According to reports by the Controller of Budget, Margaret Nyakang'o, 39 county governments, including Nairobi and Mombasa, irregularly spent over the legal 35% limit on salaries in the 2024/2025 financial year, amounting to Ksh 220B. A separate report revealed that counties like Nairobi, Kitui, and Machakos spent hundreds of millions on domestic and foreign travel at the expense of development. The Controller of Budget's report also ranked Governor Sakaja's Nairobi County last in development expenditure. As a consequence of financial issues, Nairobi County workers initiated a "go-slow" strike on Thursday, September 18, citing two months of delayed salaries and remittances.

The High Court has halted the progression of the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which aimed to enshrine the NG-CDF kitty into the Constitution, preventing it from being sent to President William Ruto for assent. Separately, the High Court extended orders preventing the EACC and DPP from arresting or prosecuting Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi over graft allegations until October 8, 2025. In another legal development, former nominated UDA Senator Gloria Orwoba withdrew her petition at the Milimani Constitutional and Human Rights Division, which challenged her removal from the Senate. Her lawyer informed Justice Chacha Mwita of the withdrawal, leading to the case's closure.

African venture capital funding is rebounding in 2025, with total funding already exceeding US$2 billion across 500 deals, doubling the figures from the same period in 2024. In the fintech space, Fincra and Reap signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to innovate card and cross-border payment solutions to enhance trade between Africa and Asia. To address youth unemployment, the non-profit Binary Tree has expanded its digital skills training across Africa and Asia, empowering over 1,100 students. In another development, Smart Applications International Limited, a biometric and healthcare technology firm operating in 12 African countries, has been recognized as a Superbrand.

Kenyan county governments increased their own-source revenue (OSR) to KSh 67.30 billion in the 2024/25 financial year, a 62.65% jump from the previous year. Despite this growth, counties only achieved 77% of their combined revenue target of KSh 87.67 billion. According to the Controller of Budget, Nairobi County Government's primary revenue streams are land rates, business permits, and parking fees, which generated Kshs 13.53 billion in the past year, a 5.6 percent increase. Concurrently, the total outstanding pending bills for counties decreased by 3% to Sh176.8 billion in the 2024/2025 fiscal year. This reduction from Sh181.98 billion in the previous year was attributed primarily to reconciliation efforts in Nairobi County.

Lecturers and staff in Kenyan public universities have initiated a nationwide strike, halting learning and disrupting academic activities across the country. The strike, which has entered its second day, is due to the government's failure to pay arrears totaling Sh10.5 billion from two collective bargaining agreements spanning 2017 to 2025. Lecturers at Pwani University have joined the industrial action, vowing to continue until their disputed salaries are deposited into their accounts. The strike is ongoing despite a government promise of 2.5 billion shillings to persuade them to return to work. As a result, students are concerned about potential delays in their graduation.

At the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Kenya's Emmanuel Wanyonyi advanced to the men's 800-meter final, finishing his semifinal heat in 1:43.47. In the women's 800m, defending champion Mary Moraa and Lilian Odira qualified for the semi-finals, while teammates Sarah Moraa and Vivian Kiprotich were eliminated. American Noah Lyles also sailed into the world 200m final with a year's fastest time of 19.51 seconds. However, Kenyan javelin thrower Julius Yego's medal hopes were ended by an ankle injury in the final. Looking ahead, a highly anticipated clash is set in the 5,000m final between Kenya's Faith Kipyegon and Beatrice Chebet on Saturday.

An ongoing audit in Kenya has revealed that approximately 50,000 "ghost students" have been illegally receiving government capitation funds in secondary schools. This discovery has exposed a massive fraud scheme estimated to be worth Sh1 billion. Principal Secretary of Basic Education Julius Bitok confirmed that these ghost learners have been fraudulently receiving government allocations. According to the reports, each fictitious student was costing KSh 16,000 annually, while another report cited an amount of Ksh 15,000. This illicit scheme has diverted significant funds intended for genuine students.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has announced it lacks sufficient funds to conduct eight by-elections scheduled for November. The commission attributes this financial challenge to the National Treasury's failure to disburse the necessary funds. According to the IEBC, the Treasury has only funded 16 by-elections. This leaves the remaining 8 at risk of cancellation. The lack of funds is impacting the organization of the by-elections, posing a challenge to the electoral body.

The Harambee Stars, Kenya's men's national football team, have slipped two places to position 111 in the latest FIFA rankings. In domestic competition, the 2025-2026 SportPesa League season begins this weekend, featuring newly promoted clubs Nairobi United and APS Bomet. Nairobi United enters the top-tier league with high confidence after winning the FKF Cup, which also earned them a spot in the CAF Confederation Cup. Meanwhile, in boxing, competition is underway for national team slots in the upcoming Africa Zone Three Boxing Championships. Teams are preparing for the third leg of the league in Nakuru where boxers are vying for selection.

Nick Cannon candidly discussed his fatherhood journey, stating that having 12 children was due to “carelessness” and not a deliberate plan. He noted that his 2016 divorce from Mariah Carey influenced his lifestyle choices afterward. Separately, Kenyan digital content creator Thee Pluto publicly addressed persistent gossip about his life. He clarified that not everyone he is seen with is romantically involved with him. Similarly, Ruth Karegi, the estranged baby mama of comedian Mulamwah, went viral after humorously reacting to a question about dating a Luhya man again. Her reaction was a sprint, which was a clear reference to her messy public breakup.