The European Union has fined Google €890 million for allegedly abusing its market dominance by favouring its own apps and services over rivals.

• The fine includes €460 million for favouring its own flight and hotel booking services and €430 million for its Play Store rules.
• This marks the European Commission's first major action against Google under the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA).
• Google criticized the decision, stating the EU's requirements could damage services used by millions of European customers.

Manufacturing, distribution, and financial services led Kenya's merger activity in the 2024/25 financial year, accounting for over half of all applications filed with the Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK).

• The CAK received a total of 128 merger-related applications.
• Manufacturing represented 23.5 percent of all filings, followed by distribution at 17.6 percent and finance and insurance at 11.8 percent.
• CAK Director General David Kemei emphasized the authority's role in preventing mergers that could lessen competition or harm consumers.

Kenya's government is championing Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a pivotal force for boosting productivity, innovation, and competitiveness among its micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

• The government has developed a national AI strategy to facilitate business adoption for increased efficiency and new economic opportunities.
• Key stakeholder: Principal Secretary Susan Auma Mang’eni, representing the State Department for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development.
• Kenya's established digital ecosystem, with widespread mobile technology, positions it favorably to leverage AI integration across industries.