Author: Kaluka wanjala

Roam has officially launched the Generation 2 Roam Air, a next-generation electric motorcycle designed with extensive input from boda boda riders. The upgraded model includes over 40 practical enhancements and has been rigorously tested across both urban and rural terrains. Designed and engineered entirely in-house by Roam, the Generation 2 Roam Air reflects a deep commitment to local innovation and manufacturing. With Kenya’s more than 3 million boda boda riders sustaining an estimated 5 million livelihoods nationwide (UN data), the new model directly addresses the economic and practical needs of this vital sector. Key Improvements Roam has increased local production…

Bolt has officially launched ‘Bolt Comfort’ in Kenya today, a new ride category designed for passengers seeking a higher-quality experience with more comfort, space, and reliability. The service is already available in select areas of Nairobi as part of its Phase 1 rollout. According to Bolt, over 1,000 drivers have already been onboarded under this new category. The second phase is expected to expand Bolt Comfort to Kiambu County by December 2025. The company says this ride option is specifically tailored to serve Nairobi’s growing professional and middle-income class. To qualify for Bolt Comfort, drivers must use vehicles manufactured in…

For the first time ever, Kenyan startups have a direct line to one of the world’s most competitive and prestigious pitch events, the Startup World Cup. In early June, ten promising Kenyan startups pitched live at the Kenya Startup Festival, the local qualifier for the Startup World Cup, a global competition run by Pegasus Tech Ventures (the VC firm backing global giants like SpaceX, OpenAI, and Airbnb). The event, hosted in Nairobi and powered by Silicon Xchange, KeNIA, and NaiBAN, saw mobility tech platform BuuPass emerge as the winner. The startup will now represent Kenya at the global finals in…

Binance continues to work closely with Kenyan policymakers and the Virtual Assets Chamber (VAC) to support the development of a balanced, innovation-friendly regulatory environment for digital assets. As part of this ongoing collaboration, Binance’s Head of Legal for Africa, Larry Cooke, will join VAC Director Allan Kakai in a featured fireside chat at the upcoming Kenya Blockchain & Crypto Conference on 12 June 2025. The discussion will focus on the proposed Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASP) Bill, 2025 and the Digital Asset Tax (DAT), two landmark policy instruments currently under review by Parliament. Cooke and Kakai will unpack the progress…

 Salus Cloud has closed a $3.7 million Seed round to advance its mission of accelerating access to secure software delivery across Africa, the Middle East, and other growth markets. If you have a startup you want featured on TechArena, let us know through this contact form here.  The round was co-led by two of Africa’s leading investors in transformative technologies, Atlantica Ventures and P1 Ventures, with additional backing from respected pan-African venture capital firms LoftyInc Capital, Zedcrest Capital, and Everywhere Ventures, alongside angel investor Tim Chen, a world-class DevSecOp expert and General Partner at Essence VC, who joined the round independently. The funding will enable Salus to accelerate product…

Kenya is set to launch Artificial Intelligence (AI) training for public servants in July 2025. Through this initiative, the government aims to enhance service delivery and drive innovation across the public sector. Last week, Principal Secretaries Dr. Jane Imbunya (Public Service and Human Capital) and Eng. John Kipchumba Tanui (ICT & Digital Economy) met with Prof. Nura Mohamed, Director General of the Kenya School of Government (KSG), alongside other KSG directors, to finalise plans for the AI skilling programs. The programs will target all professional cadres within the public service. These include Procurement, Administrative Services, Human Resource Management, Corporate Communications,…

Safaricom is currently running the M-PESA Sokoni Festival, and if you’ve been looking to upgrade your smartphone or get a solid gadget deal, this might be your chance. From budget phones to flagship beasts, the ongoing offers include something for everyone. Here are the top 5 smartphones we think are worth checking out, along with one standout gaming deal. You can get all these deals online through Masoko. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra – Ksh 108,320 If you want the best Android smartphone on the market right now, the S24 Ultra delivers on all fronts — display, performance, cameras, and ecosystem…

Egyptian fintech, Paysky, has announced the launch of its “Pay by Bank” service during Seamless Middle East 2025, held in Dubai from 20th to 22nd May. This enables direct Account-to-Account (A2A) payments, allowing banks, merchants, and individuals users to bypass legacy payment routes and benefit from faster, cheaper, and more secure transactions. If you have a startup you want featured on TechArena, let us know through this contact form here. For decades, digital payments have been dominated by costly and complex layers of infrastructure that extract fees at every step. “Pay by Bank” changes that by enabling real-time transfers directly…

Airtel Money has announced the extension of its ‘Rudishiwa’ transaction fee’ campaign to all Bank to Airtel money Wallet transfers. As part of the campaign, customers will get 50% reimbursement of their transaction fees as airtime. The ‘Rudishiwa’ campaign was launched back in 2023, reimbursing its customers the transaction fees charged when withdrawing money at Airtel Money agents as airtime. The 50% reimbursement of bank to wallet transactions as airtime will apply to transactions done from the banks’ mobile apps, USSD codes or internet banking. With the latest announcement, Airtel says it aims to help Kenyans save more by enabling…

Fincra has announced the acquisition of the necessary regulatory license to operate as a Payment System Provider in Tanzania. This expands the fintech’s footprint across East Africa and strengthens its cross-border payment network across Africa.  This approval was issued under the Payment Systems Licensing and Approval Regulations, 2015. It authorises Fincra to operate regulated payment systems in Tanzania. With this new license, Fincra is now able to offer secure, scalable, and compliant payment services to businesses operating in East Africa. “We are thrilled to receive this license from the Bank of Tanzania. It reflects our long-standing commitment to regulatory integrity…