Topics
Countries
Kenya News
Would you like to access news/blog content published by sources located in Kenya?
Code example
If you'd like to make a REST call, then make a following POST request:
Endpoint /api/v1/article/getArticles
Request body
{
"sourceLocationUri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenya",
"resultType": "articles",
"apiKey": "API_KEY"
}
If you'd like instead to do a GET request then call:
/api/v1/article/getArticles?sourceLocationUri=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FKenya&resultType=articles&apiKey=API_KEY
Example of JSON response
Below is an example JSON object that you would receive as the result of the request. You can retrieve also additional properties such as concepts, categories, source details, etc. by specifying additional parameters in the request as described on the documentation page.
{
"articles": {
"results": [
{
"uri": "9434480859",
"lang": "eng",
"isDuplicate": false,
"date": "2026-08-17",
"time": "02:11:17",
"dateTime": "2026-08-17T02:11:17Z",
"dateTimePub": "2026-08-17T02:10:54Z",
"dataType": "news",
"sim": 0,
"url": "https://www.the-star.co.ke/counties/north-eastern/2026-08-17-over-130-youths-graduate-from-digital-skills-programme-in-saku",
"title": "Over 130 youths graduate from digital skills programme in Saku",
"body": "The initiative forms part of his broader strategy to empower youths with market- driven competencies\n\nSome 132 youths from Saku constituency have been trained in digital skills to equip them with practical competencies and prepare them for opportunities in the growing digital economy.\n\nThe Ebisa Youth Empowerment Programme enables young people to leverage online opportunities to earn a sustainable income.\n\nThe training would enable them to leverage their digital skills to seek opportunities on the internet and pursue them depending on their passions and either establish digital careers or businesses.\n\nAlready 560 youth have benefitted from the digital skills training in the constituency.\n\nSpeaking during the graduation ceremony, Saku MP aspirant Abdikadir Doyo said he would continue investing in digital literacy initiatives to ensure more young people acquire practical competencies required in today's labour market.\n\n\" Digital literacy is an essential requirement in today's world. The knowledge you have acquired will open many opportunities,\" he said\n\nHe said the initiative forms part of his broader strategy to empower youth with market- driven competencies that will enable them to secure jobs, establish businesses, and contribute to digital transformation.\n\n\"Many young people assume they are digitally literate because they use social media platforms. This course goes beyond that by equipping them with practical competencies that can be applied in the workplace and converted into income through online opportunities,\" he said\n\nDoyo said the initiative is helping bridge the digital divide by exposing youth from rural communities to practical digital competencies that prepare them for the rapidly evolving world of work.\n\n\" Empowering young people with digital skills is essential not only for their personal growth but also for creating a skilled workforce that will drive the constituency's economic development and enhance productivity,\" he said\n\nHe called on government agencies, political leaders, development partners, and the private sector to invest more in digital infrastructure and advanced training programmes to prepare young people for technology- driven opportunities.\n\n\"We now need to move beyond basic digital literacy by investing in computers, digital laboratories, and reliable internet connectivity. Young people already spend a significant amount of time online, and we should help them transform that engagement into productive employment and a sustainable source of income.\n\nHe expressed confidence that the graduates would apply the competencies acquired to improve their livelihoods, noting that digital technology continues to create new opportunities for skilled young people across the world.He said the global economy is no longer driven by natural resources as it is increasingly powered by knowledge, innovation, and creativity, and the conversation has moved beyond providing internet access to embracing Artificial Intelligence, automation, biotechnology, and digital transformation.\n\n\"Our youth cannot remain spectators while the rest of the world advances. They must become innovators, software developers, entrepreneurs, data analysts, and digital marketers,\" he said.Saku professional Abdikadir Abdirahman, who benefited from the Ebisa Youth Empowerment Programme in 2017, hailed the initiative, saying it would curb unemployment among the youth.\n\n\"This is a programme we shall embrace wholeheartedly as it will go a long way in addressing youth unemployment,\" he said\n\nGraduates welcomed the training, terming it transformative. Abdirahman Abdinoor said the course had equipped him with skills that will support his future studies, adding, \"the knowledge I have gained will help me going forward.\"\n\nQabale Malich said the programme had improved her computer literacy and opened new opportunities.\n\n\"Today the world does not favour someone who is computer illiterate,\" she said, urging other youth to enrol in similar courses.",
"source": {
"uri": "the-star.co.ke",
"dataType": "news",
"title": "The Star"
},
"authors": [],
"concepts": [
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_literacy",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 5,
"label": {
"eng": "Digital literacy"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_economy",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 3,
"label": {
"eng": "Digital economy"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labour_economics",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 3,
"label": {
"eng": "Labour economics"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 3,
"label": {
"eng": "Internet"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_transformation",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 2,
"label": {
"eng": "Digital transformation"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_divide",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 2,
"label": {
"eng": "Digital divide"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Productivity",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 2,
"label": {
"eng": "Productivity"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Private_sector",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 2,
"label": {
"eng": "Private sector"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_access",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 2,
"label": {
"eng": "Internet access"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rural_area",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 2,
"label": {
"eng": "Rural area"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_development",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 2,
"label": {
"eng": "Economic development"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_media",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 2,
"label": {
"eng": "Social media"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_literacy",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 1,
"label": {
"eng": "Computer literacy"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_electronics",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 1,
"label": {
"eng": "Digital electronics"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_analysis",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 1,
"label": {
"eng": "Data analysis"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_development",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 1,
"label": {
"eng": "Software development"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creativity",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 1,
"label": {
"eng": "Creativity"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Literacy",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 1,
"label": {
"eng": "Literacy"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_resource",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 1,
"label": {
"eng": "Natural resource"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entrepreneurship",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 1,
"label": {
"eng": "Entrepreneurship"
}
}
],
"categories": [
{
"uri": "dmoz/Business/Management/Education_and_Training",
"label": "dmoz/Business/Management/Education and Training",
"wgt": 20
},
{
"uri": "dmoz/Society/Philanthropy/Volunteering",
"label": "dmoz/Society/Philanthropy/Volunteering",
"wgt": 18
},
{
"uri": "dmoz/Business/Education_and_Training/Business_Development",
"label": "dmoz/Business/Education and Training/Business Development",
"wgt": 21
},
{
"uri": "dmoz/Society/Issues/Science_and_Technology",
"label": "dmoz/Society/Issues/Science and Technology",
"wgt": 21
},
{
"uri": "dmoz/Business/Education_and_Training/Technology",
"label": "dmoz/Business/Education and Training/Technology",
"wgt": 19
},
{
"uri": "news/Technology",
"label": "news/Technology",
"wgt": 58
},
{
"uri": "iptc/economy,_business_and_finance",
"label": "iptc/economy, business and finance",
"wgt": 78
},
{
"uri": "iptc/labor",
"label": "iptc/labor",
"wgt": 73
}
],
"image": "https://cdn.radioafrica.digital/image/2026/08/7394bc6b-bad9-413c-b085-2e493c7a5249.webp?1786932663408",
"eventUri": null,
"sentiment": 0.4274509803921569,
"wgt": 524628677,
"relevance": 1
},
{
"uri": "9434478244",
"lang": "eng",
"isDuplicate": false,
"date": "2026-08-17",
"time": "02:05:43",
"dateTime": "2026-08-17T02:05:43Z",
"dateTimePub": "2026-08-17T02:05:22Z",
"dataType": "news",
"sim": 0,
"url": "https://www.the-star.co.ke/counties/rift-valley/2026-08-17-trade-boss-enters-hot-uda-race-to-unseat-bii",
"title": "Trade boss enters hot UDA race to unseat Bii",
"body": "Kenei has wide networks, especialy in trade and investment sectors\n\nThe race for governor in Uasin Gishu is getting more intense and competitive after Kenya National Chamber of Industry Uasin Gishu chairman Willy Kenei declared his interest to face off with current governor Jonathan Bii in next year's polls.\n\nKenei becomes the fourth formidable aspirant to join the race in the UDA-domimated region with just less than eight month to the party primaries ahead of polls in August next year.\n\nOthers already preparing for the battle against Bii include Tourism PS Prof Julius Bitok, businesman-cum-politician Bundotich Buzeki and Competition Authority of Kenya director general David Rotuk.\n\n\"I am in the race and with a clear vision and plan on how we can take our county to the next level of development,\" Kenei said.\n\nHe launched his bid to oust Bii during a colourful event held at his rural home in Soy ward, Uasin Gishu county.\n\nKenei is a seasoned businessman and a prominent voice in the North Rift business community. He is the long-serving chairman of the KNCCI Uasin Gishu chapter, and a board director at the Export Processing Zones Authority.\n\nThrough his leadership at KNCCI, Kenei has been championing the interests of traders and advocated for a more conducive, predictable and business-friendly environment in Uasin Gishu county.\n\nHe is also credited with playing a significant leadership role in the conferment of Eldoret Municipality to City status. As chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee that guided the process, he helped steer the engagement that culminated in the successful elevation of Eldoret to a city.\n\n\"Now as a city, we have wide opportunities to tap so that the county can create all the opportunities we need for residents of Uasin Gishu,\" he said.\n\nWith extensive networks across Eldoret City and all parts of Uasin Gishu, Kenei brings to the race a strong understanding of business, investment and governance.\n\nKenei's supporters argue that his long-standing engagement with young people, particularly through KNCCI initiatives supporting entrepreneurship, mentorship and enterprise development, is also expected to position him strongly among the youth.\n\nWith all the three other aspirants having flopped in previous attempts, Kenei comes with fresh engagement with the locals and could easily reshape the race.\n\n\"Ours is not the usual politics. I am in it to ensue that Uasin Gishu has new workable ideas and a leadership style that will shift the conversation to issues and better capacity to drive development,\" Kenei said.\n\nMany of his supporters also argue that Kenei is humble and more approachable, and that given a chance, he will work with locals to transform lives in the region.\n\nHowever, Bii has told his rivals not to waste their money campaigning to unseat him in the next General Election.\n\nThe governor insisted it would be impossible to deny him a second term in office.\n\nBii said his performance record would easily convince residents to re-elect him. He warned those eyeing his seat against risking their resources on what he described as a futile mission.\n\n\"They should use their money wisely instead of engaging in an impossible mission to campaign against me. As of now, this county is locked until I complete my two terms in office,\" Bii said.",
"source": {
"uri": "the-star.co.ke",
"dataType": "news",
"title": "The Star"
},
"authors": [],
"concepts": [
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uasin_Gishu_County",
"type": "loc",
"score": 5,
"label": {
"eng": "Uasin Gishu County"
},
"location": {
"type": "place",
"label": {
"eng": "Uasin Gishu County"
},
"country": {
"type": "country",
"label": {
"eng": "Kenya"
}
}
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bii_(singer)",
"type": "person",
"score": 5,
"label": {
"eng": "Bii (singer)"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/County",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 5,
"label": {
"eng": "County"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governor",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 5,
"label": {
"eng": "Governor"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenya",
"type": "loc",
"score": 4,
"label": {
"eng": "Kenya"
},
"location": {
"type": "country",
"label": {
"eng": "Kenya"
}
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Bii",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 3,
"label": {
"eng": "Jonathan Bii"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Democratic_Alliance_(Kenya)",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 3,
"label": {
"eng": "United Democratic Alliance (Kenya)"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eldoret",
"type": "loc",
"score": 3,
"label": {
"eng": "Eldoret"
},
"location": {
"type": "place",
"label": {
"eng": "Eldoret"
},
"country": {
"type": "country",
"label": {
"eng": "Kenya"
}
}
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Municipality",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 2,
"label": {
"eng": "Municipality"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rift_Valley_Province",
"type": "loc",
"score": 2,
"label": {
"eng": "Rift Valley Province"
},
"location": {
"type": "place",
"label": {
"eng": "Rift Valley Province"
},
"country": {
"type": "country",
"label": {
"eng": "Kenya"
}
}
}
}
],
"categories": [
{
"uri": "dmoz/Society/Issues",
"label": "dmoz/Society/Issues",
"wgt": 18
},
{
"uri": "dmoz/Business/International_Business_and_Trade",
"label": "dmoz/Business/International Business and Trade",
"wgt": 18
},
{
"uri": "dmoz/Society/Politics",
"label": "dmoz/Society/Politics",
"wgt": 15
},
{
"uri": "dmoz/Society/Activism",
"label": "dmoz/Society/Activism",
"wgt": 14
},
{
"uri": "dmoz/Business/Management/Leadership",
"label": "dmoz/Business/Management/Leadership",
"wgt": 20
},
{
"uri": "news/Politics",
"label": "news/Politics",
"wgt": 67
},
{
"uri": "iptc/politics_and_government",
"label": "iptc/politics and government",
"wgt": 87
}
],
"image": "https://cdn.radioafrica.digital/image/2026/08/ef19321a-aeac-4590-a587-66d73e70b5a5.webp?1786932333698",
"eventUri": null,
"sentiment": 0.4039215686274509,
"wgt": 524628343,
"relevance": 1
},
{
"uri": "9434476663",
"lang": "eng",
"isDuplicate": false,
"date": "2026-08-17",
"time": "02:03:03",
"dateTime": "2026-08-17T02:03:03Z",
"dateTimePub": "2026-08-17T02:02:44Z",
"dataType": "news",
"sim": 0,
"url": "https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2026-08-17-cheap-spirits-boom-inside-kenyas-fake-liquor-trade",
"title": "Poison in the bottle: Killer alcohol floods market as rogue traders mint billions",
"body": "It is barely 6 am on \"Pewa Street\" in Nairobi's Umoja estate, a street famous for having more than 200 wines and spirits outlets and dingy bars in a stretch of 300 metres, but the alley is already alive with a desperate queue.\n\nYoung men, their eyes bloodshot and shoulders hunched against the morning chill, line up outside a cramped liquor store waiting for their first drink of the day.\n\nPeter*, 28, stands near the front. His hands shake until he receives a Sh20 tot of clear spirit poured into a flimsy plastic tumbler. He downs it in one gulp.\n\n\"I cannot function without this,\" he mumbles. \"I earn about Sh300 a day carrying luggage at Umoja Market. We cannot afford drinks in the bar, so we come here for what we can afford.\"\n\nNearby, a young man lies motionless on the pavement, wrapped in a faded jacket after a night of drinking.\n\nThese are the casualties of Kenya's vast multibillion-shilling underground alcohol economy, a shadow market that is generating billions for rogue operators while leaving behind addiction, illness, sometimes death, lost revenue and unfair competition for legitimate manufacturers.\n\nKenya's illicit alcohol market has evolved from traditional informal brews into an organised network involving counterfeit and illicit spirits, smuggled ethanol, tax-leaked production and dangerous home brews.\n\nIllicit alcohol means any alcoholic beverage produced, sold, distributed or smuggled outside of government rules, legal manufacturing standards, and tax laws.\n\nA 2025 Euromonitor International study commissioned by the Alcoholic Beverages Association of Kenya, and cited by the Anti-Counterfeit Authority, found illicit alcohol accounted for 60 per cent of Kenya's alcohol market by volume in 2024.\n\nThis was up from 59 per cent in 2022. Between 2022 and 2024, illicit alcohol volumes grew 27 per cent.\n\nThe shadow sector is estimated at Sh203 billion and cost the National Treasury about Sh120 billion in lost fiscal revenue in 2024, going into 2025. Illegal artisanal brews alone accounted for an estimated Sh72 billion to Sh80.7 billion in tax leakage.\n\n\"The problem of substandard, counterfeit and unsafe alcoholic beverages is significant, and apart from the industry, the impact on government revenue has been dire,\" Kenya Association of Manufacturers chief executive Tobias Alando says.\n\nACA data shows alcoholic beverages have a 19 per cent counterfeit prevalence rate, second only to automotive spare parts at 21 per cent.\n\nConsumer perception of counterfeit products is also high, with wine at 50.12 per cent, beer 47.44 per cent, whiskey 42.68 per cent and vodka 36.95 per cent.\n\nAccording to ACA chief executive Robi Mbugua, the illegal market operates through several channels, including under-declared production by licensed manufacturers, counterfeit brands and smuggled alcohol.\n\nCounterfeiters collect genuine bottles, replicate labels and security seals and clone Kenya Revenue Authority tax stamps before filling them with cheap or dangerous liquor.\n\nKariobangi Light Industries has emerged as a key Nairobi hub, where authorities have repeatedly uncovered illegal distilleries, counterfeit labels, fake stamps and stockpiles of discarded branded bottles.\n\nSmuggled ethanol feeds these operations. Authorities have identified routes through Isebania and Shimoni on the Kenya-Tanzania border, Mbale, Lwakhakha and Busia on the Uganda border, and Moyale on the Ethiopian frontier.\n\nSmugglers reportedly hide 200-litre drums and jerrycans in cargo, use motorbikes on unmonitored routes or make false declarations at official border posts.\n\nThe economics are compelling. Undenatured ethanol costs about $1 (Sh129) per litre in Kenya because of excise taxes, compared with about $0.30 (Sh38) in Uganda for instance.\n\nThe price gap gives criminal networks an incentive to move cheap ethanol across borders, process it illegally and sell it below the price of legitimate products.\n\nThe trade has also moved online, with counterfeit alcohol marketed through social media and encrypted WhatsApp groups.\n\nOne of the biggest threats to legitimate manufacturers is the illegal reuse of genuine branded bottles.\n\n\"Unscrupulous bar operators, backyard distillers and criminal networks purchase or collect empty branded bottles from entertainment venues,\" Alando says. \"The bottles are washed, refilled with cheap liquor or industrial-grade ethanol, and sealed with fake tax stamps.\"\n\nThe use of genuine packaging makes the fraud particularly difficult for consumers to detect and leaves legitimate brands exposed to reputational damage.\n\nRecent multi-agency operations have uncovered illegal packaging plants holding hundreds of empty branded spirits bottles intended for refilling.\n\nThe crisis is amplified by poverty and the affordability of illicit alcohol.\n\nOfficial data shows 4.7 million Kenyans aged 15 to 65 use substances, while 3.2 million regularly consume alcohol.\n\nEuromonitor found illicit alcohol sells between 10 and 80 per cent below legal products, with mainstream illicit spirits up to 38 per cent cheaper.\n\nNinety-four per cent of consumers surveyed considered illicit alcohol cheaper, while 74 per cent identified price as their main reason for buying it.\n\nRetail Trade Association of Kenya chief executive Wambui Mbarire says taxation has unintentionally pushed consumers towards the underground market.\n\n\"Repeated tax increases on alcohol have created a situation where nearly half, about 44 per cent, of all alcohol consumed in Kenya is now illicit,\" Mbarire says. \"When you price legal alcohol beyond the reach of low-income earners, demand does not vanish. It simply migrates to untaxed, dangerous alternatives.\"\n\nAlando echoed these sentiments, saying legitimate manufacturers face excise taxes, licensing fees and compliance costs that illegal operators avoid.\n\n\"This is not just about counterfeit products; it is about a fundamentally uneven operating environment,\" he said.\n\nThe formal alcohol industry contributes 2.27 per cent of total exchequer excise revenue and supports an estimated 400,000 direct and indirect jobs across agriculture, logistics, packaging and retail.\n\nKenya exported $8.6 million (about Sh1.1 billion) worth of alcoholic beverages in 2025 to EAC, COMESA and SADC markets.\n\nBehind the economic figures is an even darker human cost.\n\nThe World Health Organization estimates alcohol consumption kills at least 14,000 Kenyans every year through non-communicable diseases, traffic crashes, violence and acute toxicity.\n\nA Nairobi-based public health expert and consultant physician says hospitals are increasingly confronted with severe emergencies associated with dangerous alcohol.\n\n\"Adulterants like industrial methanol are absorbed rapidly. Methanol metabolises into formic acid, a potent toxin that attacks the optic nerve, causing permanent blindness and destroys kidney and liver tissues within hours,\" the expert said.\n\nConsumer advocates say the poor are bearing the greatest burden.\n\n\"Over 50 per cent of alcohol outlets sell fake or adulterated brews,\" said the Consumer Federation of Kenya secretary general Stephen Mutoro. \"These drinks are repackaged into sachets and recycled bottles bearing the logos of well-known brewers and sold to unsuspecting buyers living below the poverty line.\"\n\nEuromonitor found 61 per cent of consumers surveyed identified bodily harm and health risks as the primary impact of illicit alcohol, while 27 per cent cited death.\n\nThe problem is increasingly spilling into international markets.\n\nIn July, the United Kingdom issued a travel advisory urging citizens visiting Kenya to avoid homemade, unsealed or unusually cheap alcoholic drinks and to buy alcohol only from trusted, licensed outlets.\n\nOn August 5, Rwanda's Food and Drugs Authority announced a temporary suspension and recall of five Kenyan alcoholic beverage brands.\n\nThe development has raised concerns over Kenya's export reputation, even as legitimate manufacturers and regulators defend the safety of compliant products.\n\nEast African Breweries PLC said product safety and quality are its highest priorities and that its products undergo rigorous testing and verification. The company said it was engaging the Rwanda FDA over the concerns.\n\n\"EABL operates robust quality assurance and food safety management systems across our supply chain. Our products undergo rigorous testing and verification processes,\" it said.\n\nThe Kenya Bureau of Standards said targeted factory audits and laboratory tests conducted between August 7 and 10 showed the five affected brands complied with applicable East African standards.\n\nKEBS managing director Esther Ngari said Kenya currently has 42 certified alcoholic beverage firms covering 281 products.\n\n\"Certification requires rigorous factory inspections and laboratory testing before issuing the Standardization Mark,\" Ngari said, adding that compliance is monitored through unannounced factory visits, batch testing and market surveillance.\n\nIn the 2024-25 financial year, KEBS sampled and tested 69 potable spirit products, all of which met safety standards.\n\nThe regulator said the most common non-compliances among legal manufacturers involved ethanol-content variations and labelling errors rather than toxic contamination. Most tested products passed methanol safety parameters.\n\nFor serious violations, KEBS can suspend certification, order recalls, close facilities and initiate prosecution.\n\nMeanwhile, multi-agency teams involving police, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, KRA, ACA, KEBS and NACADA continue raids against illicit distilleries and illegal stocks.\n\nKRA has urged consumers to verify excise stamps through mobile tracking tools and report suspected illicit operators.\n\nBut enforcement agencies face a formidable challenge with industry saying Kenya cannot raid its way out of a Sh203 billion market.\n\nSector players, regulators and consumer groups argue that the response must combine enforcement with structural reforms.\n\nA key proposal is an integrated traceability system linking ACA's recordation platform with KRA's iCMS, KEBS conformity databases, KIPI's intellectual-property register, NACADA licensing systems and county business permits.\n\nSmartphone-based track-and-trace technology, which are in place, could allow consumers to verify tax stamps instantly.\n\nAuthorities also need tighter monitoring of undenatured industrial ethanol from sugar millers through transport and border entry points, while East African Community countries could harmonise tax policies to reduce price arbitrage, industry players say.\n\nThey have also proposed joint intelligence units and body-worn cameras for enforcement officers at high-risk border posts including Busia, Malaba, Namanga, Lunga Lunga, Moyale and Isibania.\n\nThe focus, they argue, must move beyond street vendors and distillers to the financiers, chemical suppliers, packaging recyclers and masterminds who make the business profitable.\n\nUntil Kenya closes the price gap between legal and illicit alcohol, seals porous borders, strengthens product traceability and dismantles organised counterfeiting networks, vulnerable consumers will remain exposed, experts say.",
"source": {
"uri": "the-star.co.ke",
"dataType": "news",
"title": "The Star"
},
"authors": [],
"concepts": [
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquor",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 5,
"label": {
"eng": "Liquor"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcoholic_drink",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 5,
"label": {
"eng": "Alcoholic drink"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanol",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 5,
"label": {
"eng": "Ethanol"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counterfeit",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 5,
"label": {
"eng": "Counterfeit"
}
},
{
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"title": "Voi school learners showcase innovative talent at Code Festival",
"body": "TUM has committed to supporting the top projects from the festival into the incubation period\n\nLearners from a remote school in a semi-arid part of Taita Taveta county have impressed stakeholders after they invented a robot that can pick rubbish and do cleaning around a compound.\n\nThe underprivileged learners from Tausa village in Mbololo, Voi subcounty, showcased their talent at the Code Festival.\n\nTheir education is being funded by charity organisation Compassion International Kenya, which seeks to unshackle children from the pangs of poverty.\n\nFaith Mwahe, a Grade 6 learner at ACK Emmanuel Tausa CYDC, said she joined the school's innovation club because she wanted to help ease the burden on her ageing parents, who wake up early to clean the compound.\n\n\"Many people like my parents are tired of bending over to sweep and clean the compound,\" she said.\n\n\"I then developed the dream of creating a robot that can do that work for them so they can at least rest.\"\n\nShe said where she comes from, there are few compost pits, thus people throw rubbish haphazardly, making the environment dirty.\n\n\"That is how the idea came to my mind,\" she said.\n\nMwahe and her club mates won a prize for their innovation at the East Africa Code Festival 2026 held at the Technical University of Mombasa on Saturday.\n\nAlex Ndambo, Mwahe's classmate, said the project has given them an opportunity to visit Nairobi and now Mombasa.\n\n\"It has opened our minds to the outside world,\" Ndambo, who was at first uninterested in the project, told the Star.\n\nHe said he developed curiosity gradually as he saw his classmates come up with robot after robot.\n\nThe two said the experience has been challenging both physically and mentally as they competed against more privileged learners from international schools across the country.\n\n\"At first, I did not understand anything, and the competitors who were more exposed intimidated me,\" Ndambo said.\n\n\"But as time went by, I kept on learning until I believed in myself.\"\n\nLivingstone Chengo, a computer and robotic skills teacher at ACK Emmanuel Tausa school, said robotics skills should be increased in children, especially those in remote areas, where exposure to the outside world is rare.\n\nHe said early introduction of learners to innovative skills and exposing them to the world helps expand their minds and imagination beyond the confines of their poverty-stricken areas.\n\n\"These children are from difficult backgrounds. Their parents can ill-afford them three meals a day,\" Chengo said.\n\n\"Sso they depend mainly on Compassion International to have their children eat three meals a day.\"\n\nLivestock Development PS Jonathan Mueke said technology must not only make life easier but also help build a better future.\n\nHe said learners today must take the lead in matters artificial intelligence and not just be spectators.\n\n\"The children coding today will be the people designing our AI systems, running our technology companies, transforming agriculture, building smart cities, managing our natural resources and creating the industries of tomorrow,\" the PS said.\n\nHe said Kenya beyond 2030 will not be built only with roads, bridges and buildings, but must be built with ideas, innovation, data, science and technology.\n\nKenya, he said, must now move from being consumers of technology to being creators, owners and exporters of technology.\n\n\"I want a young person in Mombasa to develop software that is used in Lagos. A student in Kitui to create an agricultural technology solution that is adopted across East Africa.\n\n\"I want Kenyan technology companies competing successfully within global markets,\" PS Mueke said.\n\nHe said the world today is a global village.\n\n\"Do not wait for somebody to give you a job today. Build your own and make jobs come to you,\" Mueke said.\n\nHe said schools must be linked to universities, universities to industries, industries to investors, and innovators to markets.\n\niSkillsMasters Global CEO Raphael Nyongesa announced a six-month hybrid incubation programme, which will combine physical mentorship and online engagement.\n\nThis will ensure that every child, whether in Kampala, Nairobi or any other rural village, can be assisted so that by April next year, they can celebrate innovation projects that have been pushed into the commercial space.\n\nTUM has committed to supporting the top projects from the festival into the incubation period and eventual commercialisation stage.\n\n\"Our goal is simple. We want to move those projects from innovation to commercialisation,\" Nyongesa said.\n\nHe said this is after a sad case from other project competitions where last year, a Class 7 student from Nakuru came up with a noise detection system, but because they were not supported, the system was bought by another entrepreneur cheaply at a paltry Sh60,000.\n\n\"Today, that system is being marketed in schools at as high as a million shillings. So today, we want innovators to really benefit from the fruits of their labour,\" Nyongesa said.\n\nAccording to the British Council Report of 2025, millions of young people across Africa are graduating without the skills that employees need due to outdated curricular, limited resources and disconnect between education and real world. This holds them back.\n\nNyongesa said more than half of African youth are undereducated, and nearly a third lack the practical skills the job market demands.\n\n\"We believe that partnership with universities can change this,\" he said.\n\nHe said universities should not wait to get students after Form 4 but fully participate in developing learners from their early ages to better prepare them for the job market.\n\nTUM vice chancellor Prof Leila Abubakar said innovation using coding, robotics and artificial intelligence skills can solve many of the problems affecting the Kenyan environment and communities.\n\nShe said the festival has demonstrated that it is possible at even at a young age to come up with solutions for the country's problems.\n\n\"This is where we start. And as our President has said, we now have to come up with that vision beyond 2030. I'm seeing that vision is going to be fulfilled by young people today,\" Abubakar said.\n\nShe said TUM is committed to an education system that creates job creators and not job seekers.\n\nThe professor of biochemistry said the innovation journey is not in isolation and requires mentors, teachers and policy stakeholders who can help innovations turn into money-minting ventures.\n\nINSTANT ANALYSIS:\n\nThe East Africa Code Festival is a project by iSkillsmasters Global in partnership with institutions like Strathmore University (iLab Africa) and Kampala International University. It incorporates young student innovators ranging from primary, junior secondary and senior secondary schools. The 2026 edition took place at TUM and gathered 153 student finalists from seven East African countries under the theme \"The Green Earth\".",
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"url": "https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2026-08-17-county-boss-sleepless-over-2027-shifting-realignments",
"title": "County boss sleepless over 2027 shifting realignments",
"body": "The fellow is said to be supposedly considering a change of tack and could switch political outfits.\n\nA county chief is reportedly distraught following talks between political outfits with a huge bearing on their 2027 bids. The fellow is said to be supposedly considering a change of tack and could switch the political outfit under which they seek election next year. Corridors of Power is apprised that shifting political realities are driving the move, which has apparently received the backing of some big players. The proposal has, however, triggered strong murmurs among political stalwarts opposed to the plan. The developments are expected to gather pace in the coming weeks as the fellow weighs their options ahead of the 2027 elections.\n\n***\n\nA senior government official is reportedly nursing a painful financial loss after allegedly falling victim to a forex trading scam. The official is said to have been lured by flashy promotions promising effortless profits, with the operators guaranteeing returns of up to 50 per cent with 'no risk'. He was reportedly shown a trading account displaying impressive profits, only to discover the figures were fictitious when he attempted to withdraw his money. The scammers demanded additional payments before releasing the funds, leaving the official with no option but to accept he had lost millions of shillings.\n\n***\n\nA politico is the talk of their constituency over uncertainty about which way they will go in the 2027 race. The ambitious politician is eyeing the county chief's post, but the seat already has a frontrunner touted as aligned to a popular party. The competitor is not only purportedly said to have the blessings of a political godfather but is also enjoying considerable popularity. The alternative seat the politico had been eyeing has equally been taken by another frontrunner, leaving the fellow with limited options. Corridors of Power is told the politico could be forced to consider a lawmaker's seat, an option they have reportedly rejected.\n\n***\n\nA state functionary has set tongues wagging at an institution, with key players convinced the fellow has ways of sabotaging their work whenever they fall out. Corridors of Power is apprised that whenever the two sides are not aligned, incidents occur whose timing and coincidence have raised suspicion among officials. So bad is the situation, insiders say, that even some powerful people have been rendered helpless. The developments have left many wondering what hold the fellow has over those expected to rein in their excesses. More puzzling is how the functionary reportedly continues to get away with it.",
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"date": "2026-08-17",
"time": "02:00:32",
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"url": "https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2026-08-17-kindiki-mounts-fightback-to-retain-dp-seat",
"title": "Kindiki mounts fightback to retain DP seat",
"body": "The DP has rolled out a mobilisation campaign that allies see as an attempt to settle the question of whether he has sufficient support in the mountain to retain the Deputy President's position.\n\nAt the weekend, hundreds of elders from Mt Kenya East met in Embu and declared their support for President William Ruto's re-election, while throwing their weight behind Kindiki as the region's political kingpin.\n\nThe elders described Mt Kenya East as one family united by history, culture, geography and shared interests.\n\nIn the 2022 general election, Meru had 772,139 registered voters, Embu 334,302 and Tharaka Nithi 231,932, giving the three core Mt Kenya East counties a combined 1,338,373 voters, according to IEBC figures.\n\nThis makes the bloc an important prize in any contest for the presidency and the deputy president's office.\n\nThe elders sought to turn that numerical strength into a political bargaining position, arguing that Mt Kenya East had for decades supported leaders from Mt Kenya West.\n\nThey cited Jomo Kenyatta, whom they said they supported for 15 years, Mwai Kibaki, who served as Vice President for 12 years and President for 10 years, and Uhuru Kenyatta, who was President for 10 years.\n\nThey also listed Vice Presidents Joseph Karanja and George Saitoti, as well as Gachagua.\n\nTheir message was that the political debt now needed to be repaid.\n\nThe elders urged Mt Kenya West to support Kindiki unconditionally as Deputy President and in his future ambition of becoming the first President of Kenya from Mt Kenya East.\n\nThey also sought to establish Kindiki as the principal channel through which the mountain should engage the national leadership.\n\nThe elders declared that individuals and communities seeking to engage Mt Kenya on political or development matters should do so through him.\n\nThe declaration comes hot on the heels of Kindiki being crowned a Njuri Ncheke elder and endorsed as Ruto's running mate.\n\nThe separate events have deepened perceptions the DP is being positioned as the administration's preferred face in the mountain.\n\nIt also comes against the backdrop of political claims that Kindiki had been stripped of some of his powers and influence.\n\nBut the public record has offered little evidence of a retreat from his role, which some quarters suggested had been offloaded to Prime CS Musalia Mudavadi.\n\nKindiki has continued to represent Ruto at high-level international engagements, including in Uganda and Tanzania, reinforcing his visibility as the President's deputy.\n\nRuto has also publicly assigned Kindiki important coordination and explanatory roles.\n\nDuring a recent meeting in Bungoma, the President referred to the Deputy President while discussing the government's talent search programme.\n\nHe said the DP, \"who coordinates between the national government and counties\", would ensure the initiative received full government support and coordination at both levels.\n\nThe role has fed into an emerging description of Kindiki as Ruto's 'explainer-in-chief' as the regime seeks to make development its central message.\n\nAt the Naivasha Broad-Based Joint Parliamentary and Governors retreat, Kindiki was given 45 minutes to outline government development projects and programmes.\n\nHe delivered it without notes and without a speech, presenting an articulate, persuasive and analytical account of the administration's agenda.\n\nThe DP performed a similar role during the launch of Vision Beyond 2030.\n\nHis mastery of government policy also played out during the first anniversary of the broad-based government at KICC and at the UDA aspirants' forum at State House.\n\nRuto has repeatedly praised his deputy's grasp of government operations and the administration's aspirations, giving Kindiki an important platform at a time when political alignments are beginning to harden.\n\n\"On where we stand today, there is no better person who can connect between the economy, social issues, education, devolution, diplomacy better than my deputy,\" Ruto said.\n\nThe declaration by the elders served to defend Ruto's support while laying an early claim for Kindiki's political future. It was not limited to politics.\n\nThey also asked Ruto to prioritise a dual-carriageway from Makutano through Embu, Chuka, Meru and Maua, as well as the construction of Nithi Bridge.\n\nThey argued the projects would improve connectivity, road safety and trade while easing congestion and supporting economic development across the region.\n\nFor Kindiki, the meeting sought to demonstrate that Mt Kenya East is an organised political constituency with a clear voice in the upcoming political battle, said Steve Ngari, a political analyst.\n\nHe held that the \"message is particularly important as parties outside Kenya Kwanza seek to build alliances and penetrate the mountain\".\n\nTaveta MP John Bwire said Kindiki's strongest asset was his intellectual ability.\n\n\"One thing that stands out about Kindiki, is that even among his opponents and fiercest critics, his brilliance is difficult to dispute. This is a gifted leader. A sharp, analytical mind,\" Bwire said.\n\nHe described Kindiki as \"a moving brain...bright to the core.\"\n\nThe challenge for the DP will now be to translate the elders' declaration into wider popular support, particularly among younger voters and communities.\n\nOver time, Mt Kenya has showed that political loyalties may not necessarily follow traditional elder-led endorsements.\n\nWith more than 1.33 million registered voters in Meru, Embu and Tharaka Nithi alone, Mt Kenya East is too large a bloc to ignore.\n\nINSANT ANALYSIS\n\nKindiki's fightback is therefore not simply about defending his current office but also an attempt to establish that the region has both the numbers and political organisation to demand a decisive role in the 2027 contest and in the post-2027 succession.",
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"uri": "9434474937",
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"date": "2026-08-17",
"time": "02:00:26",
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"url": "https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2026-08-17-many-kenyans-discard-mosquito-nets-as-nights-get-hotter",
"title": "Many Kenyans discard mosquito nets as nights get hotter",
"body": "Hot weather is making people less likely to sleep under mosquito nets, putting one of Kenya's most important malaria prevention tools at risk, a new study has found.\n\nThe study, which examined data from 28 malaria-endemic countries in Africa, found that people were less likely to use insecticide-treated nets when temperatures became high.\n\nResearchers say this could become an important problem as temperatures rise because of climate change.\n\nThe finding is important for Kenya, where malaria remains a major health problem despite years of progress.\n\nThe Ministry of Health said in April that malaria prevalence in Kenya had fallen from eight per cent in 2015 to six per cent in 2025. It also reported a 31 per cent fall in malaria cases over the previous three years.\n\nBut the disease remains common in many warm parts of the country, especially around Lake Victoria and the Coast. Kenya's 2022 Demographic and Health Survey says malaria risk varies greatly across the country because of differences in altitude, rainfall and temperature.\n\nThis makes the new findings especially important.\n\nThe study, titled 'The effect of heat on insecticide-treated net use across Africa', analysed information collected between 2011 and 2022 from nearly 732,000 women and more than 524,000 children under five.\n\nThe researchers used health survey data together with temperature information to see whether heat affected people's use of mosquito nets.\n\nThey found that higher temperatures were linked to lower net use among women and children.\n\nAmong women, temperatures above the study's hot-weather levels were linked to a nine per cent lower chance of using a net during the day and a 13 per cent lower chance at night. Among children under five, the reduction was about 13 per cent during the day and 14 per cent at night.\n\nThe researchers say the reason may be simple. People find it uncomfortable to sleep under a net when the weather is hot because the net can reduce air movement around the body.\n\n\"A common barrier to insecticide-treated net (ITN) use, the backbone of malaria prevention, is heat discomfort. Using multilevel regression models, we quantified the association between temperature and ITN use reported in Demographic and Health and Malaria Indicator Surveys from 2011-2022 across 28 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.\"\n\nThe finding matters because owning a mosquito net does not mean that someone will use it every night.\n\nKenya's 2022 survey found that 54 per cent of households had at least one insecticide-treated net.\n\nA 2023 government malaria strategy reported that after mass net distribution in 2022, 79 per cent of households had at least one net. However, only half of households had enough nets for one net for every two people. Among households with a net, 96 per cent of the population used one.\n\nThis shows why heat could become an important problem. Even when nets are available, people may leave them unused if sleeping under them becomes too uncomfortable.\n\nThe study estimates that heat-related failure to use mosquito nets may have been linked to 25.8 million malaria cases across the countries studied under a model in which temperatures had not crossed the hot-weather thresholds. The researchers stress that this is an estimate based on their model, not a count of cases directly caused by hot weather.\n\nThey also found the link between heat and lower net use was seen in most of the countries studied. The researchers estimated that excess malaria cases were linked to heat-related net non-use in 20 of the 28 countries.\n\n\"Our findings have several implications for malaria control measures. Associations between temperature and ITN use may inform the timing of interventions and the interpretation of malaria trials that span multiple seasons or climate regimes.\"\n\nFor Kenya, the message is that the malaria fight may need to consider how people live as the climate gets hotter, not just how mosquitoes respond to temperature.\n\nThe researchers suggest that better housing and ventilation could make sleeping conditions more comfortable and encourage people to continue using nets. They also suggest that other mosquito-control tools may be needed in places where very high indoor temperatures make nets difficult to use.\n\nBut they warn that cooling homes is not a simple solution. Temperature also affects mosquitoes and the malaria parasite, so changing indoor temperatures could have unexpected effects on malaria transmission.\n\nThe study is a preprint and has not yet been peer reviewed, meaning its findings still need to be checked by other scientists.\n\nINSTANT ANALYSIS\n\nRising temperatures could undermine Kenya's malaria prevention efforts by discouraging mosquito-net use, particularly in warmer regions. The study suggests heat-related discomfort may contribute to increased malaria cases, highlighting the need for climate-sensitive prevention strategies. However, as a preprint, its findings require peer review before firm conclusions can be drawn about the scale of the risk.",
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"url": "https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2026-08-17-mps-scrap-15-year-grace-period-for-compulsory-pedestrian-cyclist-tracks",
"title": "MPs scrap 15-year grace period for compulsory pedestrian, cyclist tracks",
"body": "County governments and road agencies could be forced to immediately start constructing cyclist and pedestrian tracks on every road.\n\nThis will be if the Senate agrees with the National Assembly on a new law compelling the agencies and county governments to build roads with pedestrians and cyclists in mind.\n\nMPs deleted a key transitional clause that would have given the implementing agencies 15 years to comply with new non-motorised transport requirements.\n\nIn consideration of the Kenya Roads (Amendment) Bill, 2024, lawmakers struck out a provision that had been designed to cushion counties and road authorities.\n\nIt was to allow them at least 15 years to redesign existing roads, a situation that would have excused them from the financial and logistical burden.\n\nAs originally published, Clause 9 stated that \"the enactment of these amendments shall take effect in 15 years' time to cater for already existing infrastructure.\"\n\nThe provision effectively created a transition window for national road agencies and county governments to gradually provide the cycling lanes, pedestrian walkways and other facilities required under the proposed law.\n\nMPs deleted the clause in its entirety during the committee stage.\n\nThis means the law, which MPs passed last Thursday, will take effect should the Senate agree and the same is assented to by the President.\n\nThe Bill, sponsored by Samburu West MP Naisula Lesuuda, introduces far-reaching obligations on road agencies and county governments.\n\n\"Senate, over to you. We will then follow up on the implementation, God willing,\" she said after her National Assembly colleagues backed the Bill at the third reading stage.\n\nIt requires the Kenya National Highways Authority, the Kenya Urban Roads Authority and the Kenya Rural Roads Authority to design and construct designated tracks on existing and new roads under their control.\n\nThe facilities must include cycling lanes and pedestrian walkways separated from lanes used by motorised traffic.\n\nCounty governments are similarly required to design and construct dedicated non-motorised transport infrastructure on roads under their jurisdiction.\n\nThe agencies are further tasked with maintaining the facilities, enforcing their use, erecting appropriate signage and creating public awareness.\n\nThe concerned agencies have further been tasked with conducting public participation on road safety and non-motorised transport issues.\n\nLesuuda has underscored the importance of the infrastructural changes, saying its core is about justice, dignity and safety on our roads.\n\n\"It is about ending the systemic injustice that exists on the Kenyan roads. Let me be clear, the current road design framework in our urban and peri-urban areas excludes the majority,\" she said during the debate.\n\n\"Our roads are built for motorised vehicles, as if only those with or in cars deserve to move safely. As if dignity, safety and access are luxuries. But what happens to the millions of Kenyans, the real majority, our children who walk every day to school?\" the lawmaker asked.\n\nAuthorities that manage thousands of kilometres of roads that were not designed with cyclists and pedestrians in mind face the headache of redesigning them.\n\nOnce enacted, counties and road agencies will have no statutory grace period to gradually align existing infrastructure with the new legal requirements.\n\nThe change is likely to raise questions about financing, since the overhaul would require massive budgets.\n\nMany counties are already struggling with limited budgets and competing priorities such as health services, water projects, agriculture and urban development.\n\nRetrofitting existing roads to accommodate separate cycling lanes and pedestrian walkways could require significant redesign works, land acquisition in some areas and the relocation of utilities and roadside businesses.\n\nUrban centres may face the greatest challenge, particularly where roads were constructed decades ago and have little room for expansion.\n\nRoad agencies could also face pressure to review ongoing and planned projects to ensure compliance with the new legal requirements.\n\nThe amendments further strengthen cooperation between national road authorities and county governments.\n\nOne amendment requires road agencies to consult and cooperate with counties in the exercise of functions relating to non-motorised transport infrastructure.\n\nThe bill further introduces mandatory provisions on green infrastructure, environmental protection, technological innovation and the safety of pedestrians and cyclists.\n\nTraffic police are also assigned a direct enforcement role under a new section requiring them to ensure strict use of cycling lanes and pedestrian walkways and safeguard users of non-motorised transport.\n\nPedestrians account for a significant share of road accident victims in the country.\n\nUrban planners have increasingly pushed for investment in walking and cycling infrastructure as cities grapple with congestion and pollution.",
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"uri": "9434473895",
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"date": "2026-08-17",
"time": "01:57:30",
"dateTime": "2026-08-17T01:57:30Z",
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"url": "https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2026-08-17-strong-treasury-demand-lifts-kenyas-financial-markets",
"title": "Strong Treasury demand lifts Kenya's financial markets",
"body": "Kenya's financial markets posted a mixed but broadly resilient performance in the week to August 13, with a record demand for infrastructure bonds contrasting with subdued trading activity at the Nairobi Securities Exchange.\n\nThe Central Bank of Kenya received bids worth a record Sh460.4 billion for three reopened infrastructure bonds.\n\nThis is more than three times the Sh150 billion on offer, underscoring the large pool of liquidity seeking relatively safe investments.\n\nThe auction marked three records, with the Sh150 billion offer, Sh460.4 billion in bids and Sh312.03 billion in accepted bids all reaching unprecedented levels in the Treasury bond series reviewed.\n\nDemand amounted to 307 per cent of the amount offered, prompting the CBK to accept more than twice the advertised amount.\n\nThe three tax-free infrastructure bonds -- IFB1/2019/016, IFB1/2021/018 and IFB1/2021/021 -- mature in October 2035, March 2039 and August 2042 respectively.\n\nThe longest-dated paper attracted Sh139.3 billion in bids, of which Sh93.9 billion was accepted.\n\nThe IFB1/2019/016 received Sh166.22 billion and secured Sh112.6 billion, while IFB1/2021/018 attracted Sh154.9 billion, with Sh105.5 billion accepted.\n\nOf the Sh312.03 billion accepted, Sh118.1 billion will refinance maturing debt, leaving the government with Sh193.9 billion in net new borrowing.\n\nThe strong appetite for government securities points to substantial liquidity in the financial system and continued investor preference for predictable, tax-free returns amid cautious private-sector investment.\n\nAnalysts attributed the surge to excess cash held by banks, foreign investors and statutory institutions.\n\nThe appetite extended to short-term government paper.\n\nTreasury bills worth Sh40.8 billion were sold against an advertised Sh28 billion, translating into a performance rate of 145.7 per cent.\n\nThe 91-day T-bill yield declined, while the 364-day rate edged up marginally and the 182-day rate remained unchanged.\n\nAgainst this backdrop, listed non-bank financial services provider Sanlam Allianz Holdings (Kenya) Plc reported a sharp improvement in profitability.\n\nThe insurer posted a half-year net profit of Sh124.6 million, up from Sh30.9 million in the corresponding period last year.\n\nInsurance revenue rose to Sh2.2 billion, despite higher claims and weaker investment returns during the period.\n\nThe results suggest that stronger underlying insurance operations and cost controls helped cushion the company against pressure from claims and investment income.\n\nSanlam Allianz Holdings Kenya group chief executive officer Patrick Tumbo said the company had continued investing in business development while working to accelerate growth and reduce operating costs.\n\nAt the NSE, market capitalisation rose 1.4 percent to Sh3.992 trillion, while the NASI and NSE 25 indices gained 1.4 per cent and 1.4 per cent respectively.\n\nThe NSE 25 Share Index also rose 0.4 per cent.\n\nHowever, the market rally was accompanied by weaker activity.\n\nTotal shares traded fell 36.6 per cent, while equity turnover declined 30.7 per cent.\n\nThe divergence highlights a market where asset valuations are strengthening even as trading volumes remain subdued, while the bond market continues to absorb large pools of domestic and institutional liquidity.\n\nThe week offered a clear picture of Kenya's financial landscape: strong demand for government paper, improving corporate resilience and rising equity valuations.",
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"date": "2026-08-17",
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"url": "https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2026-08-17-rotich-managing-a-closed-pension-scheme-requires-a-different-strategy",
"title": "Peter Rotich: Managing a closed pension scheme requires a different strategy",
"body": "RUNNING a pension scheme without receiving a single shilling in fresh contributions presents a unique challenge for trustees, particularly when the fund is ageing and pays billions of shillings in benefits every year.\n\nFor TelPosta Pension Scheme, which has been a closed defined-benefit scheme since December 2007, the task is to ensure its existing assets continue generating enough income to meet pension obligations until the last eligible beneficiary receives their benefits.\n\nThe scheme has assets worth about Sh14 billion and pays approximately Sh1 billion annually to more than 7,000 pensioners. It has also been grappling with a heavily property-based investment portfolio, legacy land disputes and a 15-year legal battle over pension benefit calculations.\n\nIn an interview with the The Star, TelPosta Pension Scheme Administrator and Trust Secretary Peter Rotich explains how the scheme is managing its ageing membership, diversifying its investments, disposing of property, dealing with legacy challenges and planning for the future following the recent High Court decision.\n\nWhat does it mean for TelPosta to be a closed pension scheme?\n\nA closed pension scheme no longer accepts new members, receives contributions or, in TelPosta's case, allows future benefit accruals for existing members. The scheme was closed to new entrants, contributions and future benefit accruals effective December 1, 2007.\n\nOur responsibility is therefore to manage existing assets prudently and ensure pensioners and deferred members receive benefits they are entitled to. Unlike an active scheme, we cannot rely on fresh contributions. We must generate sufficient income and liquidity from the existing asset base.\n\nHow difficult is it to run a Sh14 billion fund without new contributions?\n\nIt is undoubtedly more challenging, but manageable with the right strategy, discipline and governance. Every pension payment, administrative expense and future obligation must be met from investment income and existing assets. This makes investment performance, liquidity management and risk management critical.\n\nWe must generate returns to preserve and grow the fund while maintaining enough cash to meet pension payments. As the membership declines and ages, there are no new entrants to offset future liabilities. We therefore continuously assess investment, longevity and economic risks and increasingly focus on protecting capital while generating sustainable returns.\n\nYou pay about Sh1 billion annually to more than 7,000 pensioners. What is your biggest concern?\n\nOur foremost responsibility is ensuring pension payments continue uninterrupted regardless of economic conditions.The challenge is balancing the continuous annual outflow against a finite pool of assets that must generate sustainable returns over the long term.\n\nWe therefore place significant emphasis on liquidity, investment performance, asset protection and governance. The ageing profile also means pensioners may draw benefits for many years. Our success is ultimately measured by one outcome: the continued ability to pay benefits reliably and sustainably.\n\nWhat is the biggest challenge facing trustees?\n\nThe greatest challenge is balancing benefit security with long-term sustainability.We have to ensure today's pensioners receive their benefits while preserving sufficient assets for obligations that may extend for decades.\n\nThis requires asset-liability matching, prudent investment decisions, adequate liquidity and continuous monitoring of inflation, interest rates, market volatility and longevity. Strong governance is essential because every decision must protect members' benefits both today and in the future.\n\nCan investment income fall below pension payments?\n\nEvery pension scheme faces that risk, particularly during periods of market volatility. The objective is not to eliminate risk, which is impossible, but to manage it proactively.We regularly review the investment strategy, diversify across asset classes and undertake detailed cash-flow projections.\n\nThe scheme has also undertaken property portfolio realignment, increased liquidity and broader investment diversification. Regular actuarial assessments help us evaluate the funding position and identify emerging risks early. Our objective is to generate sustainable returns while preserving the fund's ability to meet pension obligations.\n\nMore than 80 per cent of your assets have been in property. Why?\n\nThe significant property exposure has historical origins. When the scheme was established, substantial property assets were transferred to it through Vesting Order Legal Notice No. 154 of 1999 and Legal Notice No. 133 of September 2001 as part of arrangements to support accrued pension liabilities.\n\nMany of these properties appreciated significantly, increasing the proportion of the portfolio held in real estate. While this created considerable capital value, it also resulted in concentration and liquidity challenges.\n\nWe are now implementing a structured property disposal and diversification programme. Some properties, however, were transferred without title deeds, while others became subject to historical disputes involving illegal or irregular alienation and third parties. These issues have slowed asset realisation.\n\nWhat will drive returns as you diversify?\n\nOur long-term strategy is to reduce property concentration, improve liquidity and build a diversified portfolio aligned with the needs of a mature closed defined-benefit scheme.\n\nGovernment securities, high-quality fixed-income investments and money market instruments are expected to play an increasingly important role. We will also maintain carefully selected growth assets, including infrastructure funds.The objective is not simply to maximise returns. We want predictable cash flows, capital preservation, adequate liquidity and long-term growth.\n\nHow have land disputes and rent defaults affected the scheme?\n\nThey have had a significant impact on income generation and the cost of managing assets. Some properties have faced ownership disputes, illegal occupation, rent defaults and prolonged litigation. More than Sh500 million has been spent since the scheme's inception on efforts to safeguard and recover properties, deal with illegal occupiers and defaulting tenants, strengthen documentation and resolve disputes.\n\nThe experience has reinforced the importance of strong governance, accurate ownership records and proactive asset protection.\n\nWhat was the significance of the recent High Court ruling after a 15-year legal battle?\n\nBoth the Retirement Benefits Appeals Tribunal and the High Court examined extensive evidence, witness testimony, scheme records, actuarial analyses, the Trust Deed and Rules and the applicable legal framework.\n\nThe High Court found that the Tribunal had conducted a comprehensive and fair hearing and properly applied the law governing the computation of retirement benefits. It also found that the former employees had not demonstrated grounds such as illegality, irrationality, bias, unfairness or procedural impropriety that would warrant judicial review.\n\nThe Court further observed that the applications were essentially appeals disguised as judicial review proceedings. The decisions provide legal clarity on the administration and computation of benefits and affirm the importance of trustees acting within their governing documents, supported by proper records, actuarial evidence and sound governance.\n\nWhat lesson does the case offer on pension records?\n\nAccurate records are the foundation of sound pension administration. Benefits can only be calculated correctly using reliable information on employment history, pensionable service, salary, retirement date and the applicable scheme rules.\n\nThe proceedings highlighted claims involving incorrect records, individuals who were not members, people who retired before the scheme was established and assumptions inconsistent with the applicable framework. Good record management protects both members and the scheme. Pension obligations can extend for decades, so records must remain accurate, accessible and verifiable long after employment ends.\n\nWhy can two employees receive different pension benefits?\n\nDefined-benefit pensions are calculated according to individual circumstances and the Scheme's Trust Deed and Rules. Factors include pensionable salary, years of service, age at leaving, date of birth, applicable actuarial factors and the form of benefit selected at retirement.\n\nTwo employees who worked for the same employer may therefore legitimately receive different benefits. Age, salary, service and retirement options can all affect the calculation. Where provided for under the rules and applicable framework, actuarial factors may also consider demographic characteristics. The important point is that pension calculations are based on established formulas and actuarial principles, not arbitrary decisions.\n\nWhat impact did the prolonged litigation have on the scheme?\n\nThe greatest impact was uncertainty. The dispute went through various forums, including the Retirement Benefits Authority, the Retirement Benefits Appeals Tribunal, the Court of Appeal and ultimately the High Court. It required significant trustee attention, professional support and administrative resources. However, the scheme continued operating normally.\n\nPension payments were made, investments managed and regulatory obligations met.The recent judgments provide much-needed clarity and allow the trustees to focus more fully on portfolio diversification, property disposal, liquidity, governance and long-term sustainability.\n\nIs increasing life expectancy becoming a major challenge?\n\nYes. Increasing longevity is one of the most significant structural challenges facing closed defined-benefit schemes. Every additional year a pensioner lives means another year of benefit payments. In some cases, eligible dependants may continue receiving benefits for up to five years after the pensioner's death.\n\nThis challenge is compounded by inflation, interest-rate changes and market volatility. Trustees must therefore continually assess life expectancy, future liabilities, funding adequacy and investment performance.\n\nHow do you balance higher returns with protecting members' capital?\n\nWe do not pursue higher returns at the expense of risk management. Capital preservation is just as important as growth. Our investment philosophy focuses on reducing property holdings, diversification, professional fund management, regulatory compliance and risk-adjusted returns.\n\nBecause the scheme pays about Sh1 billion annually, we must maintain sufficient liquid assets to meet obligations regardless of market conditions. Professional fund managers, investment consultants and actuarial advisers support the trustees in assessing opportunities and risks.\n\nWhat governance structures are essential?\n\nThere must be a competent and independent Board of Trustees with a clear fiduciary mandate to protect members' interests. The scheme also requires strong investment, risk management, procurement and conflict-of-interest policies, as well as effective internal controls.\n\nActuarial oversight, external and internal audits, professional fund managers, custodians, legal advisers and regulatory supervision are equally important. Member engagement and transparent reporting through annual reports, benefit statements and meetings also build confidence. Good governance is ultimately about checks and balances, accountability and protecting scheme assets.\n\nHow has TelPosta sustained pension payments for nearly two decades without contributions?\n\nThe key has been prudent stewardship of assets and an unwavering focus on long-term sustainability. Since closure in 2007, the trustees have focused on investment performance, asset protection, governance, professional advice and disciplined financial management.\n\nThe continued payment of pensions demonstrates the importance of planning, liquidity management and sound governance. For a closed scheme, the measure of success is simple: whether retirees receive their benefits reliably and on time.\n\nWhat is your message to pensioners after the court decision?\n\nWe understand that legal disputes over retirement benefits can generate strong emotions and differing views. Not everyone will be satisfied with the outcome.Our message is one of reassurance and commitment. The decisions provide legal clarity, but our focus remains on protecting members' benefits and ensuring pensions continue to be paid reliably and sustainably.\n\nWe remain committed to safeguarding assets, improving investment performance and liquidity, strengthening governance, complying with the Trust Deed and Rules and maintaining transparent engagement with members.\n\nWhat are the scheme's top three priorities over the next five years?\n\nFirst is completing the investment portfolio realignment, reducing property concentration, improving liquidity and increasing diversification. Second is strengthening governance, risk management and asset protection, including resolving outstanding property issues and ensuring assets are properly documented and protected.\n\nThird is enhancing the scheme's long-term sustainability through actuarial assessments, prudent financial management and disciplined investment decisions. Our ultimate goal is to ensure TelPosta Pension Scheme remains financially strong, well governed and capable of paying pensions reliably for the lifetime of all eligible beneficiaries.\n\nWhat lessons should other pension schemes learn from TelPosta's experience?\n\nThe first lesson is that governance matters. Trustees need strong oversight, accountability and disciplined decision-making. Second, accurate records are critical. Pension liabilities can be challenged decades after employment ends, making employment records, service histories, salary information and actuarial calculations essential evidence. Third, investment diversification and long-term planning are indispensable.\n\nSchemes must balance returns, capital preservation, liquidity and risk. Finally, trustees must not promise benefits that cannot be sustained or that are not provided for under the governing rules. TelPosta's experience demonstrates that long-term pension sustainability rests on four pillars: strong governance, accurate records, disciplined investment management and sustainable benefit design.",
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