Maudhui House

In early 2004, Nick Hughes, the then Head of international payments at Vodafone group landed a ground funding deal with the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) to finance a micro-finance concept idea he had. The purpose of this funding was to assist private-sector companies like his, to take risks on certain special projects. At the time, Micro-finance and Micro-Credits dominated the conversations of every...

Household smoke – causing respiratory infections; is thought to be the world’s most lethal environmental problem. In Kenya for instance, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that each year, up to 15,000 premature deaths can be directly blamed on household air pollution. Wood and charcoal fires (primarily used for cooking) are among the leading emitters of a deadly Particulate Matter...

As the country we live in continues to mature into a technologically advanced society, our money is quickly being transformed into plastic and digital numbers. Right now Kenya is still a society that very much likes cash, but the rise and popularity of services such as M-Pesa, Equitel and card payments is an example of how quickly things can change.

The Banking sector will drive the Nairobi Securities Exchange market in terms of earnings and dividends over the next five years. Egyptian investment firm EFG Hermes Holding says banks will grow their loans by up to 19.2 percent in the next five years after the rate cap was removed in November. The banks will also ride on an 8.4 percent increase...

The founders of Safaricom were an ambitious bunch. From an initial investment of only USD 25 Million and with only 17,000 not-so-happy customers inherited from Telkom Kenya 19years ago, the company has morphed into the largest & most profitable business in Eastern Africa - controlling half of the capitalization of the NSE at a whooping Sh1.14 trillion in value for shareholders. The telco’s market value is...

Poverty in most developing nations has a female face. Kenya is no exception.  In a country where adding economic value involves muscle power, women – especially those living in lower-income settlements are bound to limited opportunities, under-representation in decision-making processes at all levels and are likely to earn less than their male counterparts at work. Related Story: A financial lift has...