Microsoft and the African Development Bank (AfDB) have launched a Pan-African financing facility to digitize agricultural Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). This initiative, announced at the B20 South Africa Summit, aims to blend investment capital with digital and AI tools to enhance agricultural productivity across Africa.

• The facility is expected to mobilize large agricultural investments over the next five years.
• Microsoft's Chief Sustainability Officer Melanie Nakagawa highlighted a shift from simply connecting 117 million Africans to focusing on sector-level transformation.
• In Kenya, Microsoft's partner Mawingu has enabled rural clinics to consult specialists via video links and is collaborating with Mastercard's MADE Alliance to equip 50,000 farmers with digital skills.

Global insurtech organization Bolttech has acquired Nairobi-based digital insurance platform mTek, marking significant consolidation in East Africa's rapidly expanding insurtech market and setting the stage for wider regional expansion.

• mTek, founded in 2019, operates a fully digital platform for comparing, buying, and managing insurance policies, partnering with major underwriters like GA Insurance, Sanlam, and Britam.
• The acquisition integrates mTek's technology into Bolttech's global embedded insurance ecosystem, as stated by Stephan Tan, Chief Executive Officer for EMEA at Bolttech.
• mTek's CEO Bente Krogmann will remain in place to oversee East African operations, with the company expected to rebrand following the acquisition.

The Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK) has launched an online portal for registering engineering projects, aiming to enhance professionalism and oversight in the construction sector. This move seeks to ensure all projects are properly designed and supervised, addressing concerns about unapproved and substandard constructions.

• The EBK Chief Executive Officer Eng. Margaret Ogai announced the new Engineers Project Registration Portal, requiring engineers to register projects and obtain a unique number before county approvals.
• EBK has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Construction Authority (NCA) and the Board of Registration of Architects and Quantity Surveyors (BORAQS) to facilitate information exchange and enforce design and supervision standards.
• Eng. Ogai condemned private developers for often failing to employ registered engineers for designs and not securing proper approvals or permits from the NCA, leading to substandard buildings.
• ACEK President Eng. Jane Mutulili emphasized the importance of consulting engineers for projects like roads, buildings, and water services, asserting their commitment to safety, resilience, and longevity.
• ACEK Future Leaders Chairperson Mike Jomo highlighted mentorship and training programs for youth and upcoming engineers to bolster skills in STEM fields.