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4 stories15 more counties will get digitized land records. Sanlam Kenya reports a 30.9 million shillings half-year profit. S&P upgraded Kenya’s credit rating. Meanwhile, 5,000 workers face termination in four sugar factories.
Transport CS Kipchumba Murkomen has reportedly reversed a 2024 directive by DP Gachagua. Meanwhile, KRA issued a 30-day notice for goods collection at the Nairobi Inland Container Depot, and the Motorist Association seeks permanent license revocation for errant truck drivers. Private hospitals allege KMPDC's budget issues are fueling fraud in the SHA. Machakos Deputy Governor criticised CS Kindiki's empowerment programs as "handouts," as Ruto allies call for constitutional changes ahead of the 2027 General Election. Urgent interventions are sought for rising suicide rates in Central Kenya, while rights groups press the AG to amend the Prisons Act for transgender inmates. Car thieves are now using signal jammers.
Leaders from the North Rift allied with President William Ruto's United Democratic Alliance (UDA) are calling for constitutional amendments before the 2027 General Election, proposing a referendum be held concurrently. Separately, Machakos Deputy Governor Francis Mwangangi has accused Deputy President Kithure Kindiki of misusing public resources for his nationwide empowerment programs, labeling them the "biggest theft of public funds." Rights groups are also pressing the Attorney General to amend the Prisons Act to protect transgender prisoners following a High Court ruling in a case won by a transgender Kenyan against the state. In the health sector, the Rural & Urban Private Hospitals Association of Kenya (RUPHA) warns that budget cuts at the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) are fueling fraud within the Social Health Authority (SHA) by allowing the licensing of "bogus facilities."
DCP Leader Rigathi Gachagua has accused the state of orchestrating chaos during his homecoming on Thursday, August 21, 2025, after a trip to America. Gachagua claimed President William Ruto and Interior Cabinet Secretary Murkomen deployed goons, resulting in robbery and violence against his supporters. In a separate political move, President Ruto has reportedly revived a 1995 strategy, originally used by former President Daniel Moi, to regain popularity in the Mt Kenya region. This strategy involves deploying professionals to address disquiet and restore political influence. Meanwhile, over the last three years, the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has dropped cases against allies of President Ruto. This action has proceeded despite the President's public commitment to fighting graft.
15 more counties will get digitized land records. Sanlam Kenya reports a 30.9 million shillings half-year profit. S&P upgraded Kenya’s credit rating. Meanwhile, 5,000 workers face termination in four sugar factories.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua received a warm welcome at JKIA upon returning from the US tour. Separately, digital strategist Dennis Itumbi, 40, shared why he remains a bachelor.
Harambee Stars' CHAN quarter-final against Madagascar at Kasarani has CAF's 80% capacity approval, with police warning of Thika Highway traffic. East African nations dominate CHAN quarterfinals. Closer to home, Kisii School won the East Africa rugby 15s title, and Muthoni Njuguna clinched the Limuru Ladies Medal.
Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has reportedly reversed a 2024 directive issued by Deputy President Gachagua, while the Kenya Revenue Authority has given a 30-day notice for abandoned goods to be collected from the Nairobi Inland Container Depot. Separately, the Motorist Association of Kenya seeks permanent license revocation for truck drivers flouting safety rules after a recent Mombasa-Nairobi Highway accident. In other news, private hospitals claim KMPDC's budget woes fuel fraud in the Social Health Authority, while Machakos Deputy Governor Francis Mwangangi criticises Interior CS Kithure Kindiki's empowerment programs as "handouts." Ruto allies are calling for constitutional changes ahead of the 2027 General Election. Urgent interventions are sought as Central Kenya records up to eight monthly suicide deaths. Finally, rights groups are pressing the Attorney General to amend the Prisons Act to protect transgender prisoners, and car thieves are now using signal jammers.
Business owners along Kimathi Street in Nairobi CBD experienced significant losses after armed goons stormed and robbed their establishments on Sunday, August 24. Witnesses reported that individuals threatened traders with knives before stealing goods. In a separate incident in Pipeline, Nairobi, a 27-year-old woman, Susan Nabwire, was allegedly murdered by her husband, a former police officer, on the night of August 13. The suspect also allegedly assaulted the house help. Meanwhile, a new crime trend has emerged as car thieves in Kenya are now reportedly employing illegal signal jammers to disable vehicle tracking systems, overwhelming traditional security measures.
S&P Global Ratings has upgraded Kenya's long-term sovereign credit rating to ‘B’ from ‘B-’, maintaining a stable outlook. The upgrade was attributed to reduced near-term external liquidity risks, easing external financing pressures, and stronger foreign exchange reserves. In a related market development, the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) has seen investor wealth increase by KSh1 trillion since CEO Frank Mwiti took over in May 2024. The NSE's market capitalization reached KSh2.678 trillion. The NSE All Share Index closed at 170.03 on Friday, August 22, 2025, having doubled in value in nine months.
Sanlam Kenya Plc reported a net profit of Sh30.9 million for the half-year ended June 2025, a result driven by strong insurance revenues and prudent capital management. The company also strengthened its capital base through a successful rights issue. In the financial technology space, cryptocurrency exchange Bitget has introduced tokenized U.S. stocks for Kenyan traders, providing access to companies like Apple, Tesla, and Amazon through its Onchain platform. Meanwhile, Two Rivers Mall, driven by Centum Investments, is evolving beyond retail into a sustainable, integrated urban ecosystem, positioning itself as a model for eco-conscious and inclusive urban growth.
Apple has released emergency updates, including iOS 18.6.2 and iPadOS 18.6.2, to fix a critical security vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-43300. This flaw, located in ImageIO, is being actively exploited and allows hackers to gain full device access through a malicious image without user interaction. Separately, the Phone by Google app received a Material 3 Expressive update, a significant design overhaul that has divided users in Kenya and globally. While Google aimed for a simpler calling experience, many users expressed frustration with the new interface. In other update news, Xiaomi announced that several Redmi, POCO, and Xiaomi devices will stop receiving major software updates after HyperOS 3, which is based on Android 15. This marks the final significant update for these models, as they will not receive Android 16.
A group of members of parliament has strongly refuted corruption allegations made against them by President Ruto (3). The Kenya Kwanza opposition group urged the President not to blame parliament for corruption allegations (6). In response to the President's claims, the Catholic Church called for the arrest of Members of Parliament involved in bribery (28). Other church leaders urged President Ruto to act on his threats against corrupt MPs and called for the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to be granted autonomy (7). The clergy is urging for tangible action in the fight against corruption, not just talk (24). Concurrently, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution is under scrutiny for delayed prosecution of corruption cases (21).
The Rural and Urban Private Hospitals Association (RUPHA) has accused the Social Health Authority (SHA) of purposefully trying to undermine private health facilities (23). RUPHA alleges this is being done through the non-payment of claims and the automatic rejection of claims from private hospitals (23). The association also claims there are deliberate efforts by cartels within the health sector to cripple Kenya's private health care system (22). Private and religious hospitals in Kenya are reportedly facing the threat of closure due to billions of shillings in unpaid claims by SHA (29). The Muungano wa Hospitali za Kibinafsi (Private Hospitals Association) has lodged complaints regarding this alleged payment discrimination by the authority (30).
Internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Narok County are appealing to the Kenyan government for formal recognition and financial compensation to resolve their long-standing issues (12). In Malakisi, residents are appealing to the government for immediate food aid after heavy rains decimated their crops, creating a pressing food insecurity situation in the region (15). Separately, victims of police brutality who are eligible for government compensation are advocating for justice to be an integral component of their reparation (27). Some of these survivors shared traumatic experiences, dating back up to seven years, in interviews with Citizen TV (27).
Kenya's Harambee Stars were eliminated from the African Nations Championship (Chan) 2024 after a devastating penalty shootout loss to Madagascar in the quarter-finals on August 22, 2025, at Kasarani Stadium. This occurred despite an impressive debut performance in the tournament. The Uganda Cranes were also eliminated from the 2024 CHAN following a 1-0 quarter-final loss to defending champions Senegal at Namboole Stadium. The defeat of both teams means that no East African co-host will feature in the medal bracket of the tournament. The event serves as a dry run for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).
