Business & Economy
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NCBA, Zoho and Stanchart Expand Business and Skill Development Programs in East Africa
NCBA Bank is bolstering its support for Kenyan small and medium enterprises (SMEs) through an expanded Enterprise Development Programme run in partnership with Strathmore Business School. This initiative aims to equip businesses with crucial skills for sustainable growth. Similarly, Zoho is expanding its Young Creators Program (YCP) across East Africa to address the growing digital skills gap by offering hands-on training in low-code application development. In a separate initiative, Standard Chartered Bank has partnered with CFOs East Africa to enhance wealth and risk management capabilities among Chief Financial Officers and senior finance professionals. This collaboration builds on the bank's sponsorship of the annual CFOs East Africa Awards 2025 and introduces an advisory pathway for managing corporate and personal assets.
Regulators Fine Directline Assurance and DTB; Petitioners Appeal High Court Seed Law Ruling
The Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK) has fined Directline Assurance Company Limited 85 million Kenyan Shillings for abusing its buyer power against two small motor vehicle repair firms, Kilele Motors Limited and Midland Autocare Limited. In a separate regulatory action, the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) fined Diamond Trust Bank (DTB) Kenya and its Uganda subsidiary a combined Sh500,000 for breaching Kenya's Data Protection Act, 2019, following a complaint about mishandling customer data. Meanwhile, in a legal matter, a coalition of 15 petitioners, including smallholder farmers and Greenpeace Africa, have filed an appeal against a High Court decision. The petitioners contest the ruling that overturned significant sections of Kenya's Seed and Plant Varieties Act.
