Business & Economy
Featured News Stories
Safaricom Raises Sh20bn from Green Bond Amid Corporate Sustainability Initiatives
Safaricom's debut green bond was significantly oversubscribed, attracting Sh41.4 billion against a target of Sh15 billion. The telecommunications firm will take up Sh20 billion, which is the maximum allowed in this first tranche, after exercising a Sh5 billion greenshoe option. Green bonds are an investment tool for financing environmentally friendly projects, such as renewable energy and clean transport. In other sustainability efforts, Ibis Styles Nairobi Westlands has launched The Green Room, a fully solar-powered events space to reduce the hotel's carbon footprint. Additionally, Ampersand Energy has launched Africa's first open battery-swap network for third-party electric motorcycle manufacturers in a bid to accelerate electric transportation.
Concerns Raised Over Digital Access, Data Privacy, and Biometric IDs
The Consumers Federation of Kenya (Cofek) has raised concerns regarding the US–Kenya Health Cooperation Framework, citing potential data-privacy and sovereignty risks for Kenyans. In a separate issue concerning digital rights, a new report by the African Digital Rights Network (ADRN) warns that millions of Africans are being locked out of essential services due to the imposition of biometric digital-ID systems, which raise significant privacy and access concerns. Addressing another form of digital barrier, Nairobi-based advocate Francis Wanjiku has petitioned Chief Justice Martha Koome to remove geo-restrictions on the Judiciary’s e-filing and cause-list portals. Wanjiku argues that the current system disadvantages millions of Kenyans living or traveling abroad. Cofek is pushing for stronger safeguards and consumer representation to be included in the health agreement's governance.
