Author: Ableditor

When Kamal Budhabhatti looks at the technology industry, he does not appear particularly interested in the glamour that often surrounds it. His story is less about chasing headlines and more about solving problems. That approach has taken Craft Silicon, the Kenyan technology company he founded in 2000, from a small software operation in Nairobi to a financial technology business serving institutions across Africa and Asia. Today, Craft Silicon operates in more than 30 markets, providing banking software, digital payments and other technology solutions, while its consumer businesses include Little, the homegrown ride-hailing and technology platform. But its rise did not…

In a country where leadership is often measured by titles, wealth, political influence or the size of an organisation one controls, Manu Chandaria offers a different definition of success. For decades, the Kenyan industrialist has demonstrated that leadership is not simply about building a successful business. It is about building people, institutions and communities that can outlive you. Born in Nairobi in 1929, Chandaria helped grow the family business into Comcraft, a multinational industrial group with operations across several countries. But his most enduring contribution may not be the businesses he helped build. It is the philosophy with which he…

KAMPALA — Uganda has appointed petroleum sector expert Fred Kabanda as the new executive director of the Petroleum Authority of Uganda, succeeding Ernest Rubondo as the country prepares for the next stage of its oil industry. Kabanda is expected to take office on December 1, following the completion of the transition process at the petroleum regulator. Until then, Otonga Michael Ochan, the authority’s director of finance and corporate services, will continue serving as acting executive director. Rubondo’s second term ended on August 31 after a decade at the helm of the regulator. He was appointed the authority’s founding executive director…

KIGALI — East African business leaders are calling for faster implementation of regional integration measures, arguing that persistent trade barriers continue to increase the cost of doing business across the region. The call was made during a business leaders’ meeting in Kigali, Rwanda, where private-sector representatives discussed ways of improving trade and investment within the East African Community. Business leaders highlighted challenges including border delays, customs procedures, non-tariff barriers, logistics costs and differences in standards and regulations. They argued that addressing these issues would enable businesses to access larger markets and build stronger regional value chains. East Africa has made…

NAIROBI — Technology company NEC Africa has appointed Phillip Nganga as its regional manager for East Africa as the company seeks to deepen its presence in a rapidly expanding digital economy. Nganga will oversee the company’s business operations and growth across several East African markets, with a mandate that includes strengthening customer relationships, developing strategic partnerships and expanding NEC’s technology solutions. He brings extensive experience within NEC, having joined the company in 2012 and held various roles during his career. His appointment comes as governments and businesses across East Africa increase investment in digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data management…

NAIROBI — Absa Bank Kenya has confirmed Yusuf Omari as its managing director and chief executive officer, giving the lender permanent leadership after a period of transition. Omari, who had been serving as interim chief executive, has spent more than two decades with the bank and is expected to lead its next phase of growth amid intensifying competition in Kenya’s financial services industry. He joined the institution in 2004, when it operated as Barclays Bank Kenya, and has held several senior positions during his career, including chief financial officer. His extensive experience within the bank gives him a detailed understanding…

NAIROBI — Investment executive James Mworia has been appointed the founding chief executive officer of Kenya’s National Infrastructure Fund (NIF), taking charge of an institution established to mobilise private capital for major infrastructure projects. Mworia’s appointment places an experienced investment manager at the centre of Kenya’s efforts to develop alternative financing mechanisms for infrastructure at a time when the government is under pressure to reduce reliance on public borrowing. The NIF was established to leverage public resources and attract private and institutional investors into strategic infrastructure projects. The fund is expected to work with pension funds, development finance institutions and…

When Madina Okot heard her name called at the 2026 WNBA Draft in New York, the moment was bigger than basketball. The 21-year-old from Mumias, western Kenya, had just become the 13th overall pick of the Atlanta Dream and the first Kenyan woman selected in the first round of the world’s premier women’s basketball league. For a country accustomed to celebrating its global sporting heroes on athletics tracks, the achievement opened another window. It showed that Kenya’s sporting talent is not confined to running. It showed that a girl who discovers basketball relatively late can reach the highest level of…

For years, Kenya’s retail real estate story revolved around the mall. Developers built increasingly elaborate shopping centres, anchored by supermarkets, restaurants, cinemas and international brands. But the country’s retail geography is changing. The next big shopping destination may not be a regional mall. It could be a neighbourhood centre tucked between apartment blocks in a rapidly growing estate. This shift is being driven by a combination of changing consumer behaviour, rising competition and pressure on household incomes. Knight Frank’s 2026 retail outlook says Kenya’s retail market is increasingly moving towards neighbourhood centres and mixed-use developments, with less emphasis on large…

On Nairobi’s streets, the electric motorcycle is no longer a futuristic idea. It is becoming part of everyday transport. Boda boda riders are increasingly experimenting with electric motorcycles because of their lower running costs, while businesses are exploring electric delivery vehicles and buses. Behind the vehicles on the road, however, another race is taking place inside Kenya’s industrial sector. The country wants to move from importing electric vehicles to manufacturing and assembling more of them locally. That ambition could turn e-mobility into one of Kenya’s most important new manufacturing industries. Invest Kenya identifies electric mobility as a high-potential manufacturing value…