Pwani Oil Commercial Director Rajul Malde has urged manufacturers in Kenya to rethink cleaning product pricing as households prioritise purchases they consider essential.

In an opinion article submitted for publication, Malde said manufacturers risk misreading demand when they treat all household cleaning products as equally replaceable.

“Products households consider essential behave differently from softeners and fragrance lines,” Malde said.

The distinction matters to Kenyan manufacturers because irregular household earnings shape purchasing decisions at kiosks and other retail outlets in Malde’s account.

Malde said roughly 84 per cent of Kenya’s workforce earns a living informally, citing the latest Economic Survey without identifying its year.

He said households without fixed monthly incomes repeatedly decide which purchases need protecting and which can wait until money becomes available.

His argument centres on the difference between products linked to household hygiene and those bought mainly for fragrance or softness.

Malde said families may reduce spending on fragrances and softeners before cutting products they consider necessary for children’s bathrooms or food preparation areas.

He used imagined households in Kayole and Karen to illustrate how different budgets can produce similar priorities rather than presenting surveyed families.

In the Kayole example, the household buys a smaller soap bar to match its weekly budget but continues to purchase bleach.

The Karen household retains its larger packs but becomes more selective about spending on softeners and fragrances in his illustration.

Malde said these choices can escape manufacturers who focus on sales volumes and basket sizes without examining what customers refuse to cut.

He also cited detergent prices as evidence of the pressure facing shoppers who continue buying within the cleaning category.

The article attributed a price of Ksh254.80 for a 500-gramme detergent pack in August 2026 to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics.

It put the previous month’s price at Ksh252.70 but did not provide sales volume figures to support its argument about continued demand.

Malde said households respond differently where water is scarce, sometimes using one multipurpose bar for laundry and other cleaning tasks.

He said such substitution reflects an effort to protect essential cleaning needs rather than a withdrawal from the category.

For manufacturers and investors, his argument points to different exposure to customer switching within the same cleaning products portfolio.

Malde said products households associate with children’s wellbeing have greater pricing power than fragrance and softener lines.

The article does not provide household survey results or product-level demand measurements to establish the size of that difference.

Malde said manufacturers should build future pricing around those distinctions and compete harder on value where customers are more willing to switch.

Malde is the Commercial Director at Pwani Oil Products Limited.

Kenya Development Corporation brought together SACCOs and cooperatives in Eldoret on 17 Oct 2026 to explore financing for business expansion across the North Rift.

KDC Director General Norah Ratemo said the corporation wanted to widen its regional financing reach and bring capital closer to viable enterprises.

“We want to deepen this impact by taking development capital even closer to enterprises and communities where opportunities exist,” said Ratemo.

The engagement matters to Kenya’s agricultural economy because KDC is targeting investment beyond primary production into processing and other value-adding activities.

KDC said the meeting brought together businesses and participants across agricultural value chains within the North Rift Economic Bloc (NOREB).

The targeted value chains included dairy, tea, coffee and maize.

They also included wheat, pyrethrum, avocado and livestock.

The corporation said investment opportunities covered aggregation, processing, storage and machinery.

It said opportunities also covered logistics, technology and markets.

KDC said SACCOs and cooperatives provided a route for connecting development finance to farmers and enterprises operating within these value chains.

Its wholesale financing channels capital to micro, small and medium enterprises through financial institutions.

Cooperatives and other viable enterprises can also access direct financing for establishment, expansion, diversification, working capital and equipment.

The corporation said it also invests through equity to support viable businesses and projects requiring patient capital for growth.

These financing options serve enterprises at different stages of growth and with different investment needs according to KDC.

Ratemo said Ksh5.3 billion had already been disbursed under the SAFER Project to support MSMEs across 45 counties.

The release did not specify how much financing would be available to businesses in the North Rift following the Eldoret engagement.

Philip Chebunet called for the revival and strengthening of cooperatives to mobilise farmers and build enterprises that invest in value addition.

“We want to see strong cooperatives that can bring farmers together, build viable enterprises and invest in value addition,” said Chebunet.

He said KDC financing offered an opportunity to strengthen both individual enterprises and the wider cooperative movement.

KDC said investment closer to production areas could help farmers and businesses retain more value from agricultural output within their communities.

The corporation identified county governments as important partners in finding bankable investments and addressing barriers that prevent businesses from attracting capital.

Chebunet called for stronger collaboration between KDC and counties to develop investable projects across agriculture, manufacturing, value addition and other productive sectors.

KDC said SACCOs and cooperatives were asked to turn economic opportunities within their communities into viable projects for financing.

Swiss sportswear brand On and Rolling Stones Africa have opened the Voices in Motion Creative Summit in Nairobi to discuss storytelling and creative-sector opportunities.

The announcement was dated 19 Oct 2026.

On Director of Africa Navalayo Osembo said the initiative aims to “encourage collaboration and support the continued growth and visibility of African creative talent”.

The discussions matter to Kenya because the creative economy provides employment for youth and women according to the release.

The week-long engagement brings together creative industry experts to examine collaboration and investment according to the announcement.

The release cited Kenya National Bureau of Statistics data putting the sector’s contribution at 5.6 per cent of gross domestic product.

The Kenyan government targets 10 per cent according to the release.

It said policy support and institutional reforms would support that target through measures including the Creative Economy Bill and public-private partnerships.

The release gave no deadline for achieving the target.

Across Africa the organisers put the creative sector’s current value at US$60 billion and projected growth to US$200 billion by 2030.

The release did not identify the estimates’ source.

It also gave no assumptions behind the continental forecast.

Organisers linked the sector’s growth opportunities to increasing international recognition of African music, fashion, sport and contemporary culture.

They said these fields increasingly shape global trends.

They also said the fields influence how audiences outside the continent understand Africa.

The summit will examine challenges facing creators and consider how investment can turn talent into sustainable economic opportunities.

Storytelling forms another part of the programme.

It will explore how African perspectives can reach wider audiences through storytelling across sports, music and culture.

Osembo said On wanted to provide an environment for conversations about changing how Africa’s story is told globally.

The organisers said the sector’s broader growth needs include connections between local creators and global audiences.

For Kenyan creatives the business issue raised by the summit is how greater visibility can translate into lasting economic opportunities.

The release presents collaboration and investment as routes towards that goal.

It announces no funding commitments or commercial agreements.

Creators will engage with industry leaders during the week-long programme as organisers seek to build connections across creative fields.

The summit places On’s sportswear business alongside conversations about the links between sport and the wider creative economy.

On began in the Swiss Alps in 2010.

The company sells footwear, apparel and accessories.

On said it operates in more than 80 countries globally.

Pwani Oil Products Limited joined Rotary District 9216 and Kentainers Limited at Embakasi Primary School in Nairobi for a hygiene initiative marking Global Handwashing Day.

The partners held the activity on 15 Oct 2026 through Pwani Oil’s Sawa brand to promote regular handwashing with soap among schoolchildren.

Pwani Oil Products Limited Sales Team Lead Anthony Chege said: “Good hygiene starts with simple everyday habits.”

The initiative matters to Kenya because access to basic handwashing facilities remains limited according to UNICEF figures cited in the release.

Those figures put access to basic handwashing facilities with soap and water at home at 38 per cent of Kenya’s population.

The figure describes household access rather than conditions at Embakasi Primary School where the partners combined education with supplies for hygiene practices.

Sawa distributed soap and educational materials designed for children to reinforce lessons on proper handwashing and personal hygiene within the school.

The company said the materials aimed to make hygiene lessons engaging and memorable for learners as they developed everyday habits.

Kentainers Limited provided water tanks to support the school’s water storage needs for handwashing and other hygiene practices.

Rotary District 9216 supported community engagement and hygiene education as part of the partnership between the companies and the community organisation.

The partners said the collaboration combined hygiene awareness with practical resources that children could use to apply the lessons at school.

Chege said helping children understand handwashing alongside providing resources could encourage a healthier school environment.

The release cited the World Health Organization’s identification of handwashing with soap as an effective way to prevent diarrhoeal disease.

It also cited UNICEF data saying handwashing with soap can reduce the risk of diarrhoeal disease by at least 40 per cent.

That statistic describes the potential health benefit of handwashing rather than a measured result from the Embakasi school activity.

For Kenya’s business sector the initiative illustrates how companies can contribute different products to a shared school hygiene programme.

Pwani Oil’s contribution focused on soap and learning materials whereas Kentainers addressed water storage at the same school.

The arrangement linked hygiene instruction to the availability of soap and water rather than treating education as a standalone activity.

The release did not give the value of the contributions or specify the number of learners reached through the programme.

It also did not provide the number or capacity of the tanks supplied by Kentainers.

Pwani Oil described the school activity in a press release dated 19 Oct 2026.

Air France presented chef Mory Sacko’s Business Class menu at the French Embassy in Nairobi on 15 Oct 2026 as dishes enter service between Nairobi and Paris.

For Kenya’s aviation catering sector, the collaboration involves Nas Servair as Air France-KLM’s lead catering partner in the country.

Air France-KLM regional general manager for East and Southern Africa Joris Holtus said the tasting explained the thinking behind the menu.

“The tasting gave our guests the opportunity to experience the story behind the menu rather than simply hear about it,” Holtus said.

Air France said in its 19 Oct 2026 release that the menu comprises 12 original dishes created for the airline.

The selection includes vegetarian, fish, red meat and poultry options.

The airline said it is introducing the dishes progressively so passengers departing Nairobi can encounter different meals as the menu rotates.

The tasting brought together culinary experts, enthusiasts and influencers to sample selected dishes and learn about their ingredients and preparation.

Air France said guests responded positively to the menu but the release did not include comments from individual reviewers.

Nas Servair regional executive chef Gilles Pommier said the dishes combine African culinary traditions with French cooking techniques.

“Chef Sacko’s dishes genuinely bring together African flavours and culinary traditions with the techniques and refinement of French cuisine,” Pommier said.

Among the dishes is lamb shank confit with spices served alongside Provence-style jus with gnocchi and gboma spinach.

The release describes gboma spinach as a traditional African eggplant species widely cultivated across East, West and Central Africa.

Air France said the Nairobi tasting explored how African ingredients and food traditions inform Sacko’s approach to French cuisine.

Sacko has Senegalese and Malian heritage and runs the Paris restaurant MoSuke.

According to the release, MoSuke received a Michelin star in 2020 shortly after opening.

The airline said his work interprets French and West African culinary traditions through contemporary cooking.

For passengers on the Nairobi route, the change concerns Business Class dining rather than a new flight service.

The collaboration forms part of Air France’s wider work with chefs to incorporate different culinary influences across its international network.

Air France belongs to the Air France-KLM Group alongside KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Transavia.

The group connects more than 300 destinations worldwide with over 500 aircraft, according to the release.

Sacko’s menus are also being introduced in Cotonou, Dakar, Libreville and Lagos under Air France’s 2026 to 2027 programme.

Spotify is rolling out audiobooks in Kenya from 14 Oct 2026 as part of its global expansion into more than 180 markets.

The company said eligible Free and Premium users in Kenya will have access to a catalogue of more than 350,000 titles at launch.

Spotify said its Audiobooks+ plan offers 15 hours of monthly listening for Ksh489 alongside options to purchase additional hours or individual books.

“Books change how we see the world” said Owen Smith, Spotify’s vice president of audiobooks.

The launch gives Kenyan publishers and self-published authors another distribution channel through Spotify for Authors under partnerships the company said are non-exclusive.

Spotify said these authors can upload audiobooks and reach listeners in more than 180 markets through the service.

The platform also provides insights into who listens to their work.

For Kenyan publishing businesses the service offers a route to audiences beyond the domestic market without requiring exclusive audiobook partnerships.

Spotify said its Kenyan catalogue will grow as new partners join and local authors upload their work.

Listeners who exhaust their monthly allowance can buy a 10-hour top-up for Ksh589 or purchase an individual title to keep.

The release does not specify individual book prices or the financial terms available to authors and publishers.

Those terms remain an information gap for Kenyan businesses considering audiobook distribution through the platform.

Spotify said the app includes a dedicated Audiobooks section for searches and browsing alongside recommendations based on listening across music, podcasts and books.

Its Page Match feature lets readers move between print, ebook and audio versions by scanning an ISBN barcode and entering page numbers.

Spotify said more than one million readers have used Page Match and the feature supports over 30 languages.

The company said listening progress is saved across more than 2,000 supported devices so users can continue a book on another device.

Listeners can also download audiobooks for offline use and set a sleep timer to stop playback.

The Kenyan rollout forms part of an expansion from 22 audiobook markets to more than 180 by the end of 2026.

Spotify said the wider rollout will make the catalogue available to more than 750 million people.

The company said monthly audiobook listeners grew nearly 40 per cent over the past year and listening hours rose more than 30 per cent.

Audiobooks+ has gained more than one million subscribers since launching just over a year ago according to Spotify.

The company introduced audiobooks into Premium three years before the Kenyan launch.

Spotify said further catalogue additions in Kenya will follow as publishers join and local authors submit their audiobooks.

LG Electronics is investing in residential service centres and mobile clinics as its East Africa customer service head calls for stronger after-sales support.

Ronald Mitei examined warranty promises in an opinion article about manufactured products.

He compared those promises with the help customers receive after buying appliances.

“Things can sometimes go wrong,” said Ronald Mitei who serves as Head of Customer Service at LG Electronics East Africa.

For Kenyan appliance buyers, the argument centres on whether a warranty translates into practical support when a product fails.

Mitei said LG continues to invest in service centres within residential areas and mobile service clinics where necessary to bring technical support closer.

The article does not specify investment amounts or identify the locations covered by these services.

Mitei said customer service forms part of LG's commitment to buyers rather than an obligation that ends when a sale closes.

“Our relationship with a customer begins when they leave the store with our product,” he said.

He said buyers often spend considerable time researching appliances and comparing features before deciding whether a purchase offers value for money.

That process creates an expectation that the product will deliver the performance that persuaded the customer to buy it.

Mitei said manufacturers recognise those expectations and invest in developing products intended to fulfil their promises.

He said the response to a failure can distinguish one brand from another when manufactured products develop problems.

His article contrasts earlier warranty procedures with what he describes as a less rigorous process today.

Mitei said warranties previously involved detailed terms that customers were expected to read and sign.

He said customers sometimes now receive little more than a warranty card that is hurriedly signed or stamped.

The practical test comes when an appliance fails within its warranty period and its owner seeks help.

Mitei said buyers reasonably expect a prompt repair or a replacement where necessary after such a failure.

He said some customers struggle to have legitimate warranty claims honoured and may abandon products they expected to use for years.

The article provides no figures on disputed claims or the number of customers affected.

Mitei's argument places the handling of faults alongside product features as a consideration for appliance buyers comparing brands.

He said LG aims to keep products working dependably for years when owners handle and maintain them correctly.

LG's service approach combines residential centres with mobile clinics that bring technical support closer to customers where necessary.

Bamburi Cement commissioned a solar-powered borehole and handed over two classrooms in Vipingo on 14 Oct 2026 following consultations on community priorities.

The company said the Kilifi County projects address water needs and expand classroom space at Bureni school for Grade 7 and Grade 8.

Bamburi Cement Plc Chief Executive Officer Geoffrey Ndugwa said the community previously sought help when it decided to “expand Bureni school to include Grade 6”.

The projects matter to Kenya’s business landscape because they connect a cement manufacturer’s community spending with local education and water needs.

Bamburi said the borehole will supply clean water to households and support livestock and small gardens through a solar-powered pumping system.

The company said the system will pump water without fuel or electricity costs.

The release did not disclose the borehole’s capacity or the number of households expected to benefit from the new water supply.

It also did not give a project cost or details of arrangements for maintaining the borehole.

Ndugwa said the two new classrooms have lockers and seats intended to give learners “a comfortable and conducive learning environment”.

He said Bamburi constructed a Grade 6 classroom and donated a water tank last year after the community approached the company.

The latest handover extends that support to two more grades at the same school.

Ndugwa commissioned the projects in the presence of Kilifi South MP Ken Chonga and other local representatives.

Those attending included the Member of County Assembly, the Assistant County Commissioner, an Education ministry representative, the Area Chief and village elders.

Members of Bamburi’s Executive Committee also attended the commissioning and handover.

The company said it identifies projects through consultations with local leaders and residents rather than setting priorities without community input.

Bamburi said its work with the Vipingo community since 2023 includes education sponsorship for 16 students and two free medical camps.

Other activities include a sanitation and hygiene programme and grading community access roads.

The company also said it continues to donate firewood and murram to the community.

The release did not provide a combined value for these activities or a timetable for further projects in Vipingo.

Bamburi said it has operated for 70 years and is a member of Amsons Group.

Its subsidiaries include Bamburi Special Products Ltd, Bamburi Eco Systems Ltd and Diani Estates Ltd.

Amsons Group operates across cement and concrete as well as construction and transport.

Its operations also cover flour and logistics.

Amsons Group was established in Tanzania in 2000.

SBM Bank Kenya announced nine-month pre-tax profit of Ksh911 million in Nairobi on 14 Oct 2026 as customer deposits increased and its bad-loan ratio declined.

The bank’s unaudited statements cover the period ended 30 Sep 2026 and identify the headline profit as the consolidated figure.

The results matter to Kenyan businesses because they show expanding lending alongside efforts to address older problem loans.

“Strong institutions are built through decisions that reinforce one another over time,” SBM Bank Kenya chief executive officer Bhartesh Shah said.

The bank’s press release put pre-tax profit growth at 122 per cent from Ksh411 million in the corresponding period of 2025.

The attached statements show consolidated pre-tax profit of Ksh910.7 million against Ksh412 million a year earlier.

They separately put standalone bank pre-tax profit at Ksh845.4 million compared with Ksh401.3 million in the corresponding period.

According to the statements, standalone profit after tax reached Ksh547.2 million and consolidated profit after tax stood at Ksh591.3 million.

The bank said customer deposits rose 29 per cent year-on-year to Ksh97.3 billion by the end of September.

It said net loans and advances increased 23 per cent to Ksh56.5 billion over the same period.

“The growth in deposits is encouraging because it reflects customer confidence,” Shah said.

The bank said its non-performing loan ratio fell to 16.9 per cent from 32.3 per cent a year earlier.

It said the ratio also declined from 17.3 per cent at 30 Jun 2026 as work continued on its legacy loan book.

The statements nevertheless show gross non-performing loans increased to Ksh9.9 billion in September from Ksh9.7 billion in June.

This distinction shows that a falling bad-loan ratio does not necessarily mean the stock of problem loans has declined.

The bank said loans approved since Shah took office in May 2024 had a non-performing loan ratio of one per cent.

“Our responsibility is to sustain that discipline as the portfolio matures and lending grows,” Shah said.

The statements show the total capital adequacy ratio stood at 15.4 per cent against a minimum statutory requirement of 14.5 per cent.

They also show a liquidity ratio of 47.6 per cent against the statutory minimum of 20 per cent.

The bank said it completed an upgrade to Oracle FLEXCUBE 14.8 and migrated to the iCUST loan-origination platform.

It said its next phase would focus on daily use of these systems to improve credit decisions and turnaround times.

The bank said digital onboarding and mobile-banking improvements remained in progress as it focused on customer adoption and service stability.

Spotify is rolling out audiobooks in Kenya from 14 Oct 2026 as part of a global expansion offering eligible users more than 350,000 titles.

The company said eligible Spotify Free and Premium users can access books alongside music and podcasts already available on the platform.

“Books change how we see the world,” Spotify vice president of audiobooks Owen Smith said.

The launch gives Kenyan publishers and self-published authors another distribution channel through Spotify for Authors and access to listeners beyond the local market.

Spotify said its Audiobooks+ plan offers 15 hours of audiobook listening each month for Ksh489.

Listeners can buy a 10-hour top-up for Ksh589 or purchase an individual title to keep.

The company did not provide individual book prices in its announcement and said pricing and access models vary by market.

Spotify said all its audiobook partnerships are non-exclusive and Kenyan authors can upload their recordings through its publishing platform.

The service also provides publishers and authors with information about who is listening to their work.

Spotify said Kenya’s catalogue will grow as new partners join and local authors upload their books.

The company said its dedicated Audiobooks section supports searches and browsing alongside recommendations based on listeners’ music, podcast and book preferences.

Its Page Match feature lets readers move between print books, ebooks and audio by finding the corresponding place in a story.

Listeners can scan a book’s ISBN barcode and use page numbers to locate their position in the audiobook.

Spotify said more than one million readers have used Page Match and the feature works in more than 30 languages.

The platform saves listening progress across more than 2,000 supported devices so users can continue a book on another device.

Listeners can also download audiobooks for offline use and set a sleep timer to stop playback.

Spotify said monthly audiobook listeners grew nearly 40 per cent over the past year as listening hours increased more than 30 per cent.

Audiobooks+ has attracted more than one million subscribers since launching just over a year ago according to the company.

Spotify said its wider platform has 777 million users including 300 million Premium subscribers.

Users can access the new service by updating the Spotify app and opening the Audiobooks hub or searching for a title.

They can then choose a book and add Audiobooks+ through the service before managing their plan through their Spotify account.

The company plans to expand audiobook availability from 22 markets to more than 180 by the end of 2026.