Mumias Sugar closed for maintenance work

Mumias Sugar Company has temporarily suspended operations for urgent maintenance work.Outgoing managing director Coutts Otolo Thursday said the month-long break will enable them fix equipment which had contributed to the company’s poor performance due to inconsistency in maintenance…[...]

PwC  roots for SMEs role in African trade

The recently signed African Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA) agreement should incorporate financial co-operatives if its impact is to trickle down to the small sectors of the economy, a new paper by financial advisory and audit firm PricewaterhouseCoopers says.According to PwC, free trade agreements (FTAs) are not designed to meet the needs of emerging market economies or smaller financial institutions, and thus risk marginalising the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and the agriculture sector in areas where financial inclusion is still low…[...]

Is Qatar bank planning Kenya acquisition?

Recent moves and tactics by the giant Qatar National Bank (QNB), the largest bank in the Middle East and northern Africa region are intriguing. On Wednesday, they took out full-page adverts in the local newspapers disclosing results for the period ended June 30, 2015.By all accounts, this is a massive bank with a whopping $140 billion (Sh14.2 trillion) in assets. The move is intriguing because normally, banks only publish financial statements in markets where they are licensed to offer banking services…[...]

Kebs launches new standards to guide chemical use on flower farms

The Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) has introduced new quality benchmarks that seek to protect workers and the environment from chemicals used by flower farms. Exposure of workers and the environment to harmful chemical has been a major source of conflict in the flower growing zones.The measures require the operators in the flower sector to observe hygienic and safety requirements during the production, handling, and marketing of flowers and ornamentals…[...]

Horticulture sector to face higher standards

The horticulture sector players will now be expected to comply with new standards that spell out code of practice in the horticulture industry.  Kenya Flower Council (KFC), revised the standards, a move that was commended by MrOngwae, saying that this will improve labour practices and environmental conservation efforts of the sector…[...]

Kenya seed company increases production of pasture seeds in a bid to counter shortage

Kenya Seed Company has moved in to counter the growing demand for pasture seeds in the North Rift by improving on its production. The move has been realised following a drastic shift by farmers in the region from maize farming towards milk production…[...]

World Bank warns Kenya on coal energy

As the Kenyan Government spends billions of Shillings in exploration of coal, the World Bank has warned that carbon emitters will pay hefty taxes for it in the next 20 years. The Government intends to start a coal project in Lamu in September this year, as it continues exploration of coal deposits that began in March this year in Kwale, TaitaTaveta and Kilifi counties…[...]

Kenya Shilling weakens as energy firms buy dollars

The shilling weakened yesterday as oil companies bought dollars, taking advantage of a strengthening in the local currency on Tuesday after the Central Bank sold dollars. Shares finished lower. worrying officials fear this could lead to higher inflation…[...]