Author: NLM Correspondent

By NLM Writer The regulation of digital transportation has been a source of head-scratching for regulators. What was once seen as a breakthrough in sanctifying the tainted traditional taxi industry has become a proper headache. The source of this conflict is attributable to one thing: pricing. Digital transportation apps such as Uber introduced new models of pricing that made them competitively beneficial to users. Initially, fare determination was based on negotiation between a customer and the driver. This was not the best option as sometimes drivers started grumbling about the price and could demand for higher prices. However, with invention…

By NLM Writer The annual Economic Commission for Africa Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development held in Morocco last month highlighted the importance of digitalisation in enhancing African economies as the continent celebrates the first anniversary of the highly hailed and historic signing of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area – (AfCFTA). Seasoned experts and policy-makers from inside and outside Africa, debated fiscal policy and trade against the backdrop of recent economic and social development on the continent. ECA Executive Secretary Vera Songwe estimates the global digital economy at over $11.5 trillion – set to rise…

Venture capital firms have been getting most of the investor headlines in Africa over the last decade. The idea Africa’s business hubs could replicate or even do a slightly ersatz version of Silicon Valley and launch the African Facebook or Google has also been too compelling a narrative to ignore for all stakeholders in the ecosystem. But private equity investors have had a longer run in Africa working across a range of industry sectors beyond tech, though you could argue their attitude and strategy on the continent has tended to be closer to that of VCs in more developed markets.…

By Shadrack Muyesu Two months ago, the National Assembly passed the Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2018. The main object of the Bill is to amend the Insurance Act to promote agriculture insurance in line with the proposals contained in the Budget 2018/2019. The Bill introduces index-based insurance as an alternative to the traditional indemnity based insurance. Unlike the traditional indemnity based insurance which assesses losses on a case by case basis and makes pay-outs based on individual policy holder’s loss realisations, the index-based insurance offers policyholders a pay-out based on the external indicator (linked to poor agricultural production outcomes such as…

African innovators are gaining more global recognition African innovators keep winning global plaudits with increased attention paid to their work and its impact. The latest nod comes from Fast Company magazine’s annual list of The World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies. African Leadership University was named on the diverse list of 50 companies across the world making “the most profound impact on both industry and culture.” The listing is a recognition of ALU’s rapid growth since being founded in 2015 by Fred Swaniker. The Mauritius-based institution’s ambitious goal of redefining education on the continent has been backed with over $80 million…

After three long years, Kenyan banks must have breathed a collective sigh of relief when the High Court ruled that a key part of the Interest rate cap law is unconstitutional, following a petition by a citizen. According to Justices Francis Tuiyot, Jacqueline Kamau and Rachel Ng’etich, the Act had failed to define the terms ‘credit facility’ and the ‘Central Bank Rate’ (CBR), thus their declaration of Section 33 (B) (1) and (2) of the Banking Act unconstitutional. The judges stated that any words that have the potential of causing confusion must be clearly defined, and that the legislature should…

By Philip Otieno and Shadrack Muyesu On March 9, 2018, two hands embraced to herald hope in a country facing severe division after a double election. Reasons for the handshake were clear from their speeches, with both men telling the need to place their personal differences aside for the sake of national unity. The Nation was facing ruination and political temperatures were at an all-time high. A quick fix was needed and there it was before the entire nation in a joint address. A year later, only half the story has been told. We await the other half from a…

By Emeka Mayaka Gekara The March 9, 2018 handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga is not anchored on any law. It is political marriage whose survival rests upon the good faith of the two partners. While it has been lauded for restoring sanity after a disputed election, it has also helped expose one of the biggest weaknesses of Kenyan politics: it is dangerously personalised.  Significantly, it has been argued that it was meant to buttress the political ambitions of the two leaders. Having realized that he cannot implement his agenda and secure a legacy in an environment of…

By Kibe Mungai “There is no present or future – only the past happening over and over again – now” – Eugene O’Neill, A Moon for the Misbegotten Even as pundits seek to unravel the nature and motive of the political deal between President Uhuru Kenyatta and NASA leader Raila Odinga which culminated in the famous handshake of March 9, 2018 on the steps of Harambee House, it is not easy to begrudge its utility without betraying some jaundice. A year after the handshake it may well be true that it has not added sufurias of ugali in Kenyan households…

By Shadrack Muyesu Mursik may soon be illegal in Kenya if proposed regulations to govern the dairy sector are adopted. According to proposed the guidelines which seem to favour large milk companies at the expense of the small scale producer, the Dairy Industry (Licensing) Regulations of 2018, farmers will no longer be able to sell, offer sale or expose for consumption any milk in its raw form without  a license issued by the Dairy Board. The regulations further propose that producers will not be able to buy or sell raw milk unless they do so in bulk, through organised groups…