Minet Kenya has won eight accolades at the 2026 Think Business Insurance Awards, adding to its recognition in Kenya’s insurance brokerage and risk advisory sector, the company said on July 3, 2026 in a media statement issued in Nairobi.

According to Minet Kenya, the awards included wins for Best Corporate Broker, Best Personal Lines Broker and Best Innovator in New & Emerging Risks. The company also received First Runner-Up recognition in General Broker of the Year, Life Broker of the Year and Overall Broker of the Year categories. Minet Kenya said it was additionally recognised for Medical Brokerage and Customer Centricity.

The Think Business Insurance Awards are organised by Think Business, a Kenyan business publication and events platform. The company did not disclose the judging criteria or the number of competitors in its statement.

The awards come as insurers and intermediaries push to expand coverage in a market that remains underinsured by global standards. The Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA) estimates Kenya’s insurance penetration at about 2.4%, according to figures cited by Minet Kenya. Low penetration has been a recurring theme for the industry, shaping strategies that rely on broader distribution, simplified products and digital channels to reach individuals and small businesses.

Minet Kenya said its recognition in the “New & Emerging Risks” category reflects growing client demand for support in managing non-traditional exposures. In its statement, the firm cited cyber risk, climate-related events, supply chain disruptions and evolving regulatory requirements as key threats businesses and individuals are seeking to address.

Commenting on the awards, Sammy Muthui, Chief Executive Officer of Minet Kenya, said the results reflected client trust and internal execution. “These awards are a strong endorsement of the trust our clients place in us and the dedication of our teams who work every day to help organisations and individuals manage risk with confidence,” Muthui said.

He added that risk complexity is rising across sectors. “The risk landscape today is very complex, but we remain capable and available to deliver practical solutions that protect our clients today while preparing them for tomorrow's challenges. We remain committed to raising the standard of insurance brokerage and risk advisory in Kenya and across the region,” Muthui said.

For Kenya’s insurance market, recognition around corporate brokerage and personal lines underscores how intermediaries are positioning themselves to serve both large institutions and retail customers as competition intensifies. Industry players have increasingly tied growth ambitions to technology-led distribution and advisory-led services, as insurers pursue higher policy volumes and improved retention in a price-sensitive market.

Minet Kenya said it has been investing in digital distribution channels and developing products aligned to changing risks, linking this to the broader opportunity implied by the IRA’s penetration estimate. The company did not provide investment figures, timelines or uptake metrics in the statement.

Going forward, the sector’s near-term focus is expected to remain on expanding access and product relevance, particularly for emerging and hard-to-price risks such as cyber and climate exposures. Minet Kenya said it will continue to develop solutions tailored to evolving client needs, as brokers and insurers compete to grow share in a low-penetration market.

Jubilee Health Insurance is expanding an instalment-based premium payment model in Nairobi to increase access to private health insurance among uninsured and underinsured Kenyans, the company said on Friday, 3 July 2026.

The insurer said the scale-up is informed by customer feedback indicating that while many people value health cover, they struggle to pay annual lump-sum premiums. Under the “Linda Afya Leo – Lipa Pole Pole” model, customers can activate cover from the first payment and spread premiums over up to 10 monthly instalments, according to the company.

The campaign targets individuals, families, first-time insurance buyers and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with between three and 50 employees. Jubilee said plans start from KES 3,256 per month, offering KES 200,000 inpatient cover and KES 40,000 outpatient cover, while higher-tier options provide up to KES 10 million in inpatient cover.

The rollout comes as Kenya continues to prioritise universal health coverage and financial inclusion, with insurers and regulators increasingly focused on models that reduce the upfront cost of joining insurance schemes—particularly for households that earn irregular incomes or face competing expenses.

Jubilee Health Insurance Chief Executive Officer Njeri Jomo said affordability and enrolment barriers have continued to limit private health insurance penetration, with lump-sum annual premiums cited as a key constraint for many households.

“Many Kenyans remain uninsured not because they do not value health insurance, but because cover is often seen as expensive and complex,” Ms. Jomo said. She added that the company’s intention is to simplify how customers access cover: “This is about much more than changing how customers pay. It’s about changing how customers access health insurance.”

The Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA) said payment approaches that reflect how consumers manage cash flow could support broader uptake. IRA Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer Godfrey Kiptum said solutions geared toward informal sector workers and underserved households are important to improving penetration and confidence in insurance.

“Improving insurance penetration requires solutions that respond to the realities of consumer cash flow, especially among informal sector workers and underserved households,” Mr Kiptum said. “Approaches that support affordability, accessibility and consumer understanding are important in broadening inclusion and strengthening confidence in insurance.”

Jubilee said the Nairobi campaign will be delivered through a community outreach effort dubbed “Afya Mtaani,” with health advisors engaging residents directly before the model is expanded to other regions. For the market, the move underscores a wider shift by insurers toward product structures and distribution channels that reduce friction in onboarding—combining digital enrolment with on-the-ground sales and education to address low awareness and trust barriers.

The company said the initiative forms part of its growth strategy in health insurance and supports its target of covering one million lives by the end of 2027.

Jubilee Health Insurance is a subsidiary of Jubilee Holdings Limited.

Jubilee Health Insurance is expanding an instalment-based premium payment model in Nairobi to reach uninsured and underinsured Kenyans, in a move the company says is aimed at reducing affordability barriers that prevent households and small businesses from buying private health cover.

In a press release dated Friday, 3 July 2026, the insurer said the scale-up follows customer feedback indicating that while many people value health insurance, annual lump-sum premiums are difficult to pay amid other household financial obligations.

The model, branded Linda Afya Leo – Lipa Pole Pole, allows customers to activate health cover from the first payment and pay premiums over up to 10 monthly instalments, Jubilee said. The campaign targets individuals, families, first-time insurance buyers and small and medium-sized enterprises with between three and 50 employees.

Jubilee said plan pricing starts from KSh 3,256 per month, with benefits including KSh 200,000 inpatient cover and KSh 40,000 outpatient cover. The company added that higher-tier options provide up to KSh 10 million in inpatient cover.

The expansion comes as Kenya continues to pursue Universal Health Coverage and broader financial inclusion, with insurers and regulators increasingly focused on product designs that align with cash-flow patterns—particularly in the informal sector, where many workers lack predictable monthly incomes.

Jubilee Health Insurance Chief Executive Officer Njeri Jomo said the company’s approach is meant to address affordability and enrolment hurdles that have limited private health insurance penetration.

“Many Kenyans remain uninsured not because they do not value health insurance, but because cover is often seen as expensive and complex,” Ms. Jomo said. She added: “This is about much more than changing how customers pay. It’s about changing how customers access health insurance.”

The Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA) Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer Godfrey Kiptum said solutions that reflect consumer cash-flow realities would be important to increasing insurance uptake.

“Improving insurance penetration requires solutions that respond to the realities of consumer cash flow, especially among informal sector workers and underserved households,” Mr Kiptum said. “Approaches that support affordability, accessibility and consumer understanding are important in broadening inclusion and strengthening confidence in insurance.”

Jubilee said the campaign will be launched in Nairobi through an outreach initiative dubbed Afya Mtaani, which will deploy health advisors into communities before expanding to other regions. The company did not disclose the investment budget for the rollout or provide adoption targets for the Nairobi phase.

For Kenya’s insurance market, instalment-based premiums could intensify competition for lower-income and first-time buyers, a segment historically dominated by public schemes and employer-backed cover. If widely adopted, such payment structures may also increase policy persistency and widen the pool of insured lives, though they could raise operational costs related to collections and customer servicing for insurers.

Jubilee said the initiative supports its broader growth strategy in health insurance and its ambition to provide cover to one million lives by the end of 2027.

Nigerian singer-songwriter Yemi Alade and Kenyan artist Bien have released the music video for their joint single “Don’t Be Shy”, with the visuals shot in Nairobi, Kenya, according to a press release dated July 3, 2026. The release was issued via Effyzzie Music and positions the song as the lead single from Alade’s forthcoming album, “It’s Yemi Alade”, which the statement says is scheduled for release later this year.

The Nairobi location places Kenya at the centre of a cross-border music collaboration that links West and East African markets at a time when streaming platforms and pan-African distribution are increasingly shaping revenue flows for artists, labels and video production teams. While the press release did not disclose production budgets, platform performance targets or commercial terms, it said the video was directed by Ovie and filmed in Nairobi.

In the statement, the organisers described “Don’t Be Shy” as blending Afro-R&B and Kompa, and said the video is set “within a stylish, warmly lit indoor space”. The announcement also framed the release as an early introduction to Alade’s next project, describing “It’s Yemi Alade” as her 11th music project.

Yemi Alade said the collaboration built on her long-standing creative relationship with Bien. “I have always loved the soulfulness of Bien’s music and working with him on this record was so easy,” Yemi Alade said in the press release. “Music has always been about emotion and connection for me. And I feel like in ‘Don’t Be Shy’ we are both being playful, confident and honest, in expressing feelings when you’re into someone.”

Bien, who is also a founding member of Kenyan band Sauti Sol, said the collaboration was driven by a natural creative fit. “Working with Yemi was an incredible experience because the energy felt natural from the beginning,” Bien said, according to the statement. “’Don’t Be Shy’ is about confidence, chemistry and enjoying the moment.”

The press release traces the artists’ previous collaborations to Yemi Alade and Sauti Sol’s track “Africa”, followed by other creative exchanges, including a Swahili version of “Nagode” and Yemi Alade’s contribution to a remix project connected to Bien’s “All My Enemies Are Suffering”. The statement positions the new single as a continuation of that relationship.

For Kenya’s music business, Nairobi being selected as a shoot location is significant for the local creative economy, including film crews, studios, stylists, set builders and location service providers, whose work increasingly feeds into pan-African releases. Cross-regional collaborations also tend to widen an artist’s addressable audience, which can influence touring demand, brand partnerships and catalogue streaming—although no such commercial projections were provided in the release.

The statement also notes the album is expected to arrive “ahead of a major showcase in Paris, France,” suggesting international promotional activity around the broader project. No dates for the album release or the Paris showcase were disclosed.

Next milestones are likely to include additional singles ahead of the album rollout, as well as potential performance and media appearances tied to the Paris event referenced in the statement. Effyzzie Music and Anyiko PR were listed as points of contact for management and media inquiries, respectively.

Google Play has launched a KES 129 million ($1 million) Indie Games Fund aimed at supporting independent game studios across 32 African countries, including Kenya. The company announced the initiative on 1 July 2026 in Nairobi, saying the fund will provide equity-free capital alongside technical support and mentorship to help studios scale and reach global audiences.

According to Google Play, the programme will select 10 studios, with individual allocations ranging from about KES 6.5 million to KES 25.8 million ($50,000 to $200,000) from the total fund. Beyond funding, recipients will receive “hands-on mentorship from industry experts” and direct technical guidance to optimise their games and improve market discoverability, the company said.

The announcement comes as Africa’s gaming ecosystem attracts increasing attention from global platforms, while many early-stage studios continue to face constraints in financing, specialised talent and access to distribution channels. In Kenya, where mobile-first consumption dominates, funding tied to Google Play distribution could influence how studios prioritise Android releases and monetisation models, including subscriptions.

Google Play said the fund is designed to address “limited access to capital” that has “too often held back promising game studios” on the continent. The company positioned the initiative as a way to provide financial and technical resources to help studios refine game quality and expand reach.

“Africa’s unique creativity has fuelled a vibrant game development scene,” said Ben McOwen Wilson, Managing Director, Europe, the Middle East and Africa for Google Play. “Bringing this fund to the continent underscores our commitment to unlocking the immense talent of local studios, providing the resources needed to scale businesses, refine creative visions, and share uniquely African stories with a global audience.”

Applications are open to private, non-publicly listed independent studios with 50 or fewer employees that are registered and based in one of the eligible African countries, Google Play said. Applicants must have already launched a mobile, PC, or console game. Selected studios must also commit to making their game available on Google Play and to participating non-exclusively in the Google Play Pass subscription programme for two years, according to the published criteria.

The application window closes at 3pm EAT on 31 July 2026, with final selections and the announcement of the 10 chosen studios expected in September, Google Play said.

For Kenyan developers, the programme’s funding size could provide runway for production upgrades, user acquisition and live-operations support—areas that typically require sustained spending once a game is launched. However, the requirement to distribute on Google Play and to join Google Play Pass for two years may shape commercial strategies, potentially favouring studios with games suited to subscription engagement.

Regionally, the initiative could intensify competition among indie studios in East Africa by increasing the number of teams able to polish products to international standards and market them beyond local audiences. It may also prompt other ecosystem players—publishers, telcos and payment providers—to structure partnerships around distribution and monetisation for mobile games.

Google Play said eligible countries include Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda is not listed, and South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Ethiopia is not listed, among others, spanning 32 countries in total. The company directed applicants to the official programme portal and terms for eligibility details.

Google Play said it will announce the selected studios in September after reviewing applications submitted by the July deadline.

Carrefour Kenya, operated locally by Majid Al Futtaim under exclusive rights, has concluded its “10 Years, 10 Million Stories” customer appreciation campaign with an awards handover event at Carrefour Two Rivers in Nairobi, the retailer said on July 2, 2026.

According to Carrefour Kenya, the campaign marked the retailer’s 10th anniversary in the Kenyan market and rewarded shoppers across its physical stores and the Carrefour App. The prizes included vehicles, school fee vouchers, home appliances and fully paid holiday trips, the company said.

Carrefour said some of the winners included Cynthia Nyamasyo, Sharyl Patel, Josephine Mwenje and Deep Mota, who received cars and school fee vouchers as part of the campaign’s grand prizes. The retailer said the broader rewards programme was valued at more than KES 20 million and ran between May 22 and June 11.

The campaign close-out comes as supermarkets compete for wallet share through loyalty programmes, app-based shopping and promotional pricing, particularly as consumers remain price-sensitive. Over the last decade, Kenya’s modern retail segment has seen changes in market leadership and store footprints, with players increasingly leaning on private labels, local sourcing and digital channels to defend margins.

Carrefour said that since entering Kenya in 2016 it has expanded to 34 stores nationwide, served more than 119 million customers cumulatively, including 24 million in 2025, and invested close to KES 15 billion in the country. The retailer also said it has spent more than KES 239 billion with local suppliers.

In its statement, Carrefour said the campaign was designed to reward shoppers for loyalty while marking the retailer’s decade-long journey in Kenya. The company said the anniversary theme was intended as “a celebration of its growth and a tribute to the shoppers, suppliers, employees and communities that have contributed to its story in Kenya.”

The retailer also provided details on its local procurement and employment footprint. Carrefour said it works with more than 690 Kenyan suppliers—covering farmers, manufacturers and SMEs—and sources 99% of its products locally. It added that it has created more than 3,000 direct jobs and invested in workforce development through its Retail Business School, which it said delivered more than 44,700 hours of training and issued 546 internal training certifications in 2025.

For Kenya’s fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) ecosystem, the supplier numbers and local sourcing claims point to the growing importance of modern retail as a route-to-market for local manufacturers and agribusiness. If sustained, supplier spending at the scale cited by Carrefour can support capacity expansion among SMEs and improve demand predictability—though the benefits depend on payment terms, listing fees and the balance of bargaining power between retailers and suppliers.

Carrefour said the prize handover marked the final chapter of the anniversary campaign and reiterated its focus on “offering value, convenience, quality and rewarding shopping experiences” to customers. The next market test will be whether the retailer can translate anniversary-driven traffic into longer-term retention, particularly through its app and loyalty mechanics as competition in Kenya’s grocery segment intensifies.

Google Cloud on July 1, 2026 hosted its inaugural Cloud Summit in Africa in Johannesburg, announcing a package of infrastructure, AI research and digital skilling initiatives that it said are aimed at strengthening the continent’s readiness for wider AI adoption.

The event, held at the Sandton Convention Centre in South Africa, drew about 3,000 business leaders, developers, public sector leaders and partners, according to the company. Google Cloud positioned the announcements as part of its “Building for Africa” mission and said the initiatives build on the 2025 launch of its Johannesburg Cloud Region.

Among the announcements was a new “Digital Exchange Port” connectivity hub to be built in South Africa’s Eastern Cape. Google said the facility will serve as an international switching point intended to improve African internet connectivity by linking the continent to Australia via the Umoja subsea cable and through a new subsea route to India. The company said it is the first of four connectivity hubs it has committed to deliver on the continent.

Google also said it will launch an applied AI lab in Ghana under the Google AI Futures Fund, working with Google Research and venture capital partners. The “Google Africa Applied AI Lab” will be based at the Accra AI Community Centre and will pair African founders with Google researchers, including access to AI models, to work on “real-world, uniquely African challenges,” the company said. Applications are open and will close on August 31, 2026, according to the statement.

In addition, Google said it has partnered with The Akuna Group on a creative AI education programme backed by more than $1 million (about KES 129 million) in Google.org funding, aimed at delivering AI creative education and digital tools for creators. In South Africa, Google’s Economic and Community Development programme and WeThinkCode said they will build a R3 million digital innovation centre at the George Tabor Campus of South West Gauteng TVET College in Soweto (about KES 21 million), intended to provide skills training at scale.

Google said it will also open applications on July 21, 2026 for the 2026 South African cohort of its Google for Startups Accelerator, selecting 15 local startups for an AI-focused curriculum, mentorship and non-dilutive funding. The company said this forms part of its pledge to back 50 African ventures between 2024 and 2028.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa opened the summit, saying the event underscored Africa’s place in the global cloud industry. “Today’s Google Cloud Summit affirms Africa’s position as a core growth region for the global cloud ecosystem,” Ramaphosa said in remarks included in the release.

James Manyika, Google’s Senior Vice President for Research, Labs, Technology & Society, said the company is focusing its new investments on infrastructure, innovation and skills. “Building on our past commitments, we’re making new investments in critical areas: infrastructure, African-led innovation, and education and skill building,” Manyika said.

Maureen Costello, Vice President for UK, Ireland, and Sub Saharan Africa at Google Cloud, linked the company’s push to the Johannesburg Cloud Region’s projected economic impact. Costello said the region is estimated to contribute $90.6 billion (ZAR 1.7 trillion) in additional gross economic output and support 314,900 jobs by 2030—figures Google attributed to its own estimates. The $90.6 billion projection is equivalent to about KES 11.7 trillion.

For Kenya and the wider East African market, the announcements are likely to be closely watched by enterprises and startups seeking lower-latency cloud services, stronger international connectivity, and structured support to develop AI products. While the connectivity hub and innovation centre are located in South Africa and the applied AI lab is based in Ghana, Google said the lab will support founders from across the continent, which could provide a pathway for Kenyan startups to access research collaboration and tooling.

Next milestones flagged by Google include the July 21 opening of applications for the South Africa startup accelerator cohort and the August 31 deadline for applications to the applied AI lab in Ghana. The company did not disclose timelines for completion of the Eastern Cape connectivity hub or the Soweto digital innovation centre.

KCB Rugby Club will host and compete in the 2026 KCB MET 7s tournament on Saturday, July 4, at the KCB Sports Club in Ruaraka, Nairobi, as Kenyan clubs intensify preparations for the upcoming National Sevens Circuit.

The Kenya Rugby Union (KRU)-sanctioned tournament will feature 16 teams split into four pools. KCB Rugby Club has been drawn in Pool A alongside Homeboyz RFC, Kabete Stallions and JKUAT Cougars, setting up a series of early fixtures that organisers say will test squads ahead of the national circuit.

Pool B includes Daystar Falcons, KU Blakblad, Makueni Ravens and USIU Eagles. Pool C has Catholic Monks, Zetech, NYS and Mean Machine, while Pool D brings together Kenya Harlequins, Mwamba RFC, Stingerz RFC and Northern Suburbs, according to the tournament line-up shared by organisers.

The event comes as corporate-backed sports properties continue to play a visible role in Kenya’s rugby ecosystem, particularly in supporting competitive calendars outside the marquee national circuit and the international sevens programme. For clubs, pre-season and build-up tournaments have become a key avenue to evaluate playing combinations and give match minutes to new signings and youth players under competitive conditions.

Brian Mwita, vice chairperson of KCB Rugby Club, said the tournament is positioned as both a development platform and a competitive test for the club. “The KCB MET 7s represents our commitment to the growth of rugby in Kenya by creating opportunities for players across all levels to compete on one platform,” Mwita said. “As a club, we are excited to once again support this initiative while using it to sharpen our squad ahead of what promises to be a highly competitive National Sevens Circuit.”

Now in its fifth edition, the MET 7s was launched in 2022 through Stingerz Rugby Football Club, with organisers saying its aim was to bridge the gap between grassroots rugby and elite competition. Since its launch, the event has expanded participation among clubs, and organisers said it has drawn recognition from stakeholders including KRU and Rugby Africa.

Collins Nabiswa, the tournament director, linked the competition to player development pathways and said KCB’s involvement has supported delivery of the event. “Our vision has always been to create a sustainable pathway where young players can compete alongside established talent and gain the experience needed to progress to higher levels of the game,” Nabiswa said. “The partnership with KCB Rugby Club has significantly enhanced the tournament's impact, allowing us to deliver an event that not only entertains but also contributes meaningfully to the growth of rugby in Kenya.”

While the organiser statement did not disclose the event’s sponsorship value, KCB said its sports support spans multiple disciplines and includes ownership of teams and sponsorship of events in volleyball, football and rugby, as well as support in chess, athletics and golf.

For Kenya’s sports business landscape, such tournaments create inventory for sponsorship activation, media coverage and fan engagement—particularly in Nairobi, where corporate-hosted venues can reduce event delivery costs and improve the reliability of the match calendar. They also provide a pipeline for talent identification ahead of the National Sevens Circuit, which remains the primary domestic platform feeding elite club performance and, indirectly, national team selections.

Organisers said the tournament will serve as a competitive build-up event, giving coaches a chance to assess combinations, integrate new players and refine tactics ahead of the national series. The next milestone will be the July 4 match day in Ruaraka, after which teams are expected to transition into final preparations for the National Sevens Circuit.

The International Labour Organization (ILO), supported by the Government of the Netherlands under the PROSPECTS Partnership, has launched a digital skills and employment programme in Kenya with Power Learn Project Africa, Microsoft and the Turkana County Government, targeting refugee and host community youth in Turkana and Garissa counties.

The programme was launched on 1 July 2026 in Kakuma, Turkana County, according to a joint press release by the partners. It aims to equip participants with digital skills, professional certifications and transition support into employment, entrepreneurship and remote work opportunities.

Under a 25-week blended learning model, the initiative will reach 1,700 learners across Turkana and Garissa. Training will be delivered by Power Learn Project in partnership with local digital hubs, community-based organisations, refugee-led organisations and local implementation partners, the statement said. The programme will also provide up to 1,000 Microsoft certification vouchers to enable participants to earn globally recognised credentials.

The launch comes as stakeholders push to broaden access to digital skills beyond major urban centres, amid rising demand for job-ready talent in technology and digitally enabled roles. The press release cited projections that Kenya’s digital economy will contribute KES 662.3 billion (US$5.1 billion) to GDP by 2028, while noting that skills mismatches remain a barrier to inclusive growth.

In the statement, the partners also linked the programme to wider labour market challenges. “Each year, more than one million young people enter the labour market with the potential to fill these gaps,” the press release said, adding that without formal skills, participation in the digital economy is limited and that “more than two thirds of Kenyan youth remain unemployed.” The release did not cite a specific source for the unemployment estimate.

Caroline Khamati Mugalla, Director, ILO Country Office for the United Republic of Tanzania, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, said digital transformation is changing labour markets rapidly and could deepen exclusion in refugee-hosting communities if access to skills is not expanded. “The ILO is committed to ensuring that technological change advances decent work, rights at work, and inclusive labour market participation,” Mugalla said. She added that investing in “market-relevant, internationally recognised digital skills for these communities is a sound labour market investment.”

The curriculum is structured in two tracks, according to the press release. An intermediate track focuses on foundational digital and workplace skills, while an advanced track supports specialisation in areas including cloud computing, artificial intelligence and data analytics aligned to Microsoft certification pathways.

Winnie Karanu, AI Skills Director, Microsoft Elevate, said the partnership is intended to link training to recognised credentials and employment outcomes. “Digital skills are the foundation for inclusive growth, but access remains uneven, particularly in underserved communities,” Karanu said, adding that the initiative aims to connect learners “not just to training, but to globally recognised certification and real pathways into employment.”

Mumbi Ndung’u, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Power Learn Project Africa, said the programme is designed to extend access to digital opportunity for refugee and host community youth. “This partnership speaks directly to our mission,” Ndung’u said, adding that it is aimed at ensuring Kenya’s digital transformation is “inclusive by design.”

Beyond training, the partners said employment transition is a core outcome. Graduates will receive career readiness support and linkages to employers and other opportunities facilitated by Power Learn Project and its partners, according to the statement.

For Kenya’s business landscape, the initiative underscores growing interest in county-based digital talent pipelines, particularly in regions that have limited access to training infrastructure. If implemented at scale, such programmes could support local innovation ecosystems, expand the pool of entry-level digital workers and improve employability for communities around major refugee settlements.

The partners did not disclose the programme budget or timelines for certification issuance and placement outcomes. They said implementation will be delivered through a network of local hubs and organisations, with training and transition support continuing through the programme cycle.

Google Play has launched an equity-free Indie Games Fund for Africa, committing KSh129 million ($1 million) to support independent game studios across 32 countries, including Kenya, the company said on 1 July 2026 in a statement issued in Nairobi.

According to Google Play, the fund will provide direct financial support alongside technical assistance and mentorship to help selected studios scale their games and reach international audiences via Google Play distribution and featuring opportunities.

The company said individual allocations will range from KSh6.45 million to KSh25.8 million ($50,000 to $200,000), with 10 studios expected to be selected. The fund is open to applicants from Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Central African Republic, Congo (DRC), Côte d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe and others listed by Google Play.

The initiative comes as African creative and digital industries continue to attract attention from global technology firms, while access to capital remains a key constraint for early-stage studios. Google Play said the programme is designed to address funding gaps that can limit production quality, marketing reach and the technical optimisation required to compete in crowded app marketplaces.

“Africa’s unique creativity has fuelled a vibrant game development scene,” said Ben McOwen Wilson, Managing Director, Europe, the Middle East and Africa for Google Play. “Bringing this fund to the continent underscores our commitment to unlocking the immense talent of local studios, providing the resources needed to scale businesses, refine creative visions, and share uniquely African stories with a global audience.”

Google Play said the support package will include “hands-on mentorship from industry experts” as well as “direct guidance to optimize their games, refine their technical frameworks, and boost market discoverability.”

Eligibility criteria outlined by Google Play require applicants to be officially registered and based in one of the eligible African countries, operate as a private, non-publicly listed independent studio with 50 or fewer employees, and have already launched a mobile, PC or console game. Selected studios must also commit to making their game available on Google Play and to participating non-exclusively in the Google Play Pass subscription programme for two years, according to the statement.

For Kenya’s technology sector, the announcement signals a potential new funding channel for game developers, a segment that often sits at the intersection of software engineering, digital payments and creative content. If Kenyan studios are selected, the grants could lower reliance on investor capital and provide operational runway for product development, user acquisition and localisation—areas that typically require upfront spend but are difficult to finance for smaller teams.

Regionally, the fund may intensify competition among African studios seeking platform-led distribution advantages, while reinforcing the role of app marketplaces in monetisation strategies. Google Play’s emphasis on optimisation and discoverability also points to a growing premium on technical performance, retention and compliance—factors that influence ranking, featuring and subscription inclusion on global platforms.

Google Play said applications are open through its official programme portal, with the submission window closing at 3pm EAT on 31 July 2026. The company said final selections and the announcement of the 10 chosen studios will take place in September.