Author: Kaluka wanjala

Retirement planning in Kenya has largely centred on accumulation for decaded, encouraging workers to save consistently during their earning years. As pension assets grow and life expectancy rises, a new challenge is gaining attention. This relates to how retirees sustainably draw income after leaving formal employment. This shift is industry observers describe as the emergence of the “decumulation era”. This is a phase where income sustainability, flexibility and longevity risk management are the most important factors. Recent product developments in the market, including the launch of income drawdown funds by insurers such as SanlamAllianz Life Insurance, show that the industry…

Samsung’s first Galaxy Unpacked event of 2026 is almost here and this one is all about the Galaxy S26 series. Samsung has announced a tiered giveaway for fans who register for the virtual event. Registration for the event is currently open via Samsung’s Africa website here >> https://rebrand.ly/unpacked26. The company has officially confirmed its February showcase, where we expect the unveiling of the Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26 Plus and Galaxy S26 Ultra. Alongside new hardware, Samsung is also tipped to showcase major software upgrades through One UI 8.5, deeper Galaxy AI integrations and possibly new Galaxy Buds 4 Pro. Here’s…

Bolt has unveiled a new in-app safety enhancement in Kenya that allows drivers to flag locations they perceive as high-risk. The feature enables drivers to suggest specific destinations where they have experienced or anticipate safety concerns. According to Bolt, submissions are reviewed by its safety team using aggregated trip data, historical safety reports, and internal platform risk indicators before any location is mapped within the app. Once verified, drivers will receive a clear notification when a trip request involves a mapped high-risk destination. Drivers who choose to decline such trips will not face penalties, temporary suspensions or rating reductions. Dimmy…

By James Labocki, Senior Director of Product Management at Red Hat The “works on my machine” problem has been a thorn in the side of IT since the dawn of distributed development workflows. As organisations accelerate their shift to cloud-native practices, a critical gap has emerged: The tools developers use on their local workstations often don’t align with the enterprise security-centric, hardened Kubernetes environments in production. This inconsistency frequently leads to dependency errors, heightened risk of security vulnerabilities, and late-stage deployment surprises that drain productivity and increase technical debt. In response to these challenges, we’re excited to announce today the…

Kenya’s payments ecosystem is entering a new phase and industry leaders calling for faster settlement, deeper interoperability and infrastructure capable of supporting increasingly complex domestic and cross-border transactions. The shift in focus emerged during a media roundtable convened by global payments infrastructure platform Verto in Nairobi.  If you have a startup you want featured on TechArena, let us know through this contact form here. Over the past decade, Kenya has built a global reputation as a digital payments pioneer over the past decade. This is largely driven by mobile money adoption. As businesses scale regionally and internationally, attention is now turning to the…

SanlamAllianz Life Insurance Kenya has unveiled an Income Drawdown (IDD) Fund. The insurer says the new fund is designed to provide retirees with flexible income options while allowing their remaining savings to continue growing through market investments. The launch comes amid growing industry concerns that many Kenyan retirees exhaust lump-sum pension withdrawals within an average of three years, exposing them to financial vulnerability in later life. According to Jacqueline Karasha, CEO of SanlamAllianz Life Insurance, the Income Drawdown Fund offers retirees continued capital growth alongside structured income withdrawals. “Retirement doesn’t mean lacking a steady flow of income. With the SanlamAllianz…

Just four months after securing a landmark $100 million investment, the largest ever in Africa’s two-wheel electric mobility sector, Spiro has raised an additional $50 million in debt funding to accelerate expansion of its battery swapping infrastructure across the continent. The new funding comes from Afreximbank, alongside new investors Nithio and Africa Go Green Fund, managed by Cygnum Capital. If you have a startup you want featured on TechArena, let us know through this contact form here. In October 2025, Spiro announced the $100 million round, including a $75 million contribution from The Fund for Export Development in Africa (FEDA), Afreximbank’s development investment…

Grey, a provider of cross-border payments solutions, has announced the addition of USD business accounts, bulk payments and USDC stablecoin support on a single platform. Cross-border payments remain a major challenge for businesses in Africa and other high-growth regions. The World Bank reports that international transfers typically attract fees of 6–7% of the transaction value. Settlement times on the other hand stretch across several days. Beyond fees businesses also struggle with limited access to USD-denominated accounts, unpredictable intermediary bank charges, poor exchange rate transparency and cash flow delays that impact operations. Grey’s expanded offering aims to reduce that friction. Businesses…

Asset financier Mogo Kenya has secured Sh800 million in local debt financing from I&M Bank and Ecobank, alongside the launch of a Sh1.5 billion two-year bond programme, as it moves to expand asset-backed lending to small and micro enterprises (SMEs) across the country. The capital will support the scaling of motorcycle, car and smartphone financing, targeting entrepreneurs in the boda boda and informal transport sectors who rely on productive assets to generate income. If you have a startup you want featured on TechArena, let us know through this contact form here. The bond programme, arranged by Dry Associates Investment Bank, is backed by…

Absa Bank Kenya has unveiled a new Visa Infinite Metal Debit and Credit card. The Visa Infinite card introduces a metal card design (debit and credit variants), MPESA Paybill and Till integration, tap n’ Pay via NFC-enabled smartphones, garmin smartwatch payment support, buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) conversion through the Absa Mobile App, international travel insurance cover of up to USD 2.5 million and access to curated travel offers in destinations including Dubai, London, and New York through Visa’s Destination proposition. The integration with MPESA Paybill and Till numbers shows a localized approach that blends global card prestige with Kenya’s…