Author: John Nyabuto

LG Electronics (LG) is expanding its built-in appliance portfolio in Kenya with the introduction of its 2026 lineup of ovens, hoods and hobs, as rising investment in modern homes drives demand for integrated kitchen solutions. The country’s household cooking appliances market is projected to record USD 19.1 million (KES2.5 b) in incremental gains between 2026 and 2031, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.69 percent over the period. The broader household appliance market is meanwhile projected to increase from approximately USD 49 million (KES6.3B) in 2025 to more than USD 73 million (KES9.5 b) by 2029, reflecting…

ESET Research has released its latest Threat Report summarising how the threat environment has changed since December 2025, drawing on ESET telemetry and the analysis of its threat detection and research teams. Globally, the report describes a period in which artificial intelligence has become both a target for attackers and how they carry out attacks, with ESET analysing around 900,000 AI skills and finding more than 3,000 to be outright malicious. For Kenyan organisations, however, the more useful reading of the data is that the local threats are not exotic. They are the same techniques seen elsewhere, applied locally, and…

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has announced that it is investing $1 billion in a new team that will place thousands of artificial intelligence specialists inside customer organisations, as the cloud computing giant seeks to help businesses move from experimenting with AI to using it in everyday operations. The new AWS Forward Deployed Engineering (FDE) organisation will work directly with customers to build and deploy so-called “agentic” AI systems. These systems can carry out tasks and make decisions with limited human intervention. AWS says the initiative could cut the time needed to deploy AI systems from months to days, while giving…

Co-operative Bank of Kenya has partnered with Car & General to expand access to agricultural machinery through tailored asset financing for farmers and agribusinesses. The partnership will enable farmers, cooperatives, agribusinesses and other agricultural enterprises to finance new Kubota tractors and implements under flexible repayment arrangements. Eligible customers will be able to access financing of up to 100 per cent for select financing structures, with repayment periods of up to 72 months. The facility will also offer seasonal repayment options designed to align with agricultural income cycles. Financing will be available through Co-operative Bank’s nationwide branch network and Car &…

Chinese digital infrastructure company Guodong Group is planning to invest up to US$300 million (Ksh38.8 billion) in Kenya as it explores establishing its African headquarters in the country. The investment will target digital infrastructure projects including telecommunication towers, data centers, fiber networks, cloud infrastructure, smart cities and green digital technologies. The plans were revealed by Principal Secretary for Investment Promotion Abubakar Hassan Abubakar after a meeting with a Guodong Group delegation led by the company’s senior partner and vice president, Kobe Hu, on August 17. The investment is aligned with Kenya’s Digital Superhighway program which aims to enhance digital connectivity…

itel today launched the POWER 80 in Kenya, a durable 4G smartphone engineered to survive real-world use without an added protective case. Available from today at all official retail stores countrywide at a recommended retail price of Ksh 19,499. Final pricing may vary by retailer. Most smartphones treat toughness as an accessory — sold separately, as cases, screen protectors, and repair fees. itel is doing something different: building durability into the device itself. Four Independent Certifications Where most smartphones carry one or two durability ratings, the POWER 80 is certified across four independent international standards — each verified by accredited…

British International Investment (BII) and Africa50 have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at accelerating infrastructure investment across Africa through increased public and private sector financing. The deal was announced at the Infra for Africa Forum 2026 in Tanzania and will deepen collaboration between the two organisations as they look to bridge the continent’s widening infrastructure financing gap. If you have a startup you want featured on TechArena, let us know through this contact form here. Under the partnership, BII and Africa50 will explore opportunities for co-financing, co-investment and capital mobilisation to support infrastructure projects across key sectors, including energy, transport,…

LG has expanded to its xboom audio line-up with the introduction of the new xboom Blast. This is a premium portable Bluetooth speaker that is designed for outdoor entertainment. The new speaker delivers powerful audio performance, durability and AI-powered sound optimization. The xboom Blast outputs up to 220W of audio when plugged into AC power and 210W on battery power. According to LG, the speaker’s 99Wh replaceable battery can provide up to 36 hours of playback on a single charge. The speaker also features IP68-rated dust and water resistance and has undergone seven military-grade durability tests, making it suitable for…

Safaricom has expanded its PATA MORE campaign to the Greater Western and Nyanza regions following its national rollout. The campaign is designed to provide more value to our customers and businesses through Safaricom’s connectivity products and digital services including data, M-PESA, devices, fiber and business solutions. Under the new offers, customers will now receive 250MB for KES 20, valid for 24 hours, up from 150MB. The 24-hour KES 99 bundle has also been increased from 1GB to 1.5GB, while the KES 1,000 monthly bundle now offers 21.5GB, more than double the previous 10GB allocation. M-PESA users will also benefit from…

Spotify is introducing a new “AI Persona” badge to help listeners identify artist profiles that represent AI-generated identities rather than real people. The streaming platform says the move is part of its broader effort to improve transparency and trust as generative AI becomes increasingly common in music. Starting in mid-September 2026, the AI Persona badge will appear on some artist profiles, in search results and on track rows across playlists. The label will indicate that an artist’s public identity may be AI-generated and does not represent a real person. Artists will be able to voluntarily disclose that they are an…