A court has halted the Kenya-US health deal over data breach concerns, even as President Ruto defends it and Uganda signs a similar 297 billion Kenyan Shillings agreement with the US. Ruto also urged global leaders for a fair green transitionamid Kenya's drought emergency. The National Treasury withdrew a controversial Public Finance Bill and set strict deadlines for timely county employee salary payments. COTU urged private security firms to implement a 30,000 Kenyan Shillings minimum wage, while Lang'ata MP Jalang'o led protests against planned Affordable Housing Project evictions.
The 2025 Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) results for over 1.13 million learners have been officially released. Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba announced that the results are now available online to streamline dissemination under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC). Parents and guardians can access the results online or via SMS to facilitate the transition of learners to Senior Schools. In this year's assessment, girls significantly outperformed boys, excelling in 10 out of 12 subjects. This marks a notable gender gap, with girls showing particular strength in languages and humanities.
A recent report from the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) for Q1 FY 2025/26 highlighted significant trends across the telecommunications and broadcasting sectors. The report found that Kenya's SIM penetration reached 149.4%, with Safaricom's M-PESA service commanding almost 90% of the mobile money market. In data, the average Kenyan 5G user now consumes 40GB per month. Domestic mobile voice traffic grew to 29.93 billion minutes, with Airtel users becoming increasingly talkative, while SMS traffic declined to 14.66 billion messages. Fixed broadband subscriptions also expanded, reaching 2.29 million, a 6.9% quarterly increase, with Safaricom leading the fixed internet market. Additionally, the broadcasting sector rebounded, as GOtv and DStv recorded significant subscription increases.
Kenya misses over 685 billion shillings in annual exports due to structural weaknesses. CBK Governor Thugge dismisses forex intervention claims as the shilling stabilizes, attributing it to stronger economic fundamentals. The new VASP Act boosts crypto interest, but experts warn of volatility. President Ruto links tourism growth to digitization and touts the Bomas Centre to enhance Kenya's MICE sector.
Larry Madowo denies claims of being paid to tarnish the Tanzanian government. Corazon Kwamboka reveals early menopause due to endometriosis treatment. Maverick Aoko announces pregnancy. Julie Gichuru shares a family moment with her tall son.
President Ruto directs CSs to lead his 2027 re-election campaigns, aiming for two million additional votes. The united opposition, led by Kalonzo and Gachagua, criticizes Ruto's "constitutional shortcuts" and electoral scheme, while Gachagua cautions against infiltration attempts. Meanwhile, former Governor Sonko launched his new party, NEDP, ahead of 2027 polls.
Bandari FC sack head coach and assistant amidst club restructuring. KCB Bank face Kenya Prisons in the KVF Women’s National League season opener. Harambee Starlets climb 7 places in FIFA rankings. KPA advance to WBLA quarter-finals. The Abbas Khalif Cup enters its decisive stage in Lang'ata.
Airtel Money partners with I&M Bank to expand digital payment options for customers. Meanwhile, Fincra will be the headline supporter for Africa Tech Summit Nairobi 2026.
A court has halted the Kenya-US health deal over data breach concerns, though President Ruto defends it, citing strong data protection laws. This comes as Uganda signs a similar 297 billion Kenyan Shillings health agreement with the US. Elsewhere, President Ruto urged global leaders for a fair green transition amid Kenya's drought emergency. The National Treasury withdrew a controversial Public Finance Bill after a summit directive, while also setting strict deadlines for timely payment of county employee salaries by the third of each month. COTU urged private security firms to implement a 30,000 Kenyan Shillings minimum wage. Finally, Lang'ata MP Jalang'o led protests against planned evictions for the Affordable Housing Project.
The Ministry of Interior has announced stringent security and traffic measures for Kenya's 62nd Jamhuri Day celebrations on Friday at Nyayo National Stadium. Access gates will open at 5:00 am, and guests are expected to be seated by 7:00 am amid heightened security. Attendees have been warned against displaying expensive electronics or jewelry to prevent theft. As part of preparations, police announced that significant road closures will be implemented in Nairobi's Central Business District (CBD) on Friday, December 12. KeNHA also confirmed that several key roads in the CBD and around Nyayo Stadium will be closed for the event.
The National and County Governments Coordinating Summit has implemented a new resolution mandating prompt salary payments for county employees to end chronic delays. Deputy President Kithure Kindiki mandated that the National Treasury must disburse all county personnel salaries by the third day of every month. County governments were also directed to settle all statutory deductions by the ninth day of each month. Following a separate directive from the same summit, the National Treasury has withdrawn the Public Finance Management (Amendment) Bill, 2025 from Parliament. The bill had aimed to reform rules governing county funding.
The Independent Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU) has sounded an alarm over a surge in human rights violations, deeming 2025 one of Kenya's worst years and classifying the country as a repressed state. A recent report projects 2025 will be the worst year for human rights violations, particularly by security officers. Alarming reports also show a significant increase in gender-based violence, with one study revealing that a large majority of female homicides occur within the home. The murder of women significantly increased last year, with young people primarily involved. Furthermore, human rights defenders in Garissa are warning of an increase in sexual violence in northeastern Kenya, and other statistics show a significant rise in violence against girls this year.
The High Court has temporarily suspended the implementation of the Kenya-United States Health Cooperation Agreement, which was signed on December 4, 2025. Following the suspension, President William Ruto has passionately defended the health sector cooperation agreement. President Ruto reassured Kenyans that their health data will not be transferred to the United States and dismissed allegations that Kenya sold the data. Additionally, the president clarified that financial support from the United States associated with the deal does not constitute a loan and that Kenya is not incurring any new debt.
The United States government is set to deport 15 Kenyans, labeling them as "dangerous criminals." This action is reported to be part of the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration. The individuals face charges ranging from robbery with violence to drug trafficking and driving under the influence. According to reports, dozens of Kenyans residing in the United States are facing potential deportation. In a related development, several other Kenyans who are facing arrest warrants in the United States may also be deported as authorities seek their repatriation.
Kenya is pushing for the passage of the Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) Bill, 2023, to guarantee essential health services and accelerate progress towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC). This legislation is aimed at addressing persistently high maternal and child mortality rates. In a separate development, the High Court of Kenya has temporarily suspended the implementation of a $1.6bn Kenya–US Health Cooperation Framework, citing data privacy concerns. Concurrently, the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) is seeking a private investor to develop an ultra-modern medical training complex for its College of Health Sciences. This project is planned to be executed through a Design-Build-Finance-Maintain-Transfer (DBFMT) public-private partnership.
Kenya's new Virtual Assets Service Providers (VASP) Act, 2025, is boosting crypto interest, with the law aiming to regulate activities under the Capital Markets Authority (CMA) and the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK). In another regulatory move, the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) is enhancing collaboration with the private sector to streamline tax processes and create a predictable business environment. On the financing front, the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has finalized a $150 million (Sh19.3 billion) financing agreement with KCB Bank Kenya. This package is designed to significantly boost KCB's green lending initiatives and reinforce its trade finance operations, addressing capital demands in climate-aligned sectors.
