Kenya Airways has unveiled a new onboard shopping service in Nairobi through a five-year partnership with Safari Duty Free ahead of its 1 Nov 2026 launch.

The airline announced the arrangement on 30 Oct 2026 and said it would introduce a mobile-friendly webstore and expand its product catalogue.

Kenya Airways Chief Commercial and Customer Officer Julius Thairu said, “Duty-free is an important part of the Kenya Airways customer journey.”

The partnership links a Nairobi-headquartered retail group to Kenya Airways’ international passenger network and extends its onboard shopping service to online pre-orders.

The airline said prices would be up to 15 per cent lower than those at airport duty-free shops.

Its announcement did not identify the airport shops or products used for that comparison.

Customers will also receive a five per cent launch discount on all webstore products until 30 Nov 2026 according to the airline.

The webstore will let passengers browse and compare products before placing orders from home or on the move.

Kenya Airways said purchases would be delivered directly to passengers’ seats onboard.

The pre-order window will open 40 days before departure and close 72 hours before the flight.

The airline said the service would include order tracking and round-the-clock customer support with cabin crew providing assistance onboard.

The product selection will cover international brands, luxury goods, lifestyle items, travel exclusives and gifts according to the announcement.

Safari Duty Free will manage and operate the airline’s inflight duty-free retail programme throughout the five-year arrangement.

Its responsibilities will include brand partnerships, product selection, merchandising, digital retail integration and customer service delivery.

Safari Duty Free Managing Director Vivek Mehra said, “We are proud to partner with Kenya Airways at such an exciting moment for inflight retail.”

The arrangement gives Safari Duty Free responsibility for both the product offering and the digital shopping service across the airline’s programme.

The announcement did not disclose the contract value or revenue-sharing terms between the two companies.

Kenya Airways said its network covers 42 destinations worldwide including 35 in Africa.

The airline belongs to the SkyTeam Alliance and operates through its hub at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi.

Safari Duty Free forms part of Safari Group of Companies whose businesses cover domestic retail, diplomatic retail and travel retail.

The group is headquartered in Nairobi according to the company background accompanying the announcement.

Kenya Airways said customers could access the webstore at www.dutyfree.kenya-airways.com ahead of the service launch on 1 Nov 2026.

Zoho announced AI agent capabilities for its Analytics platform in Nairobi on 28 Oct 2026 to connect business data with automated workflows and decision-making.

For Kenyan businesses using several applications, the update could bring information into one system for analysis without requiring a separate data platform.

Veerakumar Natarajan, Country Head at Zoho Kenya said AI agents need business context alongside data to support business operations.

He said “a strong data foundation is the starting point for all agentic activity in business operations”.

Zoho said the update introduces tools that help AI agents interpret company terminology and metrics before producing insights or taking actions.

The platform's semantic layer acts as a business glossary.

It gives agents common definitions for terms and measures used across an organisation.

Its ontology layer maps relationships between business entities to help agents understand how different parts of an organisation connect.

Zoho said businesses can manage these models within Analytics without buying a separate data platform or cloud data warehouse.

Ask Zia is the platform's conversational interface.

It now coordinates specialised agents for analysis and visualisation.

These agents also handle data preparation, modelling, coding and actions.

The company said users can move from questions to analysis and workflows through one interface that retains the context of their requests.

Businesses can also create custom agents using their own data and knowledge bases alongside connections to external tools.

Zoho said it is adding more than 30 data connectors to the more than 500 already available.

The additions support Zoho applications and third-party services including SAP, PayPal, Adobe Commerce, Twilio and Notion.

Departments can create separate semantic models so finance and operations teams work with definitions suited to their functions.

The company said its workflow builder allows agents to trigger business processes directly from insights generated by the platform.

Developers can extend these functions through a Model Context Protocol server and a Claude plug-in or embed agents in their own applications.

Zoho said administrators can track agent activity and data access as well as monitor AI usage and costs across teams.

Testing tools allow teams to check agents before deployment and restore earlier versions when required.

These controls could help Kenyan businesses assess automated workflows before using them in daily operations.

Zoho said pricing remains unchanged.

Each plan now includes credits for its large language model.

The Basic plan starts at Ksh2,160 per month when billed annually and covers two users, 500,000 rows and 10,000 Zoho LLM credits.

The company said 100,000 businesses worldwide use Zoho Analytics daily across cloud and on-premises deployments.

Cloud updates are available now, according to Zoho.

Preview versions of reporting tools and the ontology and semantic models are scheduled for global rollout within four to eight weeks.

Zoho said updates for the on-premises version will be available in the first quarter of 2027.

LG Electronics brought service professionals from seven countries to Nairobi for a skills competition to strengthen regional after-sales support through practical assessments.

LG's release dated 28 Oct 2026 said participants came from Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Ethiopia.

Participants also came from Somalia, Zambia and South Sudan.

“Investing in our people and strengthening their technical capabilities are important to our long-term business success,” said LG Electronics East Africa Chief Financial Officer Sisung Jin.

The competition matters to Kenya's technical training sector because it connects workplace assessments with the repair and customer service skills employers need.

Kenya recorded 193,156 graduates across registered Technical and Vocational Education and Training institutions in 2022, according to the labour ministry's 2025 skills survey.

The Ministry of Labour and Social Protection published the figures in its Skills Training and Labour Institutions Survey 2025.

The release also cited the International Labour Organization's findings on persistent gaps between workers' training and employers' requirements.

LG said the Olympiad tested participants' ability to diagnose faults, carry out repairs, solve technical problems and provide customer support.

The assessments covered four categories: Media Solution, Home Solution, Residential Air Conditioner and Moment of Truth.

LG described Moment of Truth as the initial installation stage when homeowners establish whether a newly purchased appliance fits.

The competition combined practical technical tests with evaluations of customer interaction and consultation.

These requirements extend technicians' responsibilities beyond repairs to the advice and support customers receive when appliances enter their homes.

For Kenya's consumer electronics market, the assessments connect technical competence with after-sales support across the retail and distribution network.

The release said service professionals need expertise across increasingly sophisticated home appliances, entertainment systems and air-conditioning technologies.

It also linked the quality of after-sales support to customer confidence in products and the wider sales network.

“We recognise that the customer experience extends beyond purchasing a product,” said Opalnet CEO Rakesh Singh.

LG said top-performing participants received recognition for technical competence and problem-solving abilities alongside their commitment to service quality.

The awards included certificates, trophies, medals and LG products such as refrigerators, televisions and washing machines.

The release identified James Kimeu, Michael Ojwang and Daniel Chege as the overall finalists.

LG said the event gave service professionals from participating countries an opportunity to demonstrate their capabilities against common standards.

The Nairobi competition forms part of LG's global Service Olympics programme that began in 2002.

The programme expanded internationally in 2018 to include customer interaction and consultation alongside technical assessments.

NBO Film Festival has announced its 2026 winners at Nairobi’s Prestige Cinema following a 10-day programme that awarded six industry prizes to four film projects.

The awards matter to Kenya’s film industry because they support projects across development, production, post-production and distribution.

“Cinema for Us means giving African films a place in our public life,” said festival co-founder and artistic director Mbithi Masya.

The organisers said the seventh edition introduced three dedicated juried competitions and screened 53 films across multiple Nairobi venues.

The programme added a downtown screening venue and expanded its industry activities to three days.

Tithes and Offerings received three of the six industry prizes awarded through the NBO Project Showcase.

The fiction feature won the Bigger Motion Distribution Award for fiction, the Same But Different Development Award and the Kenya Grips and Sparks Production Award.

Tony Koros wrote and directed the project while Tony Kamau and Louise Kamwangi produced it.

Second Term received the Africa Post Office Post Production Award.

Joan Njeri and Karanja Ng’endo directed the documentary while Njeri also produced it.

Amebakisha won the Bigger Motion Distribution Award for non-fiction.

Valentine Zikki directed the documentary and Eddah Kiruhi produced it.

The NBO Film Festival Development Award went to The One with the Tempered Flower.

Neema Ngelime directed the documentary and Ivy Kiru produced it.

The release did not disclose the monetary value or specific support attached to the six industry awards.

Rwandan film Ben’Imana won the Fiction Feature Jury Prize under director Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo.

The jury praised its examination of the legacy of the genocide against the Tutsi.

Lady received a Special Commendation for director Olive Nwosu’s artistic risk-taking.

The Women Who Poked the Leopard won the inaugural Nick Wambugu Documentary Award under director Patience Nitumwesiga.

The award honours the late Kenyan documentary filmmaker Nick Wambugu.

Crocodile received a Special Mention for the work of directors The Critics and Pietra Brettkelly.

God Sleeps on Sunday won the Short Film Jury Prize under director Naishe Nyamubaya.

The jury also awarded a Special Mention to Gift Kyansimire Oroni’s The Big Sad Nairobi 2 and recognised its use of animation.

The festival posthumously awarded its Vanguard Prize to Yahya Chavanga for his contribution to East African film production over more than three decades.

Chavanga worked as a location manager, assistant director and actor.

Senegalese filmmaker Alain Gomis attended the festival’s first filmmaker retrospective and delivered a masterclass with support from European Union National Institutes for Culture.

NBO Industry Days ran from 21 to 23 Oct 2026 and addressed financing, distribution, safer sets, intimacy coordination and post-production.

Founded in 2017, NBO Film Festival is a Nairobi-based platform that develops audiences for Kenyan, African and international films.

Kenya Airways Cargo said it flew more than 50 cattle from Nairobi to Lagos in its first cattle charter as it expands specialised freight services.

The airline announced the shipment on 27 Oct 2026 as part of its push into higher-value cargo markets beyond conventional general freight.

The operation connects Kenya’s livestock trade with West Africa through specialised air transport and supports the airline’s ambition to develop Nairobi’s freight gateway role.

“Live animal shipments require meticulous planning, specialised handling and close coordination throughout the journey,” said Kenya Airways Cargo Director Fitsum Abadi.

The airline said the dedicated charter departed from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi and arrived at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.

Kenya Airways Cargo handled the animals through its KQ Live product designed for shipments requiring specific handling procedures and environmental controls.

The airline said these controls include temperature regulation and ventilation measures intended to support animal welfare during transit.

It said the charter required tailored logistics planning and operational coordination alongside adherence to applicable animal transport regulations.

Abadi said the maiden Lagos operation demonstrated the airline’s ability to respond to complex cargo requirements across Africa.

He said the shipment reinforced Kenya Airways Cargo’s commitment to supporting intra-African trade through flexible and reliable cargo services.

The airline said its broader cargo strategy involves expanding capacity and developing specialised freight segments beyond its conventional general cargo business.

Its target segments include pharmaceuticals, perishables, dangerous goods, live animals and e-commerce shipments.

Kenya Airways said each segment requires specific handling capabilities and regulatory compliance alongside reliable operations.

The airline aims to diversify revenue streams and improve cargo yields through these services rather than relying solely on general freight.

It also wants to strengthen Nairobi’s position as a regional gateway for high-value shipments moving through its hub.

Kenya Airways said specialised services would help distinguish its cargo business in an increasingly competitive freight market.

The airline said customers in this market value shipment integrity and reliable delivery alongside visibility throughout the transport process.

It said the Nairobi to Lagos operation points to opportunities for commercial links between East and West Africa.

Those opportunities concern goods requiring controlled handling and time-sensitive transport according to the airline’s statement.

Kenya Airways said additional widebody aircraft capacity and strategic partnerships are expected to support its broader cargo expansion plans.

The airline belongs to the SkyTeam Alliance and serves 42 destinations worldwide including 35 in Africa according to its company profile.

Crown Paints Kenya has opened a Kisii depot to serve 15 South Nyanza towns as construction demand spreads beyond Kenya's major urban centres.

In a statement dated 23 Oct 2026, the company said the facility would serve dealers and contractors supplying residential, commercial and institutional projects.

"Kenya's construction market is no longer concentrated in major cities," Crown Paints Group Chief Executive Officer Mustafa Turra said.

The investment matters to Kenya's building materials market because it targets construction demand in growing towns rather than the country's main cities.

Turra officially launched the depot.

He addressed dealers about the company's decision to invest in emerging construction centres across the region.

"Growing towns are creating significant opportunities for investment in housing, commercial developments and supporting infrastructure," Turra said.

The company identified Kisii, Nyamira, Oyugis, Homa Bay and Mbita among the markets that the new distribution facility will serve.

Crown Paints said the depot would improve product availability and reduce customers' reliance on supplies from distant distribution points such as Kisumu.

The expected change concerns access to specialised coatings and building finishes.

Customers would access these products closer to their residential and commercial projects.

The company also identified property developers as customers for the facility.

These customers would join dealers and contractors working across the wider South Nyanza region.

For these customers, the intended benefit is a nearer supply point rather than continued dependence on distribution facilities outside their immediate market.

The company presented better availability as an expected outcome but did not provide delivery targets or quantify the anticipated improvement.

The statement also did not disclose the depot's investment cost.

It did not disclose its capacity.

Turra said the investment reflected a deliberate shift towards emerging construction centres where demand for building materials was creating business opportunities.

He said the Kisii depot would help Crown Paints capture that demand and strengthen local dealers' capacity to participate in regional growth.

The dealer focus places distribution at the centre of the investment.

The company seeks customers undertaking different types of building projects.

Crown Paints said the Kisii opening formed part of its strategy to pursue regional growth centres and strengthen its position in paints and coatings.

The company linked the investment to its recent opening of a Crown Paints Xperience Centre in Machakos County.

That centre targets the county's residential and commercial construction market as Crown Paints expands its presence beyond Kenya's major urban centres.

MUA Insurance operates a digital motor insurance calculator in Kenya to give motorists immediate premium estimates as customers increasingly seek financial services online.

John Wachira is MUA Insurance’s Distribution Manager for Regions and Bancassurance and Business Development.

In an article submitted for publication, Wachira said Kenyan motorists increasingly expect to understand insurance options without first visiting an office or making several calls.

“This is increasingly how consumers interact with other financial and commercial services,” Wachira said.

The shift matters to Kenyan motorists because an earlier indication of insurance costs can inform vehicle purchases and policy renewals.

Wachira said the calculator takes information supplied by motorists about their vehicles and processes it to produce a premium estimate online.

The tool uses a statistical pricing approach known as a Generalized Linear Model or GLM to determine premiums from the information provided.

Wachira said insurers widely use these models to analyse factors affecting risk and apply the relationships they identify to pricing.

Customers do not need to understand the mathematics behind the model to obtain an estimate through the calculator.

“The GLM technology supports the pricing process,” Wachira said.

He said integration with MUA’s core insurance infrastructure connects the online quotation process with the insurer’s underlying policy and underwriting processes.

The calculator therefore forms part of a wider insurance process rather than serving only as a separate tool for estimating costs.

Wachira said buying motor insurance traditionally required motorists to find an insurer or broker before waiting for a vehicle review and quotation.

Customers would then decide whether to proceed after receiving the proposed price through that process.

The digital calculator changes the quotation stage by giving customers an indication of cost without waiting for someone to prepare it manually.

Wachira said a prospective vehicle buyer may want to establish the insurance cost before completing a purchase.

A motorist approaching renewal may also want an indication of the premium for the coming year.

Other customers may use the calculator while exploring different insurance options before deciding whether to buy.

For these motorists, earlier quotations could move cost comparisons closer to the beginning of their insurance decisions.

Wachira said MUA designed the calculator to support movement from initial interest through quotation to purchase.

He described the intended online process as one where customers discover a product and obtain information before calculating costs and completing a transaction.

MUA’s calculator links the quotation stage to the insurer’s wider systems supporting policy and underwriting processes.

Kenya Airways has signed a partnership with Art of Luxury at GTC Mall to link its loyalty programme with shopping and lifestyle experiences.

The agreement includes a bulk purchase of five million Asante Rewards points and joint marketing across selected airline channels according to the release.

“The partners will also explore exclusive luxury experiences for the airline’s premium customers,” the press release said.

The partnership matters to Kenya’s business landscape because it connects airline customer loyalty with retail marketing through a single commercial agreement.

The release identified Art of Luxury as a premium retail destination bringing together international luxury brands.

Kenya Airways will promote the retailer through airport advertising, its in-flight magazine, digital content, email communications and video.

These placements form the marketing component of an agreement that also brings the airline’s Asante Rewards programme into the retail partnership.

The release said the collaboration was expected to strengthen brand visibility and expand opportunities for customer engagement.

It also said the agreement would support the growth of Asante Rewards and create opportunities for future joint campaigns.

The signing took place at the recently opened Art of Luxury shop at GTC Mall according to the supplied image caption.

The caption identified Habil Waswani as Kenya Airways’ Acting Group Managing Director and CEO at the signing ceremony.

It also identified Mahesh Shahani as Art of Luxury’s CEO and pictured him alongside Waswani during the signing.

The release did not provide direct comments from either executive on the agreement’s commercial terms or expected business returns.

The five million points purchase is the only quantified element disclosed in the announcement and provides no indication of the partnership’s monetary value.

The release did not identify the purchaser of the points or explain how customers would receive or use them under the agreement.

That leaves the customer offer less defined than the marketing plan through the airline’s communications and advertising channels.

For Art of Luxury the agreement provides promotion through Kenya Airways channels rather than a retail-only approach to reaching customers.

For Kenya Airways the stated objectives centre on customer engagement and growth of its existing loyalty programme through a retail relationship.

The announcement did not specify the international brands involved or identify particular products that would feature in the proposed shopping experiences.

The partners described premium customer experiences as an area to explore rather than announcing a completed package available to travellers.

Future joint campaigns remain part of the partnership’s stated scope but the release provided no launch date or implementation timetable.

Crimson Multimedia will release Call Me Queen in East African cinemas on 30 Oct 2026 following the film's Kenyan premiere in Nairobi.

The release matters to Kenya's film industry because it gives a production involving local talent both regional cinema distribution and an online outlet.

The film premiered at Prestige Cinema on Ngong Road during the NBO Film Festival on 17 Oct 2026 according to the release.

“This film deserves to be watched widely,” said Trushna Buddhdev-Patel, managing director of Crimson Multimedia and co-founder of YAKWETU.

Cinema screenings will cover Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda before an online release through YAKWETU from 13 Nov 2026.

Buddhdev-Patel said the online release would serve audiences beyond the reach of cinemas.

The distribution plan combines a regional theatrical run with access through a Kenya-based digital platform rather than relying on cinemas alone.

According to the release, more than 150 Kenyan cast and crew members worked on the international production.

Director Emily Atef attended the Nairobi premiere alongside German producer Gian Piero Ringel and lead Rwandan-French actress Eliane Umuhire.

Kenyan actors at the event included Nice Githinji, Helen Keli, Peter Kawa, Michelle Tiren and Lwanda Jawar Kotengo.

Umuhire plays Queen Achungo opposite Irish actress Denise Gough in a story set in Nairobi during the 1990s HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Queen is a Rwandan refugee and single mother living in Korogocho who becomes a housekeeper for an international journalist in an affluent suburb.

Their relationship develops into a friendship as Queen's HIV diagnosis brings her into a struggle for access to life-saving medication.

The story examines poverty and pharmaceutical patents alongside the unequal access to healthcare that shapes the characters' lives.

“Her strength, humour, fearlessness and innate intelligence is what makes her a born leader,” director Emily Atef said.

The screenplay draws on veteran foreign correspondent Lara Santoro's novel Mercy and was inspired by true events according to the release.

Atef wrote the screenplay with Kenyan-Ghanaian screenwriter Hawa Essuman, German filmmaker Josune Hahnheiser and British writer Jeannine Dominy.

The production companies include Ringel Film, Les Films Pelléas, Cowboy Films and Streetcar Productions.

The film is dedicated to Kenyan film and television producer Appie Matere who worked on the project with Ascent Films before her death.

Crimson Multimedia's previous Kenyan distribution work includes Nairobi Half Life, Rafiki, Softie, Supa Modo and Kati Kati according to the company.

The distributors are seeking partners for impact screenings addressing HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment alongside equal healthcare access and women's empowerment.

The regional cinema release begins on 30 Oct 2026 before YAKWETU starts online distribution on 13 Nov 2026.

NBO Film Festival is screening 54 films across Nairobi during its seventh edition as an expanded industry programme offers filmmakers buyer meetings and development funding.

Organisers said in a release dated 22 Oct 2026 that the programme includes 33 features and 21 shorts.

NBO Film Festival artistic director Mbithi Masya said the event was about “building a deeper culture of cinema”.

The industry programme matters to Kenya’s film business because it connects selected projects with international buyers and festival scouts.

Organisers said participants in the NBO Project Showcase will pitch projects to industry professionals and attend one-on-one meetings.

Selected projects will also be eligible for the Ksh250,000 NBO Development Grant under the expanded industry programme.

The release did not specify the number of participating projects.

It also gave no announcement date for the grant recipient.

The festival opened on 15 Oct 2026 at Prestige Cinema in Nairobi with the Rwandan feature Ben’Imana.

Organisers said the screening marked the film’s African premiere and brought its cast together to watch it for the first time.

The Kenya and Germany production Call Me Queen screened as a special presentation on 17 Oct 2026.

This year’s theme is Cinema for Us.

The programme runs at Prestige Plaza, Unseen Cinema and Alliance Française Nairobi.

Free community screenings are also available at Kaloleni Social Hall through advance registration.

Organisers said single screening tickets start at Ksh1,000.

Lunchbox screenings cost Ksh750.

The Buddy Ticket costs Ksh4,000 for five tickets and the Box Set offers five different films at the same price.

A Golden Ticket covering the full festival programme costs Ksh20,000.

Tickets are available through Mookh.

The festival has three juried competitions covering 15 films across fiction features, documentaries and short fiction.

The returning Fiction Feature Film Competition is joined by the new Nick Wambugu Prize for Documentary and Short Film Fiction Competition.

Judy Kibinge chairs the fiction feature jury.

Sam Soko chairs the documentary jury.

Lydia Matata chairs the short fiction jury alongside a panel of filmmakers and industry professionals.

Kenyan titles elsewhere in the programme include Cards on the Table, Kamĩrĩĩthũ Afterlives, Stero and Tracks.

The festival is also presenting its first filmmaker retrospective dedicated to Senegalese director Alain Gomis.

The European Union National Institutes for Culture supports the retrospective featuring Félicité, Rewind & Play, Tey, L’Afrance and Andalucia.

Organisers said Gomis would attend audience and industry events during the festival.

The wider industry programme includes labs and professional exchanges alongside filmmaker conversations and City Dialogues.

The festival closes on 25 Oct 2026.

Call Me Queen begins its East African theatrical release on 30 Oct 2026.