Beyond ordering the hefty compensation payment, Kassait issued an enforcement notice against Platinum Credit and took the extraordinary step of recommending prosecution of the company’s directors under Section 57(3) read with Section 73 of the Act.
The provision targets those who furnish false or misleading information to the Data Commissioner, an offense that carries a fine of up to Ksh3 million, imprisonment for up to ten years, or both.
Legal experts say the ruling could unleash a flood of lawsuits against mobile lenders and financial institutions that have long operated in a regulatory grey area, purchasing customer databases and marketing aggressively without explicit consent.
With millions of Kenyans receiving similar unsolicited loan offers daily, the potential liability for the industry could run into billions of shillings.
The determination explicitly states that parties have the right to appeal to the High Court within 30 days, leaving room for Platinum Credit to challenge the decision.
However, the Commissioner’s recommendation for criminal prosecution of the company’s directors sends a chilling message to the industry that data privacy violations will no longer be treated as mere administrative infractions.
For Waweru, the Ksh400,000 compensation represents vindication for what many Kenyans endure silently every day.
For Platinum Credit, it may be just the beginning of a costly reckoning with data protection laws that the industry has largely ignored since their enactment.
The case marks one of the most significant enforcement actions by the Data Commissioner’s office since its establishment, signaling that Kenya’s data protection regime has teeth and is prepared to bite those who flout the rules.
The Higher Education Loans Board is bracing for a potential class action lawsuit following a landmark High Court ruling that declared the institution cannot demand more than double the principal amount borrowed by loan beneficiaries.
The ruling, delivered by Justice A. Mabeya in the case of Mugure and two others versus HELB, has opened the door for thousands of former students who have struggled under the weight of ballooning loans to seek redress.
Already, angry borrowers on social media are threatening legal action against the state corporation, with some accusing it of predatory lending practices that have trapped graduates in cycles of debt.
The case that sparked this potential legal storm involved three former students who argued that HELB had imposed excessive interest and penalties that caused their loans to spiral out of control.
In one particularly striking example, a youth with a disability took out a loan of Sh82,980 in July 2004 at an interest rate of 2 percent.
By July 2016, the amount he owed had ballooned to Sh540,464.10, more than six times the original sum.
Another petitioner borrowed Sh146,090 in July 2016, only to see the outstanding balance grow to Sh335,207.28 by March 2021.
A third loan of Sh135,000 obtained in July 2016 had increased to Sh336,573.83 by February 2021.
At the heart of the court’s decision was the application of the in duplum rule, a legal principle derived from Latin meaning “in double.”
The rule prevents interest from continuing to accumulate once it equals the principal amount borrowed.
HELB had argued this principle only applied to commercial banks under Section 44A of the Banking Act, but Justice Mabeya disagreed.
The judge ruled that the in duplum rule is grounded in public interest and therefore applies to all lenders, including statutory bodies such as HELB.
He noted the rule was introduced to protect borrowers from unending interest accumulation and to ensure fairness in lending.
Justice Mabeya found that HELB’s practice of allowing interest and penalties to exceed the principal amount discriminated against its borrowers.
He pointed out that borrowers in the banking sector are protected by the in duplum rule, yet HELB borrowers, most of whom are students from financially challenged backgrounds, had no such protection.
This disparity, he ruled, violated Article 27 of the Constitution, which guarantees equality and non-discrimination.
The court also found that the petitioners’ socio-economic rights under Articles 43(1)(e) and (f) and consumer rights under Article 46(1)(c) of the Constitution had been violated.
The judge emphasized that many students finish school without immediately securing jobs, making it difficult to repay their loans quickly.
Allowing interest and fines to compound indefinitely was unfair and contrary to the purpose of the HELB fund.
While the court did not strike down Section 15(2) of the HELB Act, which provides for penalties, it ruled that the section must be read together with the in duplum rule.
This means HELB may impose fines and interest, but only up to the point where the total reaches double the principal. All further interest and fines must stop beyond that point.
Following the judgment, HELB issued a statement on December 3, 2025, clarifying that it fully complies with the in duplum rule and that all loan accounts continue to be managed in line with the judgment.
The institution said it remains committed to fair, lawful, and transparent loan management for all beneficiaries.
However, this assurance has done little to calm the anger among borrowers who feel they have been exploited. On social media platform X, a lawyer, one Brian Thuranira responded to HELB’s clarification with a threat of legal action, writing: “Wameogopa the class action suit, but we will sue regardless! Your appetite has become insatiable, many comrades are suffering because of you! Did you have to wait for my tweet so that you can abide? We are coming for you, get your legal team in order!”
The challenge for potential plaintiffs in a class action suit will be proving that HELB violated the in duplum rule before the judgment was issued.
Legal experts note that courts typically do not apply rulings retroactively unless there is clear evidence of unconstitutional conduct.
The ruling comes at a time when HELB is grappling with a massive default crisis. CEO Geoffrey Monari has repeatedly warned that the fund’s sustainability is under threat, with over 380,000 defaulters collectively owing Sh42 billion.
He has noted that many of the country’s most educated professionals, including lawyers, accountants, doctors, and engineers, are among the worst culprits, despite being gainfully employed.
HELB operates on a revolving fund model, meaning repayments from past beneficiaries are used to fund current students.
The high default rate has raised concerns about the board’s ability to continue supporting needy students seeking higher education.
In recent months, HELB has intensified its loan recovery efforts, with over 120,000 defaulters already listed with Credit Reference Bureaus.
The board is also pursuing legal reforms to gain authority to freeze bank accounts of those able but unwilling to pay.
The court’s ruling, however, may complicate these recovery efforts.
While borrowers are still required to repay what they owe, the cap on interest and penalties could significantly reduce the amounts HELB can collect from long-term defaulters.
This could potentially affect the fund’s ability to support new students, creating a difficult balancing act between protecting borrowers’ rights and ensuring the sustainability of higher education financing in Kenya.
For now, HELB beneficiaries who believe their loans have exceeded the double principal threshold are being advised to contact the institution through its official customer support channels to have their accounts reviewed and adjusted in line with the court’s ruling.
Platinum Credit Kenya has been ordered to compensate a Kenyan man Sh400,000 after the data regulator found the lender unlawfully used his personal information to push loan promotions without his consent.
The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner ruled that the firm repeatedly sent Samuel Kamau Waweru intrusive marketing texts and calls using data he never provided and without any legal basis to process.
Kamau lodged the complaint in November 2024, accusing Platinum Credit and its agents of relentlessly pestering him with adverts for loan products.
He insisted he had never shared his phone number with the lender and had not agreed to be contacted for promotional purposes.
Investigations confirmed his claims and established that the lender was processing his data unlawfully in breach of the Data Protection Act.
Platinum Credit attempted to deny responsibility by claiming that the woman who contacted Kamau was not one of its agents.
ODPC investigators found this to be untrue and established that she was indeed working for the lender.
The Data Commissioner found the company liable for false claims and for misleading the regulator during the investigation.
In a determination signed on February 24, 2025, Data Commissioner Immaculate Kassait ordered Platinum Credit to pay Kamau Sh400,000 as compensation.
The regulator also issued an enforcement notice requiring the company to comply with data protection laws and recommended prosecution of its directors for knowingly providing false information during the inquiry.
The ruling adds to growing pressure on financial institutions and marketers that unlawfully harvest and exploit personal data to target consumers with aggressive advertising.
The ODPC said parties have 30 days to appeal the decision at the High Court.
The Kenyan government has granted Gulf Energy sweeping tax exemptions and increased cost-recovery provisions for the long-delayed Turkana oil project, potentially reducing state revenues from the country’s first commercial crude production by hundreds of millions of dollars.
Under amendments to the production-sharing agreement submitted to parliament last week, Gulf Energy will be exempted from paying value-added tax, withholding taxes and import levies on goods and services used in developing the South Lokichar basin.
The changes remove obligations that previously required developers to pay 16 per cent VAT, 5 per cent and 5.625 per cent withholding tax on local and imported goods respectively, plus a 2 per cent railway development levy and a 2.5 per cent import declaration fee.
The government will take home a smaller share of revenues from Turkana’s oil project following an amendment that raises Gulf Energy’s cost-recovery limit to 85 per cent of annual crude production, an increase from the previous 65 per cent agreement in the initial contract with Tullow Oil.
The modification means Gulf Energy can recoup significantly more of its petroleum costs before profit-sharing with the state begins.
The amendments come after Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi confirmed that his ministry has approved the Field Development Plan for the project , which now requires parliamentary ratification under Kenya’s constitution.
Energy and Petroleum CS Opiyo Wandayi
The approved development will require an estimated $6.1 billion investment over a 25-year contract period , according to the energy ministry.
The revisions represent a substantial shift from the original terms negotiated when British oil explorer Tullow Oil held the blocks. Tullow had struggled for more than a decade to advance the project after discovering commercially viable reserves in 2012, facing persistent challenges around financing infrastructure including a heated pipeline to transport crude from landlocked Turkana to the Mombasa coast for export.
The sale to Gulf Energy, finalised in July 2025, closed a turbulent chapter for Tullow, which received an initial payment of $40 million under the sale agreement with two additional payments of $40 million each due in 2026 and 2028.
TotalEnergies and Africa Oil Corporation, Tullow’s former partners, had withdrawn from the project in 2023 when financing for the multi-billion-dollar plan collapsed.
The contract amendments also include changes to where crude oil is lifted for marketing purposes. Previously, the government’s share of profit oil was to be lifted at Mombasa, but the revised agreement designates Turkana as the lifting point, effectively shifting transportation responsibilities and associated costs.
According to the amended production-sharing contract, Kenya’s share of profit will start at 50 per cent in the initial stages and increase to 75 per cent at peak production where output is expected at more than 150,000 barrels per day.
The agreement includes a windfall tax provision of 26 per cent triggered when oil prices reach at least $50 per barrel.
The energy ministry estimates recoverable reserves at 326 million stock-tank barrels, with oil initially in place estimated at up to 4 billion barrels.
Phase One aims to produce 20,000 barrels per day, increasing up to 50,000 barrels per day under Phase Two, with Gulf Energy planning first oil production by December 2026 and full production expected by 2032.
Leparan Morintat, chief executive of the state-owned National Oil Corporation of Kenya, said the amendments were meant to harmonise provisions in the two blocks’ agreements and help the project move forward faster.
Under the revised terms, Kenya’s back-in rights for the project are set at 20 per cent for both blocks, to be held by the state oil company.
Gulf Energy, a Nairobi-based energy trading company acquired by French multinational Rubis in 2019 for 16.4 billion shillings, now holds complete control of Block T7 following years of partner exits.
The company operates primarily in downstream petroleum marketing across East Africa.
The parliamentary ratification process is expected to be completed within 90 days. Under Kenya’s Petroleum Act, the field development plan will be deemed ratified if parliament fails to reach a decision within that timeframe.
The government must also incorporate public views before making a final determination.
Industry observers have raised concerns that the enhanced cost-recovery ceiling and tax exemptions may substantially diminish Kenya’s take from the project during its critical early years when Gulf Energy will be recovering its capital investments.
With the higher 85 per cent cost-recovery threshold, the company could capture the vast majority of early production revenues before any profit-sharing occurs, potentially delaying meaningful returns to the state.
Kenya has waited nearly 15 years to realise commercial production from the Turkana oil discovery.
The government views the project as strategically important for economic development and energy security, particularly given the country’s reliance on imported petroleum products.
However, the concessions granted to advance the project highlight the difficult trade-offs developing nations face when attempting to attract investment in capital-intensive extractive industries.
Nairobi County has overtaken traditional hotspots to record the highest number of new HIV infections in Kenya, raising fresh concerns about the epidemic’s evolving dynamics in urban centres.
The capital city registered 3,045 new infections in 2024, surpassing counties in the Lake Victoria region that have historically borne the heaviest burden of the disease.
The revelation comes as Kenya grapples with a 19 per cent increase in new HIV infections nationally, with cases rising from 16,752 in 2023 to 19,991 in 2024, according to the latest Kenya HIV Estimates report released by the National Syndemic Disease Control Council on Sunday.
Health Principal Secretary Ouma Oluga described the situation as a wake-up call for the country’s HIV response strategy.
“Nairobi’s position as the leading source of new infections underscores the need for urgent, differentiated interventions that address the unique risks present in urban settings,” Dr Oluga said during the report’s launch.
The data reveals a troubling concentration of new infections, with ten counties accounting for 60 per cent of all new HIV cases nationally.
Behind Nairobi, Migori County recorded 1,572 new infections while Kisumu registered 1,341.
The traditional hotspots of Homa Bay, Busia, Siaya, Kakamega, Nakuru, Mombasa, and Bungoma complete the list of high-burden counties.
Health experts attribute Nairobi’s leading position to a confluence of factors unique to the capital’s dense urban environment.
The city’s large mobile population, active commercial sex trade, numerous entertainment venues, and influx of economic migrants create conditions that fuel HIV transmission.
Research has shown that urban centres with high population density and economic migration often experience increased sexual network turnover and higher transmission risks.
Young people aged 15 to 34 continue to bear the brunt of new infections, forming the majority of cases.
Women remain disproportionately affected, with the national HIV prevalence standing at 4.0 per cent among females compared to 2.0 per cent among males. Overall, Kenya’s HIV prevalence stands at 3.0 per cent.
The report further reveals that 1,326,336 Kenyans were living with HIV as of 2024, including 62,798 children. Alarmingly, AIDS-related deaths increased to 21,007 in 2024 from 18,473 the previous year, representing a rise that health officials say reflects gaps in early diagnosis, treatment adherence, and retention in care.
“AIDS-related deaths, recorded at 21,007 in 2024, remind us of the need for renewed focus on early diagnosis, treatment adherence, and retention in care,” Dr Oluga emphasised.
The concentration of infections in Nairobi presents unique challenges for prevention efforts.
Informal settlements, which house a significant proportion of the city’s population, are particularly vulnerable.
Studies have shown that poverty, limited access to healthcare, high rates of transactional sex, and barriers to education combine to create heightened HIV risk in these areas.
Among adolescent girls and young women living in urban informal settlements, factors such as early pregnancy, inability to complete secondary education, and engagement in transactional sex to meet basic needs significantly increase vulnerability to HIV infection.
Young women in cities are nearly twice as likely to acquire HIV as their male counterparts.
Key populations including female sex workers, men who have sex with men, and people who inject drugs face additional layers of risk compounded by stigma, discrimination, and criminalization that limit their access to prevention and treatment services.
Despite the troubling increase in new infections in the high-burden counties, the report noted encouraging progress in other regions.
Twelve counties, including Elgeyo-Marakwet, Wajir, Mandera, Kisii, Machakos, Kericho, Uasin Gishu, Nakuru, Bomet, Baringo, Trans-Nzoia and Laikipia, recorded a 75 per cent drop in new infections.
Nationally, Kenya has achieved a 52 per cent decrease in new HIV infections since 2013, demonstrating the impact of sustained prevention efforts including voluntary medical male circumcision, pre-exposure prophylaxis programmes, and expanded access to antiretroviral therapy.
The NSDCC emphasised that the persistent regional disparities highlighted by the data call for differentiated, county-led interventions tailored to local epidemic dynamics.
For Nairobi, this means addressing the specific drivers of urban transmission including improving access to HIV testing and prevention services in informal settlements, scaling up targeted interventions for key populations, and strengthening sexual and reproductive health services for young people.
Health officials stress that achieving equitable epidemic control will require sustained commitment, increased investment in prevention programmes, and innovative approaches that reach the most vulnerable populations where they live and work.
The findings come as Kenya works toward meeting global targets to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030, a goal that will require dramatically reducing new infections while ensuring universal access to treatment for those already living with the virus.
In a major setback for Kenyan businessman Paul Wanderi Ndungu, the High Court of Justice in England and Wales has dismissed his claims of fraud and conspiracy in the dilution of his shares in SportPesa Global Holdings Limited, now known as SPG Limited.
The ruling, delivered by Mr Justice Edwin Johnson on November 18, 2025, found no evidence of wrongdoing by the company or its directors, and ordered Ndungu to pay costs amounting to approximately Sh375 million.
The nearly 190-page judgment marks the culmination of a protracted legal battle and clears SPG Limited and its co-defendants of all allegations.
Ndungu, a founding shareholder and former non-executive chairman of the company, had accused the firm and several individuals of orchestrating a scheme to unlawfully dilute his 17 per cent stake to 0.85 per cent through three share allotments between 2019 and 2022.
He sought compensation under the Companies Act 2006 for breaches of pre-emption rights and relief for unfair prejudice, claiming the actions were part of a deliberate plot to sideline him.
Justice Johnson rejected these assertions outright. He concluded that the share allotments were conducted lawfully and that Ndungu’s failure to participate was his own choice, despite being given opportunities to do so.
The court emphasised that there was no proof of fraud, forgery, or conspiracy among the defendants, describing Ndungu’s evidence as insufficient and, in parts, unreliable.
Background to the dispute
SportPesa, one of Kenya’s most prominent betting brands, has been at the centre of multiple shareholder disputes since its rapid rise in the East African gaming market.
Founded in 2014 through Pevans East Africa Limited, the company leveraged widespread use of mobile money services like M-Pesa to revolutionise sports betting in Kenya.
However, the company’s fortunes shifted dramatically in July 2019 when the Kenyan Betting Control and Licensing Board suspended Pevans’ gaming licence amid a government crackdown on betting firms over tax disputes and regulatory compliance.
This suspension forced SportPesa to halt operations in Kenya, leading to significant financial strain. Against this backdrop, SPG Limited, the UK-registered holding company for SportPesa’s global operations, sought to raise capital through new share issues.
The claims
Ndungu’s lawsuit centred on these capital-raising efforts.
He argued that the allotments violated Sections 561 and 562 of the Companies Act 2006, which require existing shareholders to be offered new shares on a pro-rata basis.
In his claim, filed in January 2022, Ndungu alleged that the company’s directors, Ivaylo Petev Bozukov and Kalina Lyubomirova Karadzhova, knowingly authorised the breaches.
He further implicated major shareholders Guerassim Nikolov, Gene Grand, and Naogen Investment Inc, claiming they conspired to increase their own holdings at his expense.
According to court documents, the first allotment occurred in late 2019, shortly after the licence suspension, when SPG Limited issued shares to raise funds for IT infrastructure and international expansion.
Subsequent allotments in 2020 and 2022 further diluted his stake, allegedly allowing Nikolov and Grand to boost their shares from 21 per cent and 22 per cent to 46 per cent and 29.88 per cent, respectively.
Court’s findings
Justice Johnson dissected these claims methodically. He noted that the company’s board had held meetings in October and November 2019 where the need for capital was discussed, driven by the Kenyan licence crisis and expansion into markets including Italy, Tanzania, South Africa, and Russia.
The court found that Ndungu was aware of these discussions but chose not to invest.
On the forgery allegations, which formed a key part of Ndungu’s case, the judge was particularly scathing. Ndungu had accused the defendants of fabricating documents, including board minutes and share offer letters.
Justice Johnson dismissed the expert evidence as flawed, ruling that no forgeries had occurred.
The court also addressed the unfair prejudice claim under Section 994 of the Companies Act, examining 11 grounds raised by Ndungu. Each was rejected.
Justice Johnson stated that the affairs of SPG Limited had not been conducted in a manner unfairly prejudicial to Ndungu, emphasising that as a minority shareholder, Ndungu had the right to participate in the capital raises but failed to do so, and that the company’s actions were commercially justified.
The defendants, represented by DLA Piper UK LLP and Mishcon de Reya LLP, welcomed the ruling. In a statement released shortly after the judgment, SportPesa described it as a vindication of their governance practices.
For Ndungu, the defeat is compounded by the costs order.
The court awarded indemnity costs to the defendants, estimated at £2.25 million, approximately Sh375 million, reflecting the judge’s view that Ndungu’s claims were speculative and poorly substantiated. This amount covers legal fees for a trial that spanned 14 days across May and July 2025.
The case has roots in SportPesa’s turbulent history in Kenya. After the 2019 licence suspension, Pevans East Africa ceased operations, leading to layoffs.
By 2020, the brand relaunched under Milestone Games, a new entity, amid accusations from Ndungu that the trademark transfer was fraudulent, a claim echoed in separate Kenyan proceedings.
Experts in corporate law say the ruling underscores the challenges minority shareholders face in proving unfair prejudice in UK courts, where commercial necessity often trumps personal grievances.
Ndungu’s legal team, Jury O’Shea LLP, has not indicated whether he will appeal.
Sources close to him suggest he may pursue remedies in Kenyan courts, where parallel disputes over trademarks and assets continue.
The company, which now operates in over a dozen countries and reported revenues exceeding Sh10 billion in 2024, can move forward without the overhang of litigation.
The Teachers Service Commission has unveiled a transformative policy that will bring relief to thousands of educators across the country by ending the controversial practice of transferring teachers immediately after promotion.
TSC chairman Jamleck Muturi confirmed on Thursday that the commission will no longer automatically transfer newly promoted teachers to distant stations, a practice that has long been a source of anguish for educators and their families.
The new policy prioritizes stability and continuity in schools, marking a significant departure from the longstanding practice that has seen teachers promoted and then transferred to far-flung workstations, often hundreds of kilometers from their families.
“We will now be considering the teachers’ welfare, health and other aspects to ensure that you are comfortable. Is that okay? That is what we are doing,” Muturi explained during an engagement with education stakeholders.
The chairman said the policy shift was developed through consultations with TSC commissioners and acting Chief Executive Officer Eveleen Mitei. Future promotions will be guided by a matrix that considers teacher welfare, comfort and health conditions.
Teachers in the past have faced difficult choices when promotions came attached to transfers that would separate them from their families.
Some educators were forced to turn down career advancement opportunities rather than uproot their lives or leave behind sick spouses and young children.
One senior teacher from Mombasa, who spoke to Nation, recounted being promoted from senior teacher to deputy head teacher only to be transferred to Kwale County. “I had to turn down the offer because I could not leave my young family. This is a good policy, we congratulate TSC, this is very good,” the teacher said.
The new approach is expected to particularly benefit educators in rural and marginalized regions, as well as teachers with health conditions who require consistent medical care in their current locations.
However, Muturi clarified that not all transfers can be eliminated. The TSC chairman explained that some transfers remain unavoidable due to constitutional mandates and operational necessities.
“When teachers are promoted, they are taken to institutions where vacancies are available. If you have been promoted to be a head of an institution and the school you are in already has a head, we cannot transfer the head who is there so that you are retained there. We take you to where there is work,” he explained.
The policy change comes after years of controversy surrounding the delocalisation policy, which was officially halted in 2022 following outcry from teachers and their unions.
The policy had required TSC to transfer teachers to areas outside their places of origin, leading to family separations and hardship for many educators.
In September this year, more than 150 Nairobi-based teachers who had been promoted were transferred to Kitui County, sparking protests.
Many were elderly teachers nearing retirement, some with health complications, who said the transfers were disrupting their lives at a critical career stage. The TSC later revoked those transfer letters after appeals from the affected teachers.
Muturi also highlighted the government’s substantial investment in teacher career advancement under the Kenya Kwanza administration.
Since President William Ruto took office in 2022, the TSC has promoted 151,000 teachers through competitive and common cadre promotions.
The commission expects to finalize the promotion of another 21,313 teachers who recently completed interviews by the end of January, bringing total promotions under the current administration to over 171,000.
The TSC chairman urged the National Assembly Education Committee to push for an additional one billion shillings promised by the president to promote more teachers.
Teachers who spoke to Kenya Insights welcomed the policy shift, saying it would help keep families together and allow those with medical conditions to continue treatment without interruption.
The new policy represents a significant victory for teacher unions, which have long campaigned against mandatory transfers tied to promotions, arguing that the practice was destroying families and negatively impacting teacher welfare.
The Kenya Wildlife Service has dismissed claims circulating on social media that the Ritz-Carlton Safari Camp is obstructing wildebeest migration routes and river crossings in the Maasai Mara National Reserve.
In a statement released on Thursday, KWS said the luxury camp is located within a designated tourism investment low-use zone as outlined in the Maasai Mara National Reserve Management Plan 2023-2032. The agency emphasized that the zonation was established through comprehensive scientific assessments, ecological sensitivity analyses and spatial planning frameworks developed jointly by national and county governments.
The statement comes amid growing public concern over the impact of tourism infrastructure on wildlife corridors in one of Kenya’s most important conservation areas. The Maasai Mara is home to the world-renowned wildebeest migration, recently recognized by the World Book of Records and World Tourism Market in London as the world’s greatest annual terrestrial wildlife migration and Africa’s leading tourism destination.
Wildebeest migration.
KWS said it has mapped wildebeest movements in the Maasai Mara using more than two decades of GPS collar data collected from migratory wildebeest between 1999 and 2022. The data, which includes GPS tracks from over 60 collared animals representing herds of between 2,000 and 100,000 wildebeest, indicates that the entire reserve serves as a general dispersal area.
According to KWS, the long-term monitoring data shows that migrating wildebeest utilize the entire breadth of the Kenya-Tanzania border within the reserve, approximately 68 kilometers wide, without following a specific preferred route or corridor.
The agency noted that the Maasai Mara is served by the Mara River, Sand River and Talek River, along which lodges and campsites have been established. Wildlife including wildebeest and zebra have historically moved across these rivers without serious incidents.
KWS pointed out that along the Sand River alone, there are five permanent safari camps and over two seasonal camps, none of which has received negative publicity similar to what the Ritz-Carlton camp is currently facing.
The wildlife agency said the images and narratives circulating online relate to historical events that were addressed in previous years around 2018 and 2020. It suggested the materials are outdated, misleading or presented without proper context, and may reflect competing commercial interests surrounding tourism investments in the Mara.
KWS assured the public that all ecological, environmental and regulatory requirements were thoroughly met and validated before the Ritz-Carlton Safari Camp was approved. The agency emphasized that every tourism investment within parks, reserves and sanctuaries undergoes stringent environmental assessment to ensure alignment with conservation priorities.
The government has recently demonstrated its commitment to protecting wildlife corridors through Cabinet approval to secure the Nairobi National Park-Athi-Kapiti wildlife corridor, among other initiatives. KWS said this policy direction highlights the government’s resolve to safeguard all existing wildlife corridors, including those within the wider Maasai Mara ecosystem.
The agency called on Kenyans to rely on verified and official information and to remain patriotic in providing accurate information about the country. It reaffirmed its dedication to preserving the wildebeest migration for current and future generations while striking a balance between responsible tourism investment, ecological protection and community socio-economic advancement.m
Binance and its founders, including billionaire Changpeng Zhao, face a US lawsuit alleging the cryptocurrency platform facilitated millions of dollars to terrorist organisations such as Hamas and Hezbollah.
The suit, filed by victims or families of the 7 October 2023 attacks in Israel, comes weeks after President Donald Trump pardoned Zhao, who had pleaded guilty in 2023 to money laundering charges.
Binance declined to comment on the case but stated it complies fully with internationally recognised sanctions laws.
The lawsuit claims the firm knowingly allowed the transfer of over $1 billion to accounts linked to US-designated foreign terrorist organisations, including $50 million sent after the 7 October attacks and at least two transfers originating from the US.
In November 2023, Binance had pleaded guilty and agreed to pay more than $4 billion in penalties to settle prior US money laundering and sanctions violation charges. It pledged to strengthen its anti-money laundering and sanctions compliance programmes.
Binance Sued Over Terror Fund Claims. Credit: Shutterstock.
However, the lawsuit alleges that Binance continued to screen only outbound transfers, enabling terrorists and criminals to deposit and move vast sums without scrutiny. The complaint claims the company structured itself as a haven for illicit activity and has not fundamentally changed its business model.
The plaintiffs are seeking financial damages to be determined in a jury trial.
A Binance spokesperson said the company had improved its compliance systems and that illicit activity represented a tiny fraction of total transactions. The firm reaffirmed its commitment to working with regulators, law enforcement, and users to maintain the integrity of the global crypto ecosystem.
The lawsuit follows controversy over Trump’s pardon of Zhao, known as “CZ”, which Democrats warned could signal that cryptocurrency executives and white-collar criminals can evade consequences if they benefit the former president financially.
Kenya’s inequality crisis has reached its most alarming level yet. According to a new report by Oxfam Kenya, only 125 individuals now own more wealth than 42.6 million Kenyans combined, a staggering reflection of the country’s widening economic divide.
The report titled Kenya’s Inequality Crisis: The Great Economic Divide shows that nearly half of Kenyans survive on less than Sh130 a day. Since 2015, an additional seven million people have fallen into extreme poverty, despite years of economic growth and government promises to expand opportunity.
Oxfam links the deepening crisis to rising living costs, a regressive tax system and chronic underfunding of essential public services.
Food prices are currently 50 percent higher than they were in 2020.
The average Kenyan worker is earning less in real terms, with wages shrinking by 11 percent as inflation continues to erode purchasing power.
The report highlights a stark pay gap within Kenya’s labour market. A chief executive officer in one of the country’s top ten companies earns 214 times more than a public school teacher. This imbalance, Oxfam says, has allowed wealth to accumulate at the top while ordinary households struggle to afford basic needs.
Debt servicing remains one of the biggest drains on Kenya’s finances. In 2024, the government spent Sh68 out of every Sh100 collected in taxes on repaying debt. This amount was twice the education budget and almost fifteen times what was allocated to healthcare. As a result, investment in public services has sharply declined. Primary school spending per pupil is now only 18 percent of what it was in 2003. Children from the poorest families receive nearly five fewer years of schooling than those from wealthier backgrounds.
Healthcare access is equally strained. Only four million Kenyans actively contribute to the Social Health Insurance Fund, and just 20 percent of the money collected reaches public health facilities. Most funds flow to private providers even though the majority of Kenyans depend on public hospitals.
The report also exposes deep gender inequality. Kenyan women earn about 65 percent of what men earn and are significantly disadvantaged in property ownership. They perform most unpaid care work, including childcare and home responsibilities, which limits their ability to participate in the workforce. According to Oxfam, this gender gap intensifies poverty and reduces economic mobility for millions of women and girls.
Oxfam traces much of today’s inequality to Kenya’s historical and structural foundations. Colonial-era land allocation, elite capture of political systems and persistent exclusion of rural and low-income communities have created long-standing barriers that continue to shape economic outcomes.
Oxfam Kenya Executive Director Mwongera Mutiga described the situation as a crisis created by choices rather than circumstance. He said inequality has grown because of unfair policies and consistent political inaction. Mutiga called on leaders to embrace bold reforms, including progressive taxation, increased funding for public education and healthcare, job creation initiatives and stronger land justice measures.
The report also shows that food insecurity has worsened dramatically. Between 2014 and 2024, at least 17 million Kenyans experienced moderate to severe food shortages. Inflation has hit low-income households hardest. In Nairobi, the impact on poor households was 27 percent higher than on wealthier families between 2020 and 2024.
Social protection remains weak. Only nine percent of Kenyans are covered by government support programmes. The Inua Jamii cash transfer reaches 1.9 million beneficiaries, yet the monthly Sh2,000 payment has not increased to match rising living costs.
Oxfam warns that unless urgent action is taken, Kenya will face rising levels of poverty, exclusion and instability. The report argues that reducing inequality by two percent every year, combined with sustained economic growth, could triple the rate of poverty reduction.
The organisation says a fairer and more equal Kenya is possible if the government prioritises equity, strengthens public services and ensures wealth is shared more broadly rather than concentrated among a small elite. According to Oxfam, achieving this will require political will, courageous leadership and a commitment to policies that put people before profit.
Co-operative Bank of South Sudan has entered into a new partnership with the United Nations Development Programme in what officials describe as one of the most ambitious efforts yet to overhaul rural finance in the young nation.
The agreement, nested within the Rural Enterprise and Agricultural Development project, seeks to bring thousands of smallholder farmers, women-owned enterprises, and youth-led agribusinesses into the formal banking system—many for the first time.
Caroline Mwongera, the country director for the UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development, said the partnership signals a decisive shift in how rural finance will be delivered across South Sudan. She described the initiative as a move that “represents a transformational step in strengthening South Sudan’s rural financial systems,” adding that the programme will lean heavily on credit access, cooperative development, and financial literacy to drive long-term agricultural and community growth.
IFAD has already injected 20 million dollars into the programme, with the government of South Sudan, UNDP, Co-operative Bank, and local communities contributing additional resources that push the total funding past 25 million dollars. The investment targets at least 162,000 people in seven counties, with women expected to account for half of the beneficiaries and youth making up nearly 70 per cent.
In vast rural areas where formal banking remains almost non-existent, farmers often travel for hours to reach the nearest banking hall. Many rely on informal savings groups or handwritten loan agreements, while their produce is sold in unstructured markets that leave them vulnerable to middlemen. Officials say these gaps have kept farmers in cycles of low productivity and poor market access.
Evans Kenyi Solomon, a technical adviser at the Ministry of Agriculture, said strengthening cooperatives will be key to breaking those cycles. He argued that empowering youth and women must be central to any lasting reform. “Youth and women empowerment is not a side agenda. It is the engine that drives peace, prosperity, and resilience in this country,” he said, noting that cooperatives help farmers negotiate better prices, bulk-purchase inputs, and build shared storage infrastructure after harvest.
Co-operative Bank’s managing director, Elijah Wamalwa, said the partnership is the culmination of years of planning between development partners and the banking sector. He called the launch “an important step” in expanding financial access to places long ignored by formal lenders. Wamalwa said the bank intends to introduce rural credit products that respond to local realities and extend services to counties where farmers have traditionally relied on cash economies. “We want a future where a farmer in Nimule or Torit can access credit as easily as someone in Juba,” he said.
Part of the rollout will include agency banking and a mobile-based platform designed for low-connectivity environments, allowing farmers to save, borrow, and receive payments without travelling long distances.
UNDP deputy representative and senior economist Ligane Sene said the partnership also aligns with broader national goals of reducing dependence on oil revenue and diversifying the economy through agriculture. He said enabling farmers to work in organised groups would unlock economies of scale that could move South Sudan from chronic food imports to sustained food self-sufficiency. Sene added that the digital innovations embedded in the programme, including a national payment system, could help rural areas gradually transition toward a cashless economy.
The partners say implementation will begin immediately, with community-based financial institutions expected to play a central role in the shift to modern banking. For many rural farmers, the initiative could mark the first real opportunity to access secure financial services—an opening they hope will lift incomes, stabilise markets, and build resilience in a country still recovering from years of conflict.
The British High Commission in Nairobi has opened applications for a prestigious Head of Digital Communications role, offering a monthly salary of Sh435,093 and the opportunity to lead one of the most visible diplomatic digital portfolios in East Africa.
The position is part of the Kenya and Somalia Communications Team and covers both the High Commission in Nairobi and the British Embassy in Mogadishu.
According to the official vacancy notice, the successful candidate will be responsible for shaping and driving the digital strategy across seven social media channels, managing internal communications platforms, and coordinating high quality content for the UK government’s online presence. The role is graded at Higher Executive Officer level and will run on a twenty four month fixed term contract beginning April 1, 2026.
The job involves leading digital content creation, managing a digital team, overseeing photography and videography output, coordinating updates on GOV.UK and conducting regular monitoring of audience sentiment across platforms such as META and X. The Head of Digital will also be expected to produce quarterly analytics reports for senior officials up to ambassador level. The position includes participation in the mission’s crisis communications roster which requires the candidate to provide media leadership during emergencies.
Applicants must demonstrate excellent written and oral communication skills, experience in media or communications, strong digital production abilities, familiarity with the Kenyan and Somali social media environment, and previous management experience. The High Commission emphasises that candidates must already have the legal right to live and work in Kenya since locally recruited staff are not provided with work permits.
The salary is subject to tax and other statutory deductions. The High Commission notes that employees who are not liable for local income tax may have their pay adjusted to reflect the equivalent tax amount. The employer also reminds applicants that no fees are charged at any stage of the recruitment process.
The listing includes a caution that applications must be authentic and that AI tools should only be used for tasks such as formatting. Any form of copied or AI generated narrative content would lead to disqualification. Applicants are reminded to complete the form accurately since corrections cannot be made once the application is submitted.
How to Apply
Applications must be submitted through the official British Government recruitment portal on the tal.net platform. Candidates should log in or create a profile, fill out the application form in full, upload the necessary documents and review all information carefully before submission. The High Commission advises applicants to monitor their profile regularly for updates on their application status. The advertisement also notes that appointable candidates who are not selected may be placed on a six month reserve list for similar future roles.
The deadline for submitting applications is December 5, 2025.
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has announced a nationwide recruitment drive to fill 9,159 teacher vacancies in public primary, junior secondary and secondary schools.
The positions have fallen vacant due to retirements, resignations and deaths.
According to the official advert seen by Kenya Insights, 7,065 vacancies are allocated to primary schools, 12 to junior schools and 2,082 to secondary schools. All successful recruits will serve on permanent and pensionable terms.
Application Window Now Open
TSC has directed all qualified candidates to submit their applications online through the Commission’s website at www.tsc.go.ke under the Careers section or via teachersonline.tsc.go.ke.
The application deadline is December 8, 2025 at midnight.
The Commission has uploaded detailed vacancy listings for each county and school on its online portal.
Applicants have been warned that manual submissions will not be accepted and that those who submit more than one application form risk disqualification.
Attrition and Shortages Trigger New Hiring Round
This recruitment is part of an ongoing effort to replace teachers lost through natural attrition.
In December 2024, TSC advertised 8,707 positions and data showed that 8,018 teachers left the service between June 2022 and January 2023.
In May 2025, the Commission announced another 2,014 vacancies. Projections later suggested that more than 10,000 teachers could exit the payroll in June, prompting fresh pressure on the government to act.
The teacher shortage has been most severe in junior secondary schools.
Former TSC CEO Nancy Macharia previously stated that junior and senior schools required an additional 98,261 teachers to function effectively.
She noted that more than 300,000 trained and registered teachers remain unemployed, and that funding constraints are the biggest barrier to large scale recruitment.
The rollout of senior schools in 2026 is expected to widen the staffing gap even further unless more funds are allocated.
TSC Plans to Hire 24,000 Intern Teachers in January
In addition to permanent recruitment, TSC plans to hire 24,000 intern teachers in January 2026 to support learning continuity.
Contracts for the current cohort of 20,000 interns will expire in December, raising concerns about disruptions in schools if replacements are not secured.
However, the internship programme has faced criticism from teachers unions that argue the initiative is not properly anchored in law and may exploit young teachers.
Minimum Requirements for Applicants
To qualify for the advertised positions, applicants must meet the following conditions:
•Be Kenyan citizens
•Hold a minimum P1 certificate for primary school teaching
•Hold a Diploma in Education for junior secondary and secondary school positions
•Be registered with the TSC
Preference will be given to applicants who have not previously been employed by the Commission.
Successful candidates may be posted anywhere in the country, regardless of the county in which they were interviewed.
TSC Recruitment: Step-by-step guide to apply for the 9,159 teacher vacancies
Official TSC recruitment advert
Before you start
1.Check eligibility
•Must be a Kenyan citizen.
•Primary applicants need a P1 certificate.
•Junior and secondary applicants need a Diploma in Education.
•Must be registered with TSC.
2. Prepare required documents
•National ID or birth certificate number.
•Academic and professional certificates (scanned copies). Keep originals for later verification.
•TSC registration number.
•Clear recent passport photo (digital).
•Up-to-date CV with contact details.
•Any other certificates required for specific subject posts.
3. Set up access
•Use a reliable internet connection.
•Use a desktop or laptop if possible. A mobile device can work but larger screens make form filling easier.
•Create or confirm access to the email address and phone number you will use to register.
⸻
Step 1 — Visit the TSC application portal
1.Open www.tsc.go.ke and go to the Careers section, or open teachersonline.tsc.go.ke.
2.If you have applied in previous TSC exercises you can log in with your existing credentials. If not, register as a new user.
Step 2 — Register or log in
1.Click Register if you are a new user.
2.Fill in the basic personal details accurately.
3.Confirm your email and phone number if the portal sends verification codes.
4.Note your username and password and keep them safe.
Step 3 — Complete the online application form
1.Choose the correct job category (Primary, Junior, Secondary).
2.Select the county and specific school or leave flexible if you are open to any posting.
3.Enter your TSC registration number and details of your qualifications.
4.Upload scanned documents where prompted:
•Certificates, ID, photo and CV.
•Ensure files meet the portal size and format requirements (usually PDF or JPG).
5.Double check every field for typos and accuracy.
Step 4 — Submit only once
1.The Commission will disqualify multiple applications from the same person.
2.Review the entire form and uploaded documents before clicking Submit.
3.After submission, save or screenshot the confirmation page and any application reference number.
Step 5 — Track your application
1.Use your portal account to check the status of your application.
2.TSC may publish shortlist and interview notices on the portal and on county notice boards.
3.Keep an eye on your email and SMS for any official communications.
Step 6 — Prepare for shortlisting and interview
1.If shortlisted, be ready to present original certificates and identification at interview.
2.Prepare to explain your teaching experience and subject competence.
3.Arrive early for interviews and bring printed copies of all documents.
Step 7 — Accepting offer and posting
1.Successful applicants will receive official communication via the portal or email.
2.Note that the Commission can post hires to any county.
3.Accept the posting and complete any onboarding procedures as instructed.
Quick checklist before you submit
•Kenyan ID number ready
•TSC registration number ready
•Scanned certificates uploaded and legible
•Recent passport photo uploaded
•CV uploaded
•Single completed application submitted
•Screenshot or copy of confirmation / reference number saved
Warning to Job Seekers
The Commission has cautioned applicants to beware of fraudsters posing as recruitment agents or intermediaries.
TSC stressed that the recruitment process is free of charge.
Cases of suspected fraud should be reported to the nearest TSC office, police station or through official contacts, which include:
The Biden-era Sh7.4 billion agreement to support Nairobi’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system has been scrapped by US President Donald Trump, plunging one of Kenya’s flagship urban mobility projects into fresh uncertainty and widening the financial hole in the city’s stalled public transport overhaul.
Treasury disclosures show that the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Threshold Program, which was designed to run until mid-2027 and unlock major reforms and investments in Nairobi’s transport and land-use planning, is now being formally terminated.
Kenya has already received official notice of cancellation from Washington.
The programme was signed in New York on September 19, 2023 during President William Ruto’s visit to the United Nations General Assembly, and came into force in May 2024 following his state visit to the White House.
It was one of the cornerstone agreements of Ruto’s engagement with then US President Joe Biden, promising Sh5.8 billion in American support and a Kenyan contribution of Sh1.56 billion.
The MCC threshold package was meant to strengthen Nairobi’s long-term urban planning, expand safe pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, integrate gender-inclusive public transport, and support the acquisition of climate-friendly buses for the emerging BRT network.
Treasury officials noted in last week’s Sector Budget Proposal Report that the programme is now earmarked for termination.
Kenya had hailed the deal as a breakthrough for modernising public transit in a city long overwhelmed by congestion and ageing matatu fleets.
At the signing ceremony, Treasury Cabinet Secretary Njuguna Ndung’u said the investment would strengthen transport and land-sector institutions and deliver long-lasting benefits to Nairobi residents. Those ambitions are now in doubt.
President Trump returned to the White House on January 20, 2025 after defeating Kamala Harris, and immediately launched a sweeping rollback of Biden’s foreign policy and development portfolio.
His administration has already begun dismantling USAID and reviewing nearly all foreign aid agreements.
Trump announced plans to eliminate more than 90 percent of USAID contracts and cut about $60 billion in global assistance.
Kenya has been among the hardest hit, with the value of cancelled American contracts now exceeding Sh108 billion.
The BRT programme is one of the biggest casualties. Funding shortages have already slowed payments to contractors and delayed key components of Nairobi’s five-line BRT network.
The cancelled MCC contribution was expected to partially fund Line 2, the Simba corridor serving Rongai, Lang’ata, the CBD, Ruiru, Thika, and Kenol. The line was to feature 10 intermediate stations, park-and-ride hubs, and dedicated lanes along Thika Road.
Other segments of the BRT network remain dependent on international partners.
Line 3 is backed by €320 million and will run from Tala and Njiru through Dandora and the CBD to Ngong, with 120 planned electric buses. Line 4 is supported by the African Development Bank and connects Donholm and the CBD to Karen and Kikuyu.
Line 5 will rely on financing from the Korean Exim Bank for its Sh7.3 billion Outer Ring Road corridor. Line 1 will operate from Limuru to Imara Daima through the Nairobi Expressway.
Collectively, the BRT lines were expected to deliver dedicated lanes, modern stations, footbridges, CCTV enforcement systems, park-and-ride facilities, and EV-charging depots.
With the US withdrawal, Kenya faces a widening financing gap that threatens project timelines and the realisation of a clean, integrated, rapid-transit system for the capital.
The Transport ministry recently announced the completion of the Business Management Centre at the Kasarani Depot, an essential operations hub for the Line 2 corridor.
Without the MCC funds, officials now fear the broader urban mobility plan could fall further behind schedule at a time when congestion and air-quality challenges in Nairobi continue to worsen.
For Kenya, the collapse of the MCC deal marks not only a setback for sustainable transport but also a broader signal of shifting geopolitical winds as the Trump administration recalibrates America’s development footprint.
The government will now be forced to seek alternative financing to rescue the BRT programme or risk watching one of Nairobi’s most ambitious infrastructure missions stall indefinitely.
Mohamed Abduba Dida, the former presidential candidate who became a household name in 2013 for his sharp humour, unpredictable debate style and sudden bursts of philosophical candour, has resurfaced after years of silence and months after completing a prison sentence in the United States.
His return, now from Minnesota and framed through a spiritual and digital lens, marks one of the most unlikely political reinventions in recent Kenyan history.
For years Dida had vanished from public life.
After his memorable 2013 presidential run and a less impactful bid in 2017, he slowly retreated from national politics.
Dida’s legal troubles began in 2021 when he was arrested following a complaint by his American wife, accusing him of stalking, issuing threats, and violating a restraining order. He was convicted on all three counts in 2022 and transferred to Big Muddy after a stint at East Moline Correctional Center.
Court filings showed he had been handed a seven-year sentence. The story barely registered in Kenya and for many his disappearance looked like an intentional exit from political life rather than a forced one.
He was quietly released in April 2024, served part of his sentence and once again slipped away from the public eye.
His reappearance came on Sunday through a video shared widely showed a markedly different Dida speaking calmly from what appears to be his new home base in Minnesota.
He spoke not as the firebrand candidate Kenyans remember but as a man who says he is now dedicating his life to global spiritual teaching.
He said God created human beings to uplift one another and insisted the world’s eight billion people need spiritual nourishment, a responsibility he believes no single individual can shoulder alone.
He urged Kenyans to rise above tribal and religious identities and join him on what he called a mission focused on humanity and moral consciousness.
His tone was slow, measured and reflective, a world away from the quick-witted political maverick who once poked fun at opponents on live national television.
Dida said he is building a podcast and spiritual outreach platform and working to revive a charity he founded in 2017.
He added that he is searching for office space in Minnesota to restart its operations, signalling his intention to fully rebuild his public work from abroad.
His reflections in the video and his new platform paint a portrait of a man intent on redefining himself after hardship, choosing a faith-driven path over a political one.
The shift from presidential contender to US inmate to online spiritual mentor fits into a wider pattern of political figures reinventing themselves after dramatic setbacks.
For Dida the transformation appears rooted in a desire for introspection and renewal rather than a return to political theatrics.
Whether Kenyans accept this new chapter remains to be seen, but his re-emergence has already reignited curiosity about a man who once captivated the national stage with charm and unpredictability.
His new project suggests he is starting again from a very different place, far from the podiums that made him famous and far from the controversies that later defined his disappearance.
A Scottish businessman convicted in a Sh3.39 billion VAT fraud in the United Kingdom is wanted in Kenya for fleeing the country with an unpaid debt of Sh119 million owed to telecommunications giant Safaricom.
Leslie Thompson, 63, from Bathgate, West Lothian, and his business partner Steven James Moran abandoned their Nairobi offices in 2016 and transferred their company shares to an offshore entity in the Seychelles in what court documents describe as “an engineered ploy” to escape their financial obligations.
Thompson’s firm, Iphone Global Systems Limited, had entered into a business arrangement with Safaricom in 2006 to interconnect their telecommunications networks through voice over internet protocol services.
However, a decade into the partnership, the company began defaulting on payments owed to Safaricom.
Court documents filed by Safaricom in Nairobi show that the telecommunications company was unaware Thompson and Moran had fled Kenya until it attempted to serve them with legal papers at their offices at Ad Life Plaza in Nairobi. The building was deserted.
Safaricom sought court permission to notify the two directors of the lawsuit through newspaper advertisements after all attempts to locate them in Kenya failed. The court granted the request. A Nairobi judge has since ordered Thompson and Moran to return to Kenya to answer for the debt, warning they would be held personally liable if they failed to appear.
Thompson’s legal troubles extend far beyond Kenya. In March 2024, he was sentenced to six years in prison in the United Kingdom and banned from serving as a company director for 12 years following his conviction in a complex tax fraud scheme.
The UK’s His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs uncovered that Thompson was a key player in a sophisticated conspiracy centred on Winnington Networks Limited, a company based in Crewe, Cheshire. Between 2011 and 2014, the network of fraudsters deliberately understated their VAT obligations by more than Sh3.39 billion through fake trading chains involving metals, electrical goods and telecommunications equipment.
Thompson recruited legitimate business owners to participate in the fraudulent scheme, using their companies to create false VAT returns. The conspiracy involved creating fictitious deal chains and even establishing two fake offshore banking platforms purportedly based in the Seychelles and Canada to produce convincing financial records.
Investigators secured crucial evidence when they recorded Thompson and other conspirators at hotel meetings in Manchester and Birmingham in late 2013, where the men openly discussed the fraud and how they could “invent the numbers” to falsely offset their VAT claims.
The decade-long investigation by HMRC, dubbed Operation Barbados, resulted in the conviction of 20 people across four separate criminal trials. The convicted fraudsters received combined prison sentences totalling more than 70 years.
Thompson’s wife, Beverley Thompson, 60, was handed a two-year suspended sentence in October 2024 for money laundering after investigators discovered she allowed up to Sh42 million to flow through her bank accounts. The couple enjoyed a lavish lifestyle that included two holiday homes in Florida funded by the proceeds of crime.
Their son, Andrew Collins, 41, who had changed his surname from Thompson, received a 22-month suspended sentence after pleading guilty to conspiracy to cheat the public revenue. He was also banned from acting as a company director for eight years.
Richard Las, director of HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service, described the case as an “incredibly complex fraud” that required years of dedicated investigation to unravel.
“The scale of the sentences and the significant director disqualifications show how seriously the courts have treated this sustained and sophisticated attack on the UK tax system,” Las said.
Safaricom has indicated it intends to pursue the debt through legal channels, including seeking to be joined in any bankruptcy proceedings Thompson and Moran may have filed in the United Kingdom.
The telecommunications company has not commented publicly on the status of the case or whether it has recovered any portion of the outstanding debt. Efforts to reach Thompson and Moran for comment were unsuccessful as their whereabouts remain unknown.
In Summary Meta has informedily informed thousands of Kenyan content creators that a 5 per cent withholding tax will apply to all earnings from its platforms starting next year.
The move comes as the Kenya Revenue Authority steps up enforcement on income from digital content monetisation, aligning with existing tax rules introduced in 2023. Creators will receive net payments after the deduction, with the tax reflected in monthly statements.
Meta has notified Kenyan content creators earning from Facebook, Instagram and other platforms that it will start deducting 5 per cent withholding tax on all payouts from January 1, 2026, to comply with Kenya’s tax laws.
In an email notice to affected users, the social media giant said recent changes in local regulations require companies to withhold and remit tax directly to the Kenya Revenue Authority on payments to Kenya-based creators.
“Kenya tax law now requires businesses to deduct and remit withholding tax to KRA on payments made to creators located in Kenya,” the notice reads. “As a result, Meta will deduct 5 per cent withholding tax from all payments made to you.”
The company added that the deduction will appear in monthly remittance advice, and creators will receive the net amount in their accounts. Payments processed from December 2025 onwards will reflect the new rule.
The decision brings Meta in line with a provision in the Finance Act 2023 that subjects income from digital content monetisation to 5 per cent withholding tax for resident creators, with non-residents facing 20 per cent.
Platforms such as YouTube and TikTok have implemented similar deductions where applicable, but Meta’s rollout marks a significant expansion as its monetisation features, including In-Stream Ads and Ads on Reels, gained traction in Kenya last year.
The tax applies at source, meaning creators can claim credit for the withheld amount when filing annual income tax returns with KRA.
It forms part of broader government efforts to capture revenue from the booming digital economy, where influencer marketing, video content and online advertising have created new income streams for young Kenyans.
Industry players have welcomed the clarity but expressed concern over the timing, coming amid rising living costs.
“This is not a new tax but enforcement of an existing one,” said one Nairobi-based creator who received the notice. “Many of us already factor in taxes, but seeing it deducted upfront will feel like a bigger cut.”
KRA has in recent years intensified compliance in the creative sector, with President William Ruto previously highlighting the need to tax digital earnings to support national revenue targets.
The authority’s ongoing rollout of tools to validate income declarations from January 2026 is expected to make under-reporting harder.
Meta rolled out monetisation for Kenyan creators in August 2024, allowing earnings from original videos and Reels. Global Partnerships Lead for Africa, Moon Baz, described the features at launch as a boost for the local creative industry.
The new withholding requirement affects thousands active on Meta’s family of apps, many of whom rely on M-Pesa for payouts following a 2024 agreement facilitated by the government.
Creators are advised to update their tax details on Meta’s platforms and consult KRA for guidance on claiming credits during annual filings. The deducted tax is creditable, not additional, for those who declare full income.
