Author: Kaluka wanjala

ARC Ride is ready to take its battery-swapping model beyond Nairobi after securing $33.3 million in funding. This is one of the highest amounts raised in the EV space in Kenya recently.  The funding will be used to expand ARC Ride’s electric motorcycle fleet, deploy battery-swapping infrastructure and even support expansion into Ghana, Uganda, Tanzania and South Africa. The company is now focused on building the infrastructure that keeps those motorcycles moving. ARC Ride founder and CEO Jo Hurst-Croft told TechArena that the company is targeting around 5,000 electric motorcycles within each market ecosystem. The new funding will initially support…

The Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) is preparing to shift its focus from building its continental payments network to driving wider adoption and transaction growth from 2027. In Kenya, Pesalink partnered with PAPSS to enable instant cross-border payments in local currencies. PAPSS CEO Mike Ogbalu III said the platform now operates in more than 30 African countries across all five regions of the continent. The network connects 24 national and regional central banks, more than 200 commercial banks and payment service providers and 16 switches. PAPSS also has a termination footprint covering more than 300 financial institutions made possible…

Over the last couple of years, we have seen organisations explore Artificial Intelligence across several industries, including financial services, telecommunications, government, education and other industries. I recently had a chance to sat down with technology leaders from Red Hat and Kenyan systems integrator Copy Cat who say the biggest challenge with AI is everything that has to come before and around it, and not just about access to AI itself, Data, infrastructure, governance, security, skills and business processes all determine whether an AI initiative will be a beneficial business tool or just another technology experiment. If a business is investing…

Madica has announced five new investments in African startups. With these investments, it has announced the expansion of its portfolio into Algeria and Cameroon for the first time. The new investments span four markets and sectors including human resources technology, fintech, semiconductors and the circular economy. Each startup will receive up to $200,000 in funding and join Madica’s 18-month investment programme. The latest cohort includes: “At Madica, we’ve always believed that exceptional founders can be found in every corner of Africa, yet access to early-stage capital remains heavily concentrated in a handful of ecosystems,” said Emmanuel Adegboye, Head of Madica.…

Sanlam Allianz General Insurance (Kenya) Limited posted strong results in 2025, with profit after tax up 21 per cent on the previous year, crediting the agents, bancassurance partners and brokers honoured at its Annual Excellence Awards gala for supporting the turnaround. Profit before tax rose to Ksh344 million in 2025 from Ksh284 million the previous year, while insurance revenue grew to Ksh7.9 billion from Ksh7.4 billion. The integration of Jubilee Allianz and Sanlam General is bearing fruit, delivering a much stronger balance sheet and stronger internal capabilities. Enhanced IT systems and processes, together with staff upskilling, are positioning the company…

Stanbic Bank Kenya has appointed Michael Mutiga as its new Chief Executive. This comes after regulatory approval from the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK). Joe Muganda, Chairman of the Board at Stanbic Bank Kenya, said Mutiga’s experience across banking, investment banking and telecommunications positions him to lead the bank’s next phase of growth. “Michael is a highly respected leader with an extensive and successful career in banking and finance, both in Kenya and across Sub-Saharan Africa,” said Muganda. Mutiga joins Stanbic from Safaricom PLC, where he served as Chief Business Development and Strategy Officer. He previously spent about 15 years…

Meta has partnered with African AI accelerator This Is Digital to launch AI Academy Kenya, a new capacity-building programme aimed at equipping Kenyan students, developers, startups, small business owners and professionals with practical artificial intelligence skills. The programme was officially launched on September 11, 2026 and brings together developer training, startup acceleration and AI masterclasses as Kenya looks to build more local expertise around emerging AI technologies. A key component of the initiative is the AI Pitchathon, which will give Kenyan startups and developers building solutions using Meta’s AI technologies an opportunity to pitch their products in Nairobi. Selected participants…

Keeping costs under control can make a big difference for small businesses. Safaricom’s Pata More Popote Ulipo campaign introduces additional value across services that many businesses already use. These include Pochi la Biashara and Lipa na M-PESA. If you have a small business, here are five ways the changes could you. Lower costs on smaller Pochi transactions Safaricom has doubled the threshold for free transactions from KES 100 to KES 200. On the other hand, transactions above KES 200 will also have fees capped at KES 50 until 31 October 2026. This means the cost of transactions for your customers…

dLocal has announced that its subsidiary, dLocal Ghana Limited, has been granted an Enhanced Payment Service Provider (EPSP) license by the Bank of Ghana.  This regulatory milestone establishes a new foundation for dLocal to directly operate secure, reliable, and efficient digital payments across the country within the local regulatory framework, and further solidifies its commitment to establishing its customer base on the African continent. For many Ghanaians, participating in the modern digital economy, such as shopping online, paying bills, or managing business transactions, requires navigating a complex, often fragmented financial landscape. The new license allows dLocal to operate under the…

Absa Bank Kenya has announced the appointment of Yusuf Omari as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Absa Bank Kenya.  Mr Omari has been the Interim Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Absa Bank Kenya since 1st July 2026. He was previously the Bank’s Chief Financial Officer since 2009. He is a seasoned banking executive with over two decades of experience across finance, treasury, risk management, governance, sustainability, strategy and transformation, and executive management. Commenting on his appointment, Yusuf Omari, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Absa Bank Kenya, said: “I am deeply honoured by the confidence…