Kenya is already recording measurable benefits from China’s decision to grant zero-tariff access to a wide range of African products, including key Kenyan agricultural exports.
The policy, which took effect for most African countries in 2026, removes previous import duties that often ranged from 4 per cent to 25 per cent on items such as avocados, coffee, tea, macadamia nuts and horticultural produce.
Official data for the period May to August 2026 show that Kenyan avocado exports to China rose by approximately 63 per cent in volume compared with the same months in 2025, reaching about 3.76 million kilogrammes. The value of those shipments increased by nearly 60 per cent. Unroasted green coffee performed even more strongly, with export volumes jumping by roughly 140 per cent and value nearly doubling over the same period.
Agriculture and trade officials have described the early results as a positive signal for Kenyan farmers and exporters. They are encouraging producers to increase volumes, improve quality standards and move toward value-added products such as avocado oil and packaged coffee in order to capture more of the benefit.
Partnerships between Kenyan and Chinese firms in processing and logistics are also being promoted. While the policy opens a large market of more than 1.4 billion consumers, success will depend on consistent supply, strict adherence to phytosanitary requirements, and competitive pricing.
Government agencies continue to monitor the trade figures and support exporters seeking to expand their presence in China under the new duty-free arrangement.
Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) has notified customers of planned electricity interruptions scheduled for Monday, 28 September 2026.
The outages, lasting up to nine hours in some areas, will affect parts of six counties: Nairobi, Nyeri, Migori, Vihiga, Nandi and Kirinyaga. The works form part of routine network maintenance, upgrades, new connections and replacement of power lines.
In Nairobi, the interruptions will mainly hit sections along Oloitoktok Road, Riara Road, parts of Gitanga Road, Argwings Kodhek Road, Ole Dume Road, Ngong Road and nearby estates such as Jamhuri. In Nyeri, areas including Muthinga, Gititu, Mung’aria and surrounding markets and institutions will be affected.
Similar scheduled blackouts are planned for specific zones in the other listed counties. KPLC reminded customers that planned maintenance is necessary under electricity regulations to keep the network reliable and to connect new users.
The company advised people to check the official MyPower app or earlier public notices for precise times and affected transformers. It also apologised in advance for any inconvenience the temporary loss of power may cause to homes and businesses.
Residents and businesses in the listed areas are encouraged to make alternative arrangements for the day, especially for refrigerated goods, medical equipment and critical operations. Unplanned faults can still occur elsewhere, so customers are urged to report any unexpected outages through official channels.
Tragedy struck again in Kenya’s artisanal gold-mining sector when four miners died after suffocating inside an underground shaft in Ntunyigi, Kuria West, Migori County.
The incident occurred on Saturday, 26 September 2026. Three workers had gone into the mine early in the morning; when they failed to return, the site owner, David Kinono Munanka, 41, entered the shaft to check on them and also did not come back.
Police and members of the public later arrived and used a large compressor borrowed from the neighbourhood to pump oxygen into the hole. Rescuers were then able to enter and retrieve the four bodies. The deceased were identified as Munanka, Ian Gati Mwita (20), Samson Nyangige (37), and a young man known only as Peter, estimated to be 23 years old. The bodies were taken to Kehancha Sub-County Hospital mortuary pending post-mortem examinations.
The deaths highlight the persistent dangers faced by artisanal and small-scale miners in Migori and similar counties. Many work in poorly ventilated, unregulated shafts with limited safety equipment. Similar accidents involving collapses, toxic gases and explosions have claimed lives in the region in recent months, prompting repeated calls for stricter regulation and better safety training.
Local authorities and mining safety advocates continue to urge miners to observe waiting periods after blasting, use proper ventilation, and avoid entering shafts when conditions are unsafe. Investigations into the exact cause of the suffocation are ongoing.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has issued a firm public statement rejecting allegations of illegal foreign voter registration and missing election equipment. The claims, which gained traction after a television teaser suggested voter materials were being moved toward the Kenya-Uganda border, particularly around the Suam area in Trans Nzoia County, have been described by the commission as unsubstantiated and misleading. In its statement, the IEBC said no credible evidence has been submitted to support accusations that foreigners are being registered as Kenyan voters or that Kenya Integrated Elections Management System (KIEMS) kits have gone missing or been taken outside the country. The commission stressed that it only registers Kenyan citizens who already hold valid national identity cards or passports and that it has no role in issuing those documents. IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon and the commission warned that spreading false information about the electoral process risks undermining public confidence ahead of the 2027 general election. They invited anyone with genuine evidence of malpractice to present it for investigation and said appropriate legal action, including possible prosecution, would follow if wrongdoing is proven. The continuous voter registration exercise is ongoing across all 290 constituencies. The commission also reminded the public that Kenyans living abroad retain their constitutional right to register and vote, and that diaspora registration is being expanded in a controlled and legal manner.
President William Ruto is currently on an eight-day development tour of Kenya’s Coast region. The visit focuses on delivering title deeds to long-time squatters, launching infrastructure projects, and addressing local concerns about roads and services. Ruto has already begun handing out documents and inspecting sites, while promising more investment in the six coastal counties. A major highlight of the tour is the planned groundbreaking of the Dangote East Africa oil refinery in Lamu, expected around 30 September 2026. The project, estimated at between $15 billion and $17 billion (roughly Sh2 trillion to Sh2.2 trillion), is set to become one of the largest industrial investments in Kenya’s history. Ruto recently toured the existing Dangote refinery in Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria, at the invitation of billionaire Aliko Dangote, and described the Kenyan facility as even more ambitious in scale and impact. Once complete, the Lamu refinery is expected to process about 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day and supply refined products not only to Kenya but also to Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Officials say it could create around 60,000 jobs during construction and operation, while reducing East Africa’s heavy dependence on imported fuel. Machinery for the project has already arrived at Lamu Port, and local communities have outlined conditions they want met before full construction begins. The government presents the refinery as a cornerstone of regional energy security and industrialisation. Critics and some residents, however, continue to raise questions about environmental impact, land rights and how the economic benefits will be shared with ordinary coastal residents.
President Ruto (centre) accompanied by Coastal Leaders
The Kenyan shilling remained relatively stable against major international currencies at the end of the trading week, according to the latest daily exchange rates published by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK).
The CBK’s indicative rates for September 25, 2026 put the U.S. dollar at KSh129.62, while the British pound traded at KSh171.44 and the euro at KSh147.47.
photo: courtesy
The dollar rate was slightly higher than the KSh129.46 recorded by the CBK on September 22, indicating a small movement in the shilling’s value against the U.S. currency over the period. The CBK’s published rates are based on weighted-average spot transactions in Kenya’s interbank foreign-exchange market.
The central bank emphasizes that it does not set the exchange rate. Instead, the shilling’s value is determined by foreign-exchange market conditions, including supply and demand. Commercial banks and foreign-exchange bureaus subsequently set their own customer rates.
The latest figures show the pound at KSh171.44, compared with KSh173.10 on September 22, while the euro stood at KSh147.47, down from KSh148.46 over the same period.
These movements matter to Kenyan businesses that import goods, pay overseas suppliers, receive foreign-currency revenues or have international financing obligations.
For importers, a weaker shilling can increase the Kenya-shilling cost of foreign purchases. Exporters and businesses receiving payments in foreign currencies can experience the opposite effect when converting those earnings into shillings.
The CBK also publishes indicative rates for currencies used extensively in East African trade. Its September 22 data put the Kenyan shilling at approximately 30.39 Ugandan shillings and 20.39 Tanzanian shillings, while the rate against the Rwandan franc was 11.37.
For businesses operating across East Africa, these rates provide a useful reference when preparing budgets, pricing cross-border transactions and assessing the shilling value of regional revenues and expenses.
The latest CBK figures underline the importance of monitoring foreign-exchange movements as Kenyan companies plan purchases and payments in international currencies.
Because the CBK rates are indicative market reference rates rather than mandatory retail rates, the amount a customer actually receives when buying or selling foreign currency may differ depending on the bank, forex bureau, transaction size and applicable margins.
Global financial markets ended the week with a renewed appetite for technology stocks, but the rally is being tested by elevated oil prices and rising government bond yields that threaten to keep inflation and borrowing costs high.
Wall Street closed higher on Friday, with the S&P 500 gaining 0.51%, the Nasdaq 0.48% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average 0.93%. Technology shares led the advance, with Microsoft rising 3.7% after unveiling new artificial-intelligence capabilities for its Copilot platform.
AI remains the market’s main growth story
Investor enthusiasm for artificial intelligence has continued to support technology valuations despite growing questions about the scale of spending required to build AI infrastructure.
Advanced Micro Devices became the latest U.S. chipmaker to surpass a $1 trillion market valuation earlier this week, as investors continued betting on demand for AI computing. Reuters reported that AMD’s shares had nearly tripled during 2026 by September 21.
The Nasdaq has also recovered from a sharp summer decline. On September 22, the index briefly reached a record intraday level of 27,212.68, helped by falling oil prices and renewed confidence in technology companies.
Oil creates a counterweight
The enthusiasm around AI is occurring alongside a very different story in energy markets.
Oil prices remain above $100 a barrel amid disruption and uncertainty surrounding Middle Eastern supply routes. On September 20, Brent crude fell 3.4% to $100.34, while WTI fell 4.51% to $95.78 as markets responded to hopes for renewed U.S.-Iran diplomacy and signs of recovering Saudi shipments.
Iraq’s state oil marketer was also reported on Saturday to be offering last-minute crude cargoes as extremely high shipping costs complicate purchases from the Persian Gulf.
Bond yields add another challenge
Higher energy prices are feeding concerns about inflation, while government borrowing costs have also climbed.
Reuters reported on Friday that the U.S. 10-year Treasury yield was around 5.17%, after reaching roughly 5.22% during the week. Japan’s 10-year government bond yield touched 3.115%, its highest level since 1996.
Higher yields matter for businesses because they increase financing costs and can make future corporate earnings less attractive relative to government bonds. They can also put pressure on highly valued growth companies whose valuations depend heavily on expectations of future profits.
What businesses are watching next
The final week of September brings a new set of economic indicators that could influence expectations for interest rates. Reuters identifies U.S. employment data and U.S. and euro-zone inflation figures as key events for markets heading into the fourth quarter.
For companies and investors, the central tension is becoming clearer: AI investment is supporting equity markets, while energy costs and higher borrowing rates are increasing pressure on the wider economy.
That combination is likely to keep corporate investment, technology spending, energy costs and interest rates at the center of business-market discussions as the fourth quarter begins.
Sources: Reuters reporting published September 21–25, 2026; Bloomberg reporting carried by Rigzone on September 26, 2026.
Kenyan supermarket chain Quickmart is preparing to list on the Main Investment Market Segment of the Nairobi Securities Exchange, potentially giving members of the public an opportunity to own a stake in one of the country’s expanding retail businesses.
The retailer plans to offer 2 billion ordinary shares, representing 50% of the share capital of Sokoni Retail Kenya Limited, its sole shareholder. The transaction is subject to regulatory approval and is expected to launch around September 30. The owners have also indicated they could sell an additional 7.5% if demand is strong.
Quickmart currently operates more than 70 stores across Kenya. The company says its annual sales exceed KSh50 billion, while its June 2026 financial position showed only KSh6.8 million in borrowings and approximately KSh4 billion owed to suppliers under its supplier-financing model.
The planned transaction would represent a significant development for Kenya’s capital markets and retail sector, while providing existing shareholders with a route to partially realise their investment.
Photo: Quickmart supermarket . Sources: Daily Nation, Business Daily, Quickmart.
Kenya, US Strengthen Health Cooperation After Duale-Rubio Talks
By Hadrine Joyce
NEW YORK, United States — Kenya and the United States have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation in the health sector following discussions between Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, President William Ruto and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York and focused on the implementation of the Kenya-US Government-to-Government Health Cooperation Framework.
According to Duale, the discussions focused on strengthening Kenya’s health systems, expanding medical research and increasing capacity building in the health sector.
The Health Cabinet Secretary said the cooperation remains important to Kenya’s efforts to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC), improve access to quality healthcare and strengthen health outcomes.
The latest discussions build on a five-year Kenya-US health cooperation agreement signed in December 2025. Under the framework, the United States committed more than $1.6 billion in health assistance over five years.
The support targets areas including HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, maternal and child health, disease surveillance and broader health-system strengthening.
Duale said the partnership would also support professional training and research, helping Kenya strengthen its healthcare workforce and respond to emerging health challenges.
PHOTO CREDIT: @HonAdenDuale/X, as published by People Daily.
For many young people, Sunday is becoming more than just the end of the weekend. It is a chance to prepare mentally and physically for the week ahead. A Sunday reset can be as simple as cleaning the room, washing clothes, planning meals, organising schoolwork, preparing outfits and writing down goals for the coming week. The routine has become especially popular on social media, where people share videos of themselves cleaning their rooms, planning schedules and preparing meals. But behind the trend is a simple idea: starting Monday feeling organised can reduce some of the stress that comes with a busy week. You don’t need an expensive planner or a perfect morning routine. Sometimes, a clean room, a prepared meal and a clear plan are enough to make Monday feel different.
