Summary Of The Business Daily Newspaper
Page 1: Reports indicate that Kenyan investments in the DRC surged to nearly $100 billion in 2022 following the DRC’s entry into the EAC, but this enthusiasm significantly cooled the following year due to the ongoing risks and conflict in the region that continue to shadow investment.
Page 3: Reports show that after the DRC joined the EAC, Kenyan investments reached Sh99.4 billion as businesses sought to tap into its market and minerals, with major banks leading an expansion into professional services and other sectors to support new commercial activities.
Page 4: Reports detail parliamentary outrage over a planned sale of East African Portland Cement to a Tanzanian tycoon at a discounted price of Sh27.30 per share, a figure seen as not reflecting the company’s true market price or its Sh20.4 billion book value.
Page 6: Reports state that new EAC merger rules will take effect in November 2025, making approval mandatory for cross-border deals valued over Sh4.5 billion and introducing a tiered notification fee ranging from Sh5.8 million to over Sh12.9 million.
Page 8: Reports confirm the National Treasury granted Old Mutual an exemption to convert an Sh8.1 billion parent loan into preferential shares, allowing its foreign owner to exceed the 66.7% ownership limit to help the insurer save on debt service costs.
Page 10: Reports describe a new continental initiative to harmonize financial data-sharing across 11 African countries, aiming to overcome restrictive data laws, boost intra-African trade, and support the AfCFTA by enabling secure credit data flow based on privacy and consent.
Page 14: Reports announce that KCB Bank plans to enter Kenya’s Shariah-compliant investment funds market via its Islamic arm, Sahl Bank, to address a shortage of options and attract both local and Middle Eastern investments.
Page 24: Reports confirm Kenya enacted the new Gambling Control Act, 2025 to modernize regulation of its Sh200 billion industry by establishing a new authority and licensing online gambling, though high fees like a Sh100 million license could lock out smaller players.