Avenews Kenya Business Development Director, Emanuel Murai (R) with Grebe Enterprises Limited General Manager, Dunson Kamau Kamau during the signing of an MoU in Nakuru-Photo|Courtesy
Agri‑Fintech partnership unveils instant credit model for agricultural stockists in Rift Valley
Agricultural stockists across the Rift Valley and Central Kenya are set to benefit from a new financing model that promises to ease long‑standing cash flow challenges in the farm input supply chain. The initiative, spearheaded by Avenews Agri‑Fintech in partnership with Grebe Enterprises Limited, will allow agro‑traders to access instant credit at the point of…
Residents of Ogembo in Kisii County addressing the press, The residents are demanding urgent intervention over a prolonged power outage that has paralysed businesses, disrupted learning and affected daily activities in the area.
Residents of Ogembo in Kisii protest prolonged blackout as businesses count losses
Residents and traders in Ogembo town, Kisii County, have staged protests over a prolonged power outage that has crippled businesses, disrupted learning, and heightened insecurity. The blackout, which has persisted for more than three weeks, has left households, schools, and enterprises struggling to cope without electricity. Community leaders Jane Kemunto and Florence Momanyi voiced concern…
AFA and Lamu County deliver Ksh 20 million agricultural package to boost cotton, biofuel value chain
Lamu County farmers received a multi-million shilling agricultural boost on May 7 after the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) and the County Government of Lamu jointly launched a seed pressing facility in Hongwe and delivered 3 tonnes of BT cotton seeds to farmers gathered at Mpeketoni Agricultural Training Centre (ATC), in a twin intervention valued…
MSEA, working with Dutch development organisation SNV Netherlands Development Organisation, during a previous business sensitisation forum-Photo|Courtesy
Government pushes new MSME policy to ease credit access and formalisation
The government has stepped up efforts to strengthen Kenya’s small business sector through a fresh policy drive aimed at easing access to finance, boosting competitiveness, and encouraging informal enterprises to formalise. Regulators and development partners are intensifying outreach to micro, small and medium‑sized enterprises (MSMEs) amid concerns that many firms remain locked out of structured…
AFA Acting Director General Calistus Kundu speaking during the a two-day farmers forum. Photo Courtesy
Macadamia farmers to form Cooperatives as sector sets Ksh 100 farm gate price
Farmers in Kenya’s macadamia sector have agreed to form cooperatives as part of extensive reforms aimed at streamlining the value chain and improving earnings. The resolution was reached during a two-day forum that brought together Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) as a regulator, processors and farmers, where participants emphasized that cooperatives will enhance bargaining power,…
Absa Bank commits Ksh100 billion to revamped asset financing model for MSMEs
Absa Bank Kenya has unveiled a new asset financing model dubbed ABF 2.0 that will deploy Ksh100 billion over the next three years to empower micro, small, and medium‑sized enterprises (MSMEs) as well as individual customers. The revamped model is designed to improve access to productive assets and accelerate growth across key sectors of the…
National Irrigation Authority (NIA) offices-Photo|Courtesy
National Irrigation Authority directed to fast-track stalled irrigation projects
Members of the National Assembly’s Public Investments Committee on Commercial Affairs and Energy have directed the National Irrigation Authority (NIA) to urgently complete several delayed community irrigation projects, some of which have stalled for up to six years. The concerns emerged during a committee session reviewing NIA’s financial records following queries raised by the Office…
Gov’t moves to modernise county markets, boost MSME competitiveness
Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Investment, Trade and Industry Lee Kinyanjui has outlined a comprehensive government strategy to modernise county markets and strengthen support for traders and small businesses, signalling a sharper policy focus on the informal and micro-enterprise sector as a driver of economic growth. Appearing before the Senate Plenary at Parliament buildings on May…
Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Sacco Societies Regulatory Authority (SASRA), David Sandagi-Photo|Courtesy
SASRA warns of fragile SACCO funding structure as wealthy savers dominate majority deposits
The SACCO Societies Regulatory Authority (SASRA) has raised concerns over the stability of Kenya’s SACCO sector after new data revealed that the bulk of cooperative deposits are concentrated in a small fraction of wealthy accounts, even as millions of low‑value savers continue to join the movement. According to SASRA’s supervisory report, total deposit accounts rose…
Macadamia stakeholders during the AFA consultative meeting. Photo Courtesy
AFA,Macadamia stakeholders meet to chart reforms to strengthen the sector
The Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) on May 5, convened a stakeholders’ consultative forum bringing together key players in the macadamia subsector to plan reforms aimed at strengthening the value chain. The meeting focused on building consensus around price stabilization and introducing measures to guarantee fair compensation for farmers. During the session, macadamia farmers raised…
