Author: Kaluka wanjala

Jambojet has officially resumed daily flights between Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and Entebbe International Airport in Uganda. The revived route offers fares starting from KSh 22,950 (USD 170) one-way. The total flight time is approximately 65 minutes. Jambojet first launched the Nairobi–Entebbe route in 2018 and operated it for nearly two years. The airline says its return comes as it has expanded its fleet, strengthened its network and increased its operational capacity. “We are returning to Entebbe with the experience we gained from our first chapter on the route, a densified network and a clear ambition to make…

Google’s Regional Director for Government Affairs and Public Policy for Sub-Saharan Africa says Africa has an opportunity to leapfrog legacy technology systems, but skills, infrastructure and access to AI tools will determine how much of that opportunity the continent captures. I recently had a chat with Charles Murito, Google’s Regional Director for Government Affairs and Public Policy for Sub-Saharan Africa, who said the continent’s relatively limited legacy infrastructure could become an advantage as African developers and businesses increasingly build AI-first solutions in areas such as healthcare, education and agriculture. “We are uniquely positioned to leapfrog legacy infrastructure,” Murito said. He…

Safaricom and Pesapal have announced new payment experiences to make checkout faster and simpler for businesses and customers across Kenya. The partnership expands Safaricom’s M-PESA payment capabilities through Pesapal’s merchant payment infrastructure, introducing Dynamic Scan-to-Pay and Tap-to-Pay on Pesapal point-of-sale (POS) devices. Dynamic Scan-to-Pay allows customers to scan a QR code displayed on a Pesapal POS using M-PESA. The merchant details and payment amount are automatically populated. This allows customers to verify the information before completing the transaction. The new Tap-to-Pay feature allows customers with NFC-enabled smartphones to tap their device on a Pesapal POS, verify the transaction details and…

Safaricom’s digital commerce platform Masoko has been named the Best Mobile & Consumer Electronics E-Commerce Website 2026 at the Kenya E-Commerce Awards. Safaricom says this award is a reflection of its focus on using technology to simplify and improve the shopping experience of its customers. Masoko offers smartphones, laptops, gaming devices, smart accessories and other consumer electronics. “Every visit, every order and every choice to shop with Masoko is a reminder of the trust placed in us to keep creating experiences that make a difference,” Safaricom said in a LinkedIn post announcing the recognition. Safaricom also said that is focused…

Seven women-led startups have received a combined KES 9 million in grant funding through the Women in Tech Kenya Accelerator programme. Each startup will receive approximately KES 1.29 million to support product development, business growth and expansion. The grants were announced during the Women in Tech Kenya Cohort 9 Award Ceremony and Graduation held at Standard Chartered in Nairobi. The programme is run by the Standard Chartered Foundation in partnership with Village Capital and iBizAfrica at Strathmore University. Speaking at the ceremony, Dr Vincent Ogutu, Vice-Chancellor, Strathmore University, said: “Our goal is to support entrepreneurs to identify real problems, develop…

African healthtech startups have secured four new strategic partnerships aimed at expanding access to healthcare, strengthening pharmaceutical supply chains and improving digital pharmacy regulation across the continent. The deals were announced by Investing in Innovation Africa (i3) during its fourth annual Access to Markets (A2M) event, held alongside the Africa HealthTech Summit. Speaking at this year’s event, Oladunni Lawal, Investing in Innovation Lead, said: “African innovators are reshaping healthcare delivery across the region, with solutions designed to address local gaps and reach the communities and patients who need them most. Through Access to Markets, we are bringing regional and global…

Vertiv has announced a major expansion of its Nové Mesto nad Váhom campus in Slovakia, reinforcing the company’s commitment to supporting growing customer demand across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). The investment represents another significant milestone in Vertiv’s long-term regional and global growth strategy, following recent expansion initiatives across its manufacturing facilities in Ireland, Italy, Croatia, Malaysia, Mexico, and the United States. Together, these investments are expected to strengthen Vertiv’s ability to support customers as demand for critical digital infrastructure continues to accelerate across cloud, enterprise, colocation, and AI-driven environments. Over the next 18 to 24 months, Vertiv…

Latitude59 is returning to Kenya for the fourth consecutive year, with applications now open for its 2026 Kenya Pitch Competition. The competition is open to early-stage startups from Kenya and across Africa. It offers selected founders an opportunity to pitch on the main stage of Latitude59 Kenya Edition 2026 in Nairobi. Latitude59 Kenya Edition 2026 will take place on December 3–4 in Nairobi. December 3 will focus on investor activities and side events, while the main conference will take place on December 4. Latitude59 CEO Liisi Org said the event has continued to build connections between African startups and international…

Absa Bank Kenya has launched Absa Next, a digital finance platform that brings banking, savings, investments, credit and lifestyle services together in a single ecosystem. The platform is available to both Absa customers and non-customers. The bank says it is designed to give users greater control over their finances through a digital-first experience. Among its features, Absa Next allows customers to save and invest individually or in groups, with savings rates of up to 7% and investment returns of up to 16%, according to the bank. Users can also access instant credit ranging from KSh500 to KSh1 million for personal…

Yellow Card has appointed Ross Everett as its new Group Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Everett brings experience across financial services, banking and technology companies. His previous roles include Group Financial Controller at digital bank Monzo, as well as positions at Deutsche Bank, Barclays and KPMG. At Yellow Card, Everett will oversee the company’s global finance function, including financial strategy, planning and performance, reporting, treasury, capital management and financial governance. “Yellow Card has built world-class infrastructure to solve a problem every cross-border business understands, moving money quickly, cheaply and reliably,” said Ross Everett. “Having spent a significant part of my career…