Safaricom Plc said its M-PESA Kadogo initiative—under which selected low-value transfers and payments are free—processed 17.1 billion zero-rated transactions in the 2025/2026 financial year, representing 58% of all activity on the mobile money platform. The company disclosed the figures following the announcement of its 2025/2026 financial results on May 7.

Under M-PESA Kadogo, person-to-person transfers of KES 100 and below and merchant payments of KES 200 and below are zero-rated, Safaricom said. The free transactions also include cash deposits at M-PESA agent outlets and airtime purchases through M-PESA, according to the company’s statement.

The latest disclosure provides a window into how Kenya’s biggest payments rail is increasingly being used for small, frequent transactions—an area that influences merchant acceptance, customer stickiness and the broader pace of digitising day-to-day commerce.

Safaricom said the decision to remove certain charges was initially made in the wake of the COVID-19 period, when charges on bank-to-M-PESA and transfers below KES 1,000 had been removed. “For the company, the effect of the removal of charges was a tripling in the number of transactions between 2020 and 2026,” Safaricom said.

Overall, Safaricom reported that M-PESA processed 46.4 billion transactions worth KES 41.7 trillion in the last financial year. The company said the volume and value of transactions underscore M-PESA’s central role in Kenya’s digital economy.

“With M-PESA Kadogo, our purpose is to make digital payments affordable for small-scale daily purchases and deepen financial inclusion. The removal of transaction fees has reduced friction and accelerated the usage of M-PESA across the country,” said Peter Ndegwa, Safaricom CEO.

Safaricom said mobile financial services revenue rose 13.4% to KES 182.7 billion, attributing the performance to “strong double-digit growth across consumer payments, business payments and global payments.” Consumer payments were the largest contributor at KES 74.5 billion, followed by business payments at KES 56.7 billion, according to the company.

The company also highlighted growth in Pochi la Biashara, a product it positions for small traders and informal businesses. Safaricom said the customer base increased from 600,000 users in the 2024 financial year to 1.1 million the following year, before doubling to 2.2 million in the last financial year. Revenue from the product rose from KES 800 million in 2024 to KES 2.2 billion the following year, reaching KES 4 billion in the last financial year, Safaricom reported. The company added that Pochi la Biashara customers can invest overnight balances in Ziidi MMF.

For Kenya’s payments market, the scale of zero-rated micro-transactions points to intensifying competition around affordability and everyday merchant payments, particularly for low-income users and micro and small enterprises. The growth in Pochi la Biashara, alongside the continued expansion of Lipa na M-PESA usage at lower ticket sizes, also signals rising demand for tools that separate personal and business funds and provide basic value-added services such as short-term investment.

Looking ahead, Safaricom’s disclosures suggest that transaction volumes may continue shifting toward higher-frequency, lower-value payments as pricing and product design push for deeper usage in daily commerce. The company is expected to provide further detail on M-PESA’s segment performance and product roll-outs in subsequent investor updates tied to the 2025/2026 results.

KCB FC will play Tusker FC on Saturday at Nairobi’s Nyayo National Stadium in the FKF Cup semi-final, as the Kenya Premier League side targets a place in the final after falling short in the 2023/2024 title match.

The club said head coach Robert Matano’s squad last reached the FKF Cup final in the 2023/2024 season, losing to Kenya Police on penalties after a goalless draw in regular time. The Nyayo Stadium tie sets up another high-stakes meeting with a domestic rival as KCB looks to convert its recent cup run into silverware.

According to the club’s match preview, KCB opened its knockout campaign with a 1-0 win over Compel FC before advancing with a 4-0 victory over Zetech Titans in the Round of 32. The team then beat Chebaiywa Lions 3-0 in the Round of 16 to reach the quarter-finals. KCB said Richard Omondi scored the decisive goal in the quarter-final to eliminate Nairobi United, a result the club contrasted with its previous season’s exit to the same opponent by a 1-0 scoreline in the Round of 16.

Matano said the team’s preparation has focused on maintaining discipline while managing the challenge posed by Tusker.

“We have worked hard to reach this stage and the players have shown great discipline and character, Tusker is a strong opponent, but we are prepared for the challenge and focused on achieving our objective of reaching the final,” Robert Matano, Head Coach, KCB FC, said in the statement.

Team captain Alembo said the squad believes it has improved tactically since earlier matches in the season.

“The boys are ready. We have had our winnings; we have improved our strategy. We are ready to take on Tusker FC and emerge victorious,” Alembo, Team Captain, KCB FC, said.

KCB also pointed to a clean-sheet run in the competition as a key performance marker ahead of the semi-final. The club said it has reached the last four without conceding a goal, with Fadhili Masoud, Nashon Alembi, Siraj Mohammed and Victor Okello forming the core of the starting defensive unit during the campaign.

The FKF Cup remains an important trophy in Kenya’s football calendar, offering clubs a separate path to silverware beyond league performance while attracting sponsor attention and fan engagement across key urban venues. For corporates that back club football, deep cup runs also provide predictable matchday visibility and media coverage at a time when sports marketing budgets face increased scrutiny on returns.

KCB Group-backed KCB FC sits within the bank’s broader sports portfolio, which the organisation says includes KCB Women Volleyball Club and KCB Rugby Football Club, alongside support for other disciplines such as chess, athletics and golf. The bank said it has spent “millions of shillings” on sponsorships over the years, though it did not disclose a specific figure for current-season football support.

After the FKF Cup semi-final, KCB said it will return to league action in the SportPesa league, with a match against Sofapaka scheduled for May 17 at Kasarani Annex.

CFAO Mobility Kenya and Stanbic Bank Kenya have renewed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to extend vehicle financing terms for customers purchasing vehicles across CFAO Mobility’s portfolio, the firms said on May 13 in Nairobi.

Under the renewed MOU, customers can access vehicle financing of up to 100% for personal vehicles and up to 90% for commercial vehicles. The financing terms include zero processing fees and repayment tenures of up to 96 months for salaried customers and up to 72 months for business clients, according to the press release.

The agreement comes as lenders and vehicle distributors in Kenya continue to compete on affordability and financing access, with higher living costs and interest rate expectations shaping household and SME purchasing decisions. For the automotive retail market, longer tenures and reduced upfront costs can support demand for new vehicles, particularly for buyers who would otherwise opt for used imports due to price sensitivity.

Daniel Maundu, General Manager, Toyota National Sales at CFAO Mobility, said the partnership targets customers who face financing constraints despite readiness to purchase. “At CFAO Mobility, we believe car ownership starts with access. Every day, we meet customers who are ready to own a vehicle but face financial constraints. That is why today’s partnership is so significant because it is the bridge that helps customers turn their aspirations into ownership,” Maundu said.

Stanbic Bank Kenya said the renewed deal aligns its asset finance focus with CFAO Mobility’s distribution and after-sales offering. “This MOU reflects a shared vision to deliver practical, customer-centric mobility and financing solutions that empower individuals and businesses to grow and thrive. Through this partnership, we are combining CFAO’s leadership in mobility solutions with Stanbic’s expertise in asset finance to provide seamless vehicle financing,” said Kimani Njagi, Head of Vehicle and Asset Financing at Stanbic Bank Kenya.

According to the press release, the partnership also aims to support customers beyond purchase, including maintenance, servicing and potential future upgrades. In Kenya’s formal automotive sector, after-sales support has become a competitive differentiator, particularly as consumers weigh total cost of ownership and concerns around counterfeit spare parts.

The announcement was made during the 2026 Beauty Meets the Bonnet event, described by the organisers as a women-only automotive platform focused on building confidence and practical knowledge around car ownership. The companies said attendees participated in test drives across CFAO Mobility models and visited interactive learning stations covering basic maintenance topics, including identifying genuine versus counterfeit parts and changing a tyre.

The organisers said the platform has more than 800 registered members and focuses on financial empowerment, practical car knowledge and vehicle upgrade pathways. While the event is positioned as an engagement channel, it also signals how dealerships and banks are targeting customer segments with bundled education, after-sales support and financing options to stimulate demand.

Looking ahead, the impact of the renewed MOU is likely to be measured by uptake across personal and commercial buyers, particularly SMEs seeking vehicle-backed growth. Further details such as pricing, applicable interest rates and eligibility criteria were not disclosed in the press release.

Spotify has launched “Spotify 20: Your Party of the Year(s),” a mobile-only in-app experience that gives eligible users in Kenya and Nigeria a personalised look back at their listening history on the streaming platform, the company said on May 14 in a statement issued in Nairobi.

The new feature is part of Spotify’s broader 20th anniversary campaign and is designed to surface individual listening milestones, including a user’s first day on Spotify, first streamed song, total number of unique songs listened to, and all-time most-streamed artist. It also generates an “All-Time Top Songs” playlist containing a user’s top 120 tracks alongside play counts, according to Spotify.

The rollout adds another data-driven product layer aimed at increasing time spent in the app and social sharing—an increasingly important lever for subscriber retention and ad-supported listening growth in Kenya’s competitive digital entertainment market.

Spotify said each data story in the experience ends with a share card, enabling users to save results and share them with friends or across social platforms. Users can access the feature by searching for “Spotify 20” or “Party of the Year(s)” within the Spotify mobile app or via spotify.com/20 on mobile, the company said.

“Spotify has always been about making listening personal. With Spotify 20, we’re giving fans in Nigeria and Kenya a chance to look back at the artists, songs and moments that have shaped their journey with us. It’s a celebration of discovery, nostalgia and the communities that form around music,” said Jocelyne Muhutu-Remy, Managing Director for Spotify in Africa, in the statement.

Context in Kenya’s streaming market

Kenya’s music and audio streaming market has grown alongside wider smartphone adoption, falling data costs relative to past years, and the rise of digital-first music distribution. Global platforms such as Spotify have sought to strengthen local relevance through curated playlists, African content licensing, and product features that encourage discovery and sharing.

While Spotify did not disclose Kenya-specific user numbers for the new feature, it positioned the rollout for Kenya and Nigeria as a way for listeners to revisit songs tied to “everyday moments, major milestones and cultural shifts,” according to the statement.

Global benchmarks and content economics

As part of the same anniversary campaign, Spotify also published global “all-time most-streamed” rankings. The top three most-streamed artists globally are Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny and Drake, Spotify said. Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti is the most-streamed album of all time on the platform, while The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” is the most-streamed song, followed by Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You,” according to Spotify.

Spotify added that The Joe Rogan Experience is the most-streamed podcast globally, while Sarah J. Maas’s A Court of Thorns and Roses is the most-streamed audiobook among Premium subscribers.

For Kenyan labels, artists and music marketers, such platform-wide rankings and anniversary campaigns typically influence listening behaviour through renewed playlisting and editorial surfacing, which can affect streaming volumes and royalty flows. However, the company did not provide payout figures or local revenue impacts in the statement.

Industry implications for Kenya

The “Spotify 20” feature underscores how streaming platforms are increasingly using personal analytics and shareable formats to drive organic growth. In Kenya, where competition for digital attention spans across music, short-form video and live social platforms, Spotify’s emphasis on personalised milestones may help keep users within its ecosystem and encourage peer-to-peer acquisition through sharing.

Spotify also said its editorial team has curated global playlists highlighting defining eras and cultural shifts over the past two decades, available within a Spotify 20 hub—an approach that can steer consumption patterns and affect which catalogues and genres gain momentum in the short term.

What comes next

Spotify did not outline expansion plans for “Spotify 20” beyond eligible users in Kenya and Nigeria. The company’s next milestones will likely track how widely the feature is adopted, how frequently users share the generated cards, and whether the experience translates into higher engagement for both ad-supported and paid tiers in Kenya’s streaming economy.

Britam convened more than 100 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Thika on May 13, 2026 for its Biashara Network forum, a nationwide engagement series aimed at helping entrepreneurs navigate economic pressures and pursue growth opportunities.

The forum, held under the theme “Unlocking SME Potential and Growth in Kenya: Profits Under Pressure,” brought together business owners from multiple sectors alongside financial experts and partners including the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) and HFC Limited, according to a statement from the company.

The meeting comes as SMEs remain central to Kenya’s economy and employment. Britam cited Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) data indicating the country has more than 7.4 million micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). The company added that the sector employs over 14.9 million people, contributes between 30% and 34% of Kenya’s gross domestic product (GDP), and accounts for more than 90% of private enterprises, based on KNBS figures.

Britam Chief Operating Officer Leonard Chirchir said the insurer’s approach is to pair engagement with solutions for entrepreneurs. “Thika is built on the resilience, determination, and innovation of hardworking entrepreneurs who wake up every day to create jobs, grow industries, and keep our economy moving. At Britam, we are proud to walk this journey with SMEs by providing solutions that not only protect their businesses today, but also secure a better tomorrow for generations to come,” Chirchir said.

James Muriithi, CEO of Savannah Mabati Ltd and the forum’s chief guest, told attendees that adaptation and investment decisions would shape business performance despite tighter margins. “Profits may be under pressure, but opportunity is not lost. The businesses that will define Kenya’s future are those willing to adapt, invest in relationships, embrace technology, and remain consistent even in difficult seasons. SMEs are not small players in the economy; they are the engine that powers Kenya’s growth story,” Muriithi said.

Britam said it chose Thika for its role in Central Kenya’s economic corridor, citing the town’s agricultural and industrial activity as well as its proximity to Nairobi and established entrepreneurial culture.

For Kenya’s business landscape, such forums highlight the increasing focus by financial services firms and business associations on non-credit interventions—such as training, networking and partnerships—to address operational challenges facing SMEs. In a high-cost environment, entrepreneurs typically seek support on risk management, access to finance, and business continuity planning, areas that insurers and lenders can influence through products and advisory programmes.

Britam said the Thika forum forms part of a broader nationwide initiative to support entrepreneurs through knowledge-sharing and partnerships. The company did not provide details on the next locations or dates for subsequent sessions, but indicated the Biashara Network will continue as a countrywide engagement.

Safaricom, through its foundations, has launched “Capture the Good”, a national photography and videography challenge that will invite creators to document community projects in education, health, economic empowerment and environmental conservation, the company said on May 12, 2026 in Nairobi.

According to the press release, entries are open at https://capturethegood.safaricom.co.ke/ until May 30, 2026. Participants will select from 250 projects, visit project sites and produce visual stories showing the projects’ impact. The initiative is being run in partnership with the Photographers Association of Kenya (PAK) and the Photojournalists Association of Kenya (PJAK), with Vivo named as the mobile photography partner.

The programme outlines a multi-stage judging process. Safaricom said submitted work will be reviewed by a judging panel, which will select 90 regional winners for a masterclass. After refinement and resubmission, a second judging round will produce 18 national winners whose work will appear on the Capture the Good website.

Safaricom Group Chief Executive Officer Peter Ndegwa said the company was seeking to use creators’ perspectives to document community change. “We live in a visual world, often enhanced by a photo or a video, building believability, relatability and connections, while allowing the rest of society to live through these stories. These platforms enable us to share stories of transformation, while humanizing the spaces where we serve our communities. We rea now looking to see these stories of impact through their lens,” Ndegwa said.

Safaricom said the challenge will also include public voting. It stated that three winners in each category will be awarded photographer and videographer of the year prizes, with cash awards of KES 1 million for first place, KES 750,000 for second place and KES 500,000 for third place. The press release added that total rewards will amount to KES 20.4 million, including cash prizes, airtime, vouchers and merchandise, alongside data offers intended to support submissions.

The competition is scheduled to run until August 14, 2026, when Safaricom said it plans to crown winners and stage an exhibition of selected works.

The launch also included an education infrastructure announcement. Safaricom said the M-PESA Foundation broke ground for an ICT laboratory at Kisumu Boys’ High School valued at KES 12.5 million, which it said would support learning and innovation for more than 1,800 learners.

For Kenya’s creative economy, the challenge is likely to intensify competition around documentary-style content tied to development programmes and corporate social investment, while strengthening links between creators and institutional funders. The involvement of PAK and PJAK also suggests an emphasis on technical standards and journalistic approaches as creators seek to translate field visits into publishable photo and video narratives.

Next milestones include the May 30, 2026 submission deadline, the regional shortlisting and masterclasses, followed by final judging and public voting ahead of the planned August 14, 2026 awards and exhibition, according to Safaricom.

Jubilee Health Insurance and the Sikh Council of Kenya on Monday launched a tailored community medical cover targeting members of the Sikh community in Kenya, including their families and businesses, in a move the insurer says is aimed at widening access to private medical insurance through organised groups.

The scheme was announced in Nairobi on May 13, 2026, according to a press release issued by Jubilee Health Insurance. It is the first in what Jubilee described as a series of partnerships designed to extend healthcare access through organised affinity groups.

Under the new arrangement, members will access healthcare through collective participation and pooled risk, a model Jubilee says is intended to improve affordability compared with individual plans. The cover includes inpatient and outpatient benefits, with inpatient limits ranging from KES 250,000 to KES 10 million, the partners said. Eligibility runs from children as young as 38 weeks to adults aged 65 years and above, while enrolment will be facilitated through appointed agents within the community structure.

The launch comes as Kenya’s healthcare costs rise and insurance penetration remains a challenge, factors that have made it harder for many households to pay for cover on an individual basis. Jubilee said it is seeking to use existing networks such as communities, associations, SACCOs, professional bodies and faith-based organisations as distribution and trust channels for structured insurance solutions.

Speaking during the announcement, Jubilee Health Insurance CEO and Principal Officer Njeri Jomo said insurers need to design products around how people live and organise themselves. “Healthcare should not feel out of reach. We are seeing a powerful shift where communities and affinity groups are becoming gateways to access,” Ms Jomo said.

She added that the approach is intended to go beyond price. “But affordability is only the entry point. Organised communities give us a platform to do something more important: embed preventive care, simplify referrals, and design care pathways around real member journeys,” she said, arguing that healthcare costs require better system design and that partnerships such as this can support that shift.

Jubilee Holdings Limited Chairman Zul Abdul said increasing insurance uptake will require models that align with Kenya’s long-standing practice of pooling resources. “In our society, the culture of pooling resources — whether through harambees, SACCOs, or other community structures — is deeply rooted,” Mr Abdul said. “This presents a powerful opportunity to design solutions that enable people to come together and pool risk in a structured way.”

Sikh Council of Kenya National Chairman Gurdeep Singh Flora said the partnership reflects the community’s tradition of shared responsibility. “Our community has always believed in standing together and supporting one another. This partnership reflects that spirit by ensuring our members and their families can access healthcare with dignity, peace of mind, and financial protection,” Mr Flora said.

For Kenya’s health insurance market, community-based schemes could help insurers reach groups that are currently underserved by retail channels, while potentially lowering acquisition and administration costs through group enrolment. However, the long-term performance of such products will depend on pricing, claims experience and how well prevention and referral pathways are implemented within the benefit design.

Jubilee said the community model is designed to complement, not compete with, the Social Health Authority framework by providing structured private cover for participating households. The insurer also signalled that more community-led healthcare solutions are in the pipeline as part of its strategy to expand healthcare inclusion through trusted ecosystems and organised communities.

KCB Foundation has partnered with Hivos, the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA), Somo and United States International University-Africa (USIU-Africa) to launch the European Union-funded “Tujenge Pamoja” initiative aimed at accelerating Kenya’s transition to a circular green economy.

The programme was launched in Nairobi and will be implemented under the EU SWITCH Africa Green Programme, according to a statement from the partners. It seeks to shift enterprises away from the linear “take–make–dispose” model toward circular approaches anchored on repair, reuse, recycling and resource efficiency.

Under the initiative, the partners said the programme will support 3,200 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to adopt sustainable and commercially viable circular business models. It also aims to strengthen 40 Business Support Organizations (BSOs) as well as Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions to serve as innovation and enterprise development hubs across the country.

The launch comes as Kenya continues to face rising waste management and climate pressures, while MSMEs remain central to employment and economic activity. Circular economy programmes are increasingly being positioned by development partners and private sector institutions as a way to reduce waste while opening new opportunities in recycling, green manufacturing and sustainable services.

Mendi Njonjo, Director at KCB Foundation, said the programme is intended to strengthen MSMEs through financing and skills. “This programme is about economic resilience, dignity and opportunity for millions of Kenyans whose livelihoods depend on MSMEs. By empowering small businesses with green financing, innovation, and skills, we are building enterprises that can compete, create jobs, and drive Kenya’s transition to a more inclusive and circular economy,” Njonjo said during the Nairobi launch.

Henriette Geiger, European Union Ambassador to Kenya, said the shift could unlock economic opportunities alongside environmental gains. “The transition to a circular economy is not only an environmental imperative, but also a major economic opportunity for Kenya. Through ‘Tujenge Pamoja’, we are strengthening innovation, supporting MSMEs, creating green jobs, and promoting inclusive growth that leaves no one behind,” Geiger said.

According to the partners, the programme also aims to create green jobs—particularly for women and youth—reduce waste streams and greenhouse gas emissions, and improve access to green financing through catalytic funding mechanisms to help enterprises scale environmentally responsible solutions. The initiative includes a Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) focus that prioritises women-led, youth-led and marginalised enterprises.

Key value chains targeted include plastics and packaging, organic waste management through composting and biogas solutions, and sustainable textiles, the statement said.

For Kenya’s business landscape, the initiative signals continued momentum in linking MSME support to climate and resource-efficiency outcomes, with potential downstream effects across waste management, manufacturing inputs and consumer goods. By strengthening business support organisations and TVET institutions, the programme could also influence workforce skills and the availability of advisory services for firms shifting to circular models.

The partners said the initiative aligns with Kenya Vision 2030, the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement, and the Sustainable Development Goals—particularly SDG 8 on decent work and economic growth, SDG 12 on responsible consumption and production, and SDG 13 on climate action. Next steps will include rolling out enterprise support and capacity-building activities through participating organisations and training institutions.

Jubilee Health Insurance (JHIL) and the Sikh Council of Kenya on Monday, May 12, 2026, launched a community-based medical cover for members of the Sikh community in Kenya, extending to families and businesses. The insurer said the product is part of a broader strategy to grow health insurance access by distributing cover through organised affinity groups rather than relying only on individual retail plans.

According to the press release, the scheme uses a pooled-risk model that allows members to participate collectively, which Jubilee Health Insurance said can make medical cover “more affordable and sustainable than traditional individual plans.” The cover includes inpatient and outpatient benefits, with eligibility ranging from children as young as 38 weeks to adults aged 65 years and above. Inpatient benefit limits start at KES 250,000 and go up to KES 10 million, the company said.

The partners said enrolment will be supported through appointed agents within the community structure, leveraging existing community networks for distribution and administration.

The launch comes as Kenyan households face rising healthcare costs while medical insurance penetration remains low, a gap insurers have been trying to address through alternative distribution channels such as employer schemes, SACCO-linked products and association-based covers. Jubilee Health Insurance said many Kenyans already rely on trusted groups—such as associations, SACCOs, professional bodies and faith-based organisations—for support, and that these structures can be used to widen access to private health insurance.

Speaking at the announcement, Njeri Jomo, CEO and Principal Officer at Jubilee Health Insurance, said product design needs to reflect how people organise their lives and livelihoods. “Healthcare should not feel out of reach. We are seeing a powerful shift where communities and affinity groups are becoming gateways to access. By designing solutions around how people naturally organise themselves - through faith, profession, or shared identity - we are making healthcare simpler, more affordable, and more human,” Jomo said, according to the statement.

Jomo added that cost reduction alone is not the end goal. “But affordability is only the entry point. Organised communities give us a platform to do something more important: embed preventive care, simplify referrals, and design care pathways around real member journeys. Healthcare cost in Africa is fundamentally a system-design problem, and partnerships like this are where the next generation of value in health insurance will be created,” she said.

Zul Abdul, Chairman of Jubilee Holdings Limited, said increasing insurance uptake will require models aligned to how communities already pool resources. “In our society, the culture of pooling resources - whether through harambees, SACCOs, or other community structures - is deeply rooted. This presents a powerful opportunity to design solutions that enable people to come together and pool risk in a structured way,” Abdul said. He added that the company’s focus on organised groups is “deliberate” as it seeks to expand access to insurance protection.

Gurdeep Singh Flora, National Chairman of the Sikh Council of Kenya, said the partnership reflects the community’s values of collective support. “Our community has always believed in standing together and supporting one another. This partnership reflects that spirit by ensuring our members and their families can access healthcare with dignity, peace of mind, and financial protection,” Flora said.

Jubilee Health Insurance said the community-based model is designed to complement the Social Health Authority (SHA) framework rather than compete with it, by providing structured private cover that strengthens household protection for participating members.

For Kenya’s health insurance market, community-led schemes could provide insurers with a channel to reach groups that may not easily buy individual policies, potentially improving risk pooling and retention through trusted networks. However, the long-term performance of such models will depend on pricing discipline, claims management and the ability to maintain broad participation within the affinity group.

Jubilee Health Insurance said this is the first in a series of similar partnerships it plans to roll out. The company did not disclose expected enrolment targets, premiums or provider network details in the statement.

Kenya Airways (NSE: KQ) and Rubis Energy Kenya have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to develop a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) refinery in Nairobi, a project the companies said would be Africa’s first dedicated SAF facility. The companies announced the agreement on 12 May 2026 in Nairobi, saying the facility will be sited near Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to connect production with existing fuel infrastructure and airline demand.

In a joint statement, the partners said the MOU sets the framework for “joint engineering, financing, and operation” of a facility designed to produce lower-carbon aviation fuel using local waste feedstocks. The signing was witnessed by President William Ruto and French President Emmanuel Macron during the Africa Forward Summit, according to the news release.

The project will use Dragonfly’s modular refinery technology to process feedstocks including used cooking oils, waste animal fats and other vegetable oils, the companies said. The planned facility is expected to have a production capacity of 32,000 tonnes and requires an estimated investment of about KES 8.4–9.8 billion (€60–70 million), based on figures provided in the release.

The announcement comes as airlines and fuel suppliers globally face increasing regulatory and investor pressure to cut emissions, with SAF widely viewed as an important near- to medium-term option for reducing aviation’s carbon footprint. For Kenya, a local SAF supply chain would also touch multiple sectors, including waste collection and processing, logistics, manufacturing, and airport fuel distribution.

Kenya Airways Acting Group Managing Director and CEO George Kamal linked the project to aviation decarbonisation and current fuel consumption at JKIA. “The expansion of air transport is linked to a growing share of global greenhouse gas emissions. Currently, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport consumes 2.9 million litres of jet fuel every day, an amount equal to filling the tanks of 52,727 family cars,” Kamal said.

Kamal said the airline currently relies on imported jet fuel and framed the proposed refinery as a way to produce an alternative locally. “While we currently depend entirely on imports, this refinery allows us to produce a sustainable, local version of that fuel,” he said, adding that SAF would support the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) net-zero CO₂e emissions target by 2050.

Rubis and Dragonfly said the project will include skills development and a target timeline for commissioning. Jean-Christian Bergeron, Co-Managing Partner of Rubis and CEO of Rubis Énergie, said, “Our priority will be technology transfer and ensuring that training is provided for local skills development so that the facility, and associated supply chains, will be operated and managed by Kenyans.”

Dragonfly intends to bring the facility online within 24 months, according to the release. Karl W. Feilder, CEO of Dragonfly, said, “The critical advantage of this project is that a Dragonfly refinery can be sited close to both the feedstock and the consumers of the fuel, and utilise the existing Rubis infrastructure to provide a long-term daily supply of SAF to Kenya Airways at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.”

If executed, the refinery could position Nairobi as an early SAF production hub in East Africa, with implications for airline operating costs, supply security, and the development of a formal market for waste oils and fats. However, key details—such as final investment decision timing, project ownership structure, feedstock supply contracts, pricing, and regulatory approvals—were not disclosed in the statement.

The partners said the MOU provides the basis for engineering and financing work to proceed. The next milestones will include detailed project development, securing funding, and concluding arrangements for feedstock supply and offtake, as the proponents work toward the 24-month commissioning target cited by Dragonfly.