Author: Kaluka wanjala

Sanlam Kenya has officially adopted a new identity following its rebrand to SanlamAllianz Kenya. The change comes after the formation of a joint venture between Sanlam and Allianz, creating what is now the largest non-banking financial services group in Africa with more than two centuries of combined experience. Confirming the transition, Group CEO Dr Nyamemba Patrick Tumbo said the new identity reflects a continent-wide commitment to improving the delivery of financial services while still maintaining a strong local focus. He noted that SanlamAllianz Kenya Life Insurance will continue to be led by Ms Jacqueline Karasha and SanlamAllianz General Insurance will…

Standard Chartered Bank Kenya has released its financial results for the period ending 30 September 2025. Kariuki Ngari, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, said, “We have delivered a resilient performance in the third quarter with profit before tax of KShs 13.2 billion, representing a 41 per cent decline compared to the same period last year.” He went on to say, “This decline is due to lower revenues and a one-off employee past service cost of KShs 2.7 billion following the Supreme Court ruling on 5 September 2025 and the Retirement Benefits Appeal Tribunal Orders. I am pleased to inform…

Safaricom and the ICT Authority have announced the graduation of the first cohort from the Connect Academy. 48 trainees completed the three month fibre deployment programme. According to Safaricom, 98% have already secured roles within the company or with its ecosystem partners. The academy was launched during the 2024 Connected Africa Summit to address one of the industry’s growing concerns. Kenya is expanding its digital infrastructure at a fast pace, yet the supply of skilled fibre technicians has not kept up with demand. The Connect Academy was created to close this skills gap by training young people on the technical…

Safaricom has introduced Daraja 3.0 which is a key upgrade of the M-Pesa API platform. M-Pesa has always relied on the developer community to expand its reach and capability. Daraja 3.0 is a clear sign that Safaricom wants the next decade of innovation to be powered by builders. Built for Fintech 2.0 The move to Daraja 3.0 reflects a shift to what Safaricom calls Fintech 2.0. For developers, this means an environment that supports more advanced use cases, integrates more cleanly with modern development practices and reduces the operational pain points that have been common with earlier versions. The goal…

Safaricom has kicked off the first KSh15 billion tranche of its KSh40 billion Domestic Medium-Term Note Programme. This marks Kenya’s largest-ever green bond issuance and introducing the first mobile-based subscription option for such an investment. The tranche, with an option to raise an additional KSh5 billion in case of oversubscription, will run from 25th November to 5th December 2025, offering investors a tax-free interest rate of 10.4%. Proceeds from the bond will finance and refinance Safaricom’s portfolio of eligible green projects, reinforcing the operator’s commitment to sustainable growth and reduced environmental impact. Because the bond qualifies as a green instrument…

Cairo-based HR tech startup bluworks has raised $1 million in seed funding to scale its workforce management platform across Egypt and also enter new markets in the MENA region. This seed round saw the participation of A15, Enza Capital, Beltone Venture Capital, Acasia Ventures and several strategic angel investors. If you have a startup you want featured on TechArena, let us know through this contact form here. bluworks was founded in 2022 by Hussein Wahdan and Farah Osman. Its main aim is to improve HR and operations for businesses with large blue-collar workforces in industries where traditional HR tools remain fragmented, manual or…

M-KOPA Kenya has released its first Kenya-specific Impact Report. The report provides a detailed examination of how the fintech company has influenced digital access, financial inclusion and local economic growth over the past decade. It shows the scale of M-KOPA’s influence in Kenya and the country’s position as the core of the company’s impact. According to the report, M-KOPA has unlocked more than KES 207 billion in credit since 2010 and has supported 4.8 million customers. Most of these customers have traditionally been excluded from formal financial systems. The ecosystem built around flexible credit and responsible lending continues to shape…

NCBA Investment Bank has introduced a new suite of Offshore Investment Solutions that aim to give Kenyan clients wider access to global financial markets and diversified wealth-building opportunities.  According to the Africa Wealth Report 2025, Kenya now ranks fifth among the wealthiest countries on the continent. The country has about 6,800 high net worth individuals. This group continues to seek more sophisticated investment products. NCBA says the new offshore products have been developed to help clients navigate a global environment where macroeconomic uncertainty and fluctuations in local currencies can erode the value of savings held in shillings. The bank believes…

Zoho has released a significant update to Zoho One. The new version introduces a redesigned interface, improved collaboration tools and expanded AI capabilities intended to simplify work for businesses using the suite. Speaking during the announcement in Nairobi, Veerakumar Natarajan, Country Head for Zoho Kenya, said the platform is evolving into a more connected environment. “Zoho One customers are choosing a solution that allows Zoho to handle the technology while they focus on productivity,” he said. More than 75,000 organisations use Zoho One globally. On average, each customer relies on 22 apps within the suite. The biggest change is the…

The itel Super 26 Ultra is the latest smartphone from the company to launch in Kenya. The phone is available in the country starting from Ksh 20,500. According to itel, this phone blends premium design, powerful performance and intelligent AI features at a price few competitors can match. I have been using the itel Super 26 Ultra for a few days and wanted to do a quick unboxing and first impressions to help you decide if this phone is worth considering. itel Super 26 Ultra Specifications Please review the specifications of this phone before proceeding. Unboxing If you buy the…