Page 1: Reports that a surge in road accidents, vehicle repairs, and car thefts led to a record Sh44.83 billion in insurance payouts in the year to December. This represents a 37.1 percent increase from the previous year, a trend that has caused insurers to operate without underwriting profits. The largest portion of these claims was for “own damage,” which surged 42.4 percent to Sh15.97 billion, raising fears that premiums will increase to cover the losses and fraudulent claims.
Page 2: Reports that state officials spent Sh2.9 billion on foreign travel in the year to June, with Geneva, New York, and Dubai being the top destinations. The largest single trip was a 15-day conference in Geneva for 40 officials from the State Department for Labour, which cost Sh109.78 million. This high level of expenditure highlights the significant challenge in curbing non-essential travel funded by taxpayers.
Page 4: Reports that Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi is confident all counties will migrate to a new digital procurement system, noting that 30 have already joined while only seven remain non-compliant. The transition to the end-to-end electronic government procurement (e-GP) platform has been slower than intended, with delays causing a cash crunch for some devolved units. The system is designed to digitize the entire procurement process, and while most state departments have been integrated, its full implementation is still ongoing.
Page 6: Reports that East African Breweries Limited’s spirit unit, United Distillers and Vintners, recorded a Sh5.2 billion after-tax profit for the year ended June 2025. This growth was driven by strong sales of Johnnie Walker and the affordable Kenya Cane rum, as inflation pressured consumers to trade down from non-essential items. The company’s performance was bolstered by local flavor innovations and a new sales strategy targeting the premium-plus spirits market.
Page 7: Reports that the High Court has ordered three trading companies to pay KCB a combined debt of Sh140 million for breaching commercial financing agreements. The companies Jatcom Agency, Charingcross Communication Agency, and Talk Cell Technologies had each taken out Murabaha loans in 2022 to finance their Safaricom dealership businesses. Justice Rhoda Rutto ruled that the lender had sufficiently proven the debt, and judgment was entered for the specified amounts.
Page 10: Reports that tourism is a vital economic pillar for Kenya, contributing 10-11 percent to the GDP and generating over Sh1.2 trillion annually. The sector supports more than 1.7 million jobs and provides a lifeline for a wide range of industries, from farmers and fishermen to artisans and transport services. Its benefits are distributed across numerous counties, highlighting its broad and essential role in the national economy.
Page 24: Reports that Kenya’s agricultural sector, a mainstay of the economy, is plagued by significant post-harvest losses of up to 40% for fresh produce and 60% in aquaculture. This waste results in lost income and nutrition, exacerbated by inconsistent quality and limited market access. Furthermore, heightened inspections and rejections of Kenyan produce, like avocados, by key markets such as the EU due to chemical residue issues are stifling growth and undermining trust.