In a prospectus released on Tuesday, July 14, the CBK invited investors to bid for the reopened 20-year and 25-year Treasury bonds.

The offer, which opened on July 14, will run until July 22, with bids required by 10 a.m. on the closing date. The auction will also be conducted on July 22, with successful investors expected to settle their purchases on July 27.

The first bond, FXD1/2019/020, carries a coupon rate of 12.8730 percent and has 12.8 years remaining before its maturity on March 21, 2039.

The second bond, FXD1/2022/025, offers a higher coupon of 14.1880 percent and has 21.4 years left to maturity, with redemption due on September 23, 2047.

The proceeds from the issue will be used to support the government’s budget, continuing the State’s reliance on the domestic debt market to bridge financing needs while reducing exposure to external borrowing risks.

CBK said retail investors can participate through non-competitive bids, with investments ranging from a minimum of Sh50,000 to Sh50 million.

Competitive bids will require a minimum investment of Sh2 million for each tenor per Central Securities Depository (CSD) account.

Investors whose bids are accepted will be required to obtain their payment keys and payable amounts through the CBK DhowCSD Investor Portal or mobile application on July 24 before completing settlement three days later.

“All successful bidders should obtain the payment key and amount payable from the CBK DhowCSD Investor Portal/App under the transactions tab on Friday, 24-Jul-2026, for FXD1/2019/020 and FXD1/2022/025,” read part of the statement.

The securities will attract a 10 percent withholding tax and will be listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) upon issuance, enabling secondary market trading from July 27 in multiples of Sh50,000.

CBK further noted that the two bonds qualify for statutory liquidity ratio requirements under the Banking Act.

Also Read: NLAS announces 78 job vacancies

CBK reopens Treasury bonds with returns of up to 14.19pc first appeared on Bizna Kenya

In a notice on Tuesday, July 14, the state agency invited qualified and interested candidates to submit applications before the deadline.

The advertised positions include Director/CEO, Senior Deputy Director, Legal Aid, Senior Deputy Director, Human Resource and Administration, Deputy Director, Administration, Deputy Director I.C.T, Deputy Director, Finance and Accounts, Deputy Director Planning, Deputy Director, Corporate Communication, Deputy Director, Supply Chain Management and Deputy Director Internal Audit and Risk Assurance.

Others are Assistant Director Legal Aid, Assistant Director Administration, Assistant Director Planning, Principal Finance Officer, Principal HRM Assistant, Principal Accountant, Principal Planning Officer, Principal Corporate Communication Officer, Senior Legal Aid Officer and Senior Record Management Assistant.

NLAS is also seeking to recruit Senior Accountant, Legal Aid Officer, Legal Clerk l, Supply Chain Management Assistant/ Senior, Human Resource Management Officer I, Legal Clerk II, Record Management Assistant II, Legal Clerk III, Driver I and Driver II.

According to the advertisement, positions in Grades 1, 2 and 3 will be offered on a three-year renewable contract basis, while all other positions will be on permanent and pensionable terms.

“NLAS Grades 1, 2& 3 are on a three- years basis, renewable once, while the rest are on permanent and pensionable terms,” part of the advertisement read.

How to apply

Interested candidates are required to submit their applications online to recruitment@nlas.go.ke quoting the specific position and the reference number.

The application letters should be addressed to: Chief Executive Officer, National Legal Aid Service, P.O Box 45597-00100 Nairobi.

Applicants are further required to attach copies of their National Identity Card, certified copies of academic and professional certificates, supporting documents and testimonials, and a detailed Curriculum Vitae with three referees.

The deadline for submitting the applications is August 14, 2026, at 5:00 pm. The agency stated that hard-copy applications will not be accepted and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Successful candidates will be required to present clearance from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), a tax compliance certificate from the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), and  a certificate of good conduct from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).

They will also be required to present a certificate of clearance from the Credit Reference Bureau and the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB).

“The National Legal Aid Service is an equal opportunity employer; it does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process,” the notice added.

Also Read: Inside Kenyan fintech using AI to offer quick credit to small agribusinesses

NLAS announces 78 job vacancies; how to apply first appeared on Bizna Kenya

Whether you are building a startup, managing a growing SME or leading a large organisation, the tournament offers valuable insights that extend well beyond the football pitch.

Here are ten entrepreneurship lessons every business owner can learn from the 2026 World Cup.

1. Preparation Always Beats Talent Alone

Every team that reached the latter stages of the tournament invested years in scouting, coaching, sports science and player development.

Businesses are no different. Companies that consistently outperform competitors invest in systems, people, customer research and operational excellence long before results become visible.

Success is rarely accidental. It is usually the outcome of disciplined preparation.

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2. Adaptability Is a Competitive Advantage

No tournament unfolds exactly as expected. Injuries, tactical surprises and difficult opponents force teams to adjust quickly.

Entrepreneurs face similar realities. Customer preferences change, competitors introduce new products, regulations evolve, and economic conditions shift.

Businesses that adapt quickly often outperform those that cling to outdated strategies.

3. Young Talent Can Transform an Organisation

The World Cup continues to demonstrate that age is no longer the defining measure of capability. Young players have influenced matches at the highest level through confidence, creativity and technical excellence.

African businesses should view young professionals as strategic assets rather than inexperienced employees.

Giving emerging talent meaningful responsibility creates stronger organisations for the future.

4. Strong Brands Win Before Competition Begins

Global brands invest billions to associate themselves with the World Cup because they understand the long-term value of visibility and trust.

Customers buy from brands they recognise, remember and respect.

Entrepreneurs should focus on building a consistent brand identity through quality products, reliable customer service and authentic storytelling instead of relying solely on advertising.

5. Great Teams Outperform Individual Stars

Football has repeatedly shown that talented individuals cannot compensate for poor teamwork.

Successful businesses build cultures where employees communicate effectively, understand shared goals and trust one another.

When teams function well together, productivity and innovation naturally improve.

6. Every Crisis Presents an Opportunity

Some of the tournament’s most memorable victories have come after teams conceded early goals or faced difficult circumstances.

Business setbacks are equally inevitable.

Cash-flow challenges, failed products and unexpected competition should become opportunities to rethink strategy rather than reasons to abandon the business.

Resilience often becomes a company’s greatest competitive advantage.

7. Technology Is Changing the Rules

From artificial intelligence and performance analytics to advanced officiating systems, technology has become central to modern football.

The same transformation is reshaping business.

Entrepreneurs who embrace AI, automation, digital marketing, data analytics and cloud technology are positioning themselves for faster growth and better decision-making.

Ignoring technology increasingly means falling behind competitors.

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8. Opportunities Extend Beyond the Main Event

The World Cup generates economic activity far beyond football itself.

Hospitality businesses, transport providers, media companies, tourism operators, retailers, content creators and logistics firms all benefit from the tournament.

Entrepreneurs should always ask a simple question:

“What businesses are growing around major events?”

Some of the most profitable opportunities exist in supporting industries rather than the headline event itself.

9. Consistency Builds Long-Term Success

Championship-winning teams are not built through occasional brilliance.

They succeed because of consistent training, disciplined routines and continuous improvement.

The same principle applies to entrepreneurship.

Daily execution—serving customers well, managing finances responsibly and improving products—creates sustainable growth over time.

10. Build Systems That Outlive the Founder

The strongest football teams continue performing even when star players are unavailable.

Businesses should operate the same way.

Many SMEs struggle because every decision depends on the founder.

Entrepreneurs who build documented processes, develop leaders and empower employees create businesses that can scale and survive beyond the owner’s direct involvement.

Final Thoughts

The 2026 World Cup demonstrates that winning is never determined by talent alone. Preparation, adaptability, teamwork, innovation and disciplined execution consistently separate champions from the rest.

For African entrepreneurs, these lessons are particularly relevant as businesses navigate rapid technological change, increased competition and evolving customer expectations.

The entrepreneurs who succeed over the next decade will not necessarily be those with the biggest budgets. They will be those who prepare consistently, embrace innovation, build resilient teams and create systems capable of growing beyond the founder.

Like the world’s best football teams, successful businesses are built long before the final whistle.

10 Entrepreneurship Lessons from the 2026 World Cup Every Business Owner Should Learn first appeared on Bizna Kenya

The initiative, spearheaded by the Ministry of Education, is expected to enhance classroom instruction by integrating digital technology into teaching and learning while supporting the ongoing transition to competency-based education in public schools.

Basic Education Principal Secretary John Ololtuaa said 10,382 junior secondary schools will benefit from the first phase of the programme, with the remaining institutions to be covered in the second phase. Once completed, the rollout will reach more than 21,000 junior secondary schools across the country.

Speaking during a courtesy visit to Hill School Senior School in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, on Monday, Ololtuaa said the digital infrastructure programme demonstrates the government’s commitment to modernising Kenya’s education system and ensuring learners have access to technology-enabled learning environments.

“We’re also looking at all junior secondary schools. Some 10,382 of them across the country will receive smart boards in Phase One. In Phase Two, the remaining schools will also benefit,” he said.

The Principal Secretary noted that the government remains focused on ensuring the successful implementation of the Competency-Based Education system by investing in digital infrastructure alongside other essential learning resources.

“The Government of Kenya, through the Ministry of Education, is very keen to ensure that the Competency-Based Education is implemented accordingly, and the processes to implement it are going on in the best way possible,” he said.

Ololtuaa added that the Ministry of Education had received numerous development requests from schools across the country and would prioritise projects based on urgency and the availability of resources.

“I have already received a list of the projects you have requested. We will sit together with the school leadership and agree on the priority areas because we are serving the whole country,” he said.

The planned rollout of smart boards is expected to improve interactive learning, enhance digital literacy among learners and teachers, and support the delivery of the CBE curriculum, which places greater emphasis on practical skills, learner engagement, and the use of technology in the classroom.

Also Read: All teachers to renew their licenses every 5 years

First phase of smart board rollout to benefit 10,382 Junior Secondary Schools first appeared on Bizna Kenya

The financing gap has constrained investment in farm inputs, produce aggregation and expansion, limiting growth across agricultural value chains.

Financial technology firm Avenews is seeking to address this challenge through an artificial intelligence-powered lending platform that uses transaction data and machine learning to assess the creditworthiness of agribusinesses, enabling qualifying enterprises to access working capital within a short period.

The innovation replaces traditional collateral-based assessments with data-driven analysis of business performance, allowing agricultural enterprises with consistent transactions to secure financing more quickly.

Avenews Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Tseelon said the model was designed to solve one of the sector’s biggest constraints: limited access to affordable, timely, and flexible financing.

Unlike conventional lenders that depend heavily on security and lengthy approval processes, the platform analyses transaction records, sales patterns, seasonal trends and value chain performance to determine eligibility for credit.

“We base our credit decisions on transaction data rather than collateral. As long as a business demonstrates healthy transactions, we are able to assess the risk and provide financing quickly,” he said.

The financing is tailored to support agribusinesses facing short-term cash flow pressures, particularly those involved in purchasing farm inputs, aggregating produce, storing commodities and supplying agricultural products to processors and other off-takers.

According to Mr. Tseelon, delayed payments remain a major challenge for agricultural enterprises, with many buyers taking between 30 and 60 days to settle invoices.

The platform enables eligible businesses to access advance payments, allowing them to maintain operations without disrupting supply chains.

The ripple effects extend beyond agribusinesses to farmers. By improving the liquidity of agro-dealers, the financing helps maintain adequate stocks of seeds, fertilisers and other farm inputs, improving product availability while helping stabilise prices during planting seasons.

The company supports enterprises operating across dairy, horticulture, cereals, livestock and poultry value chains through partnerships with cooperatives, farmer organisations, produce aggregators and other agricultural market players.

Young entrepreneurs and emerging agribusinesses are among the primary beneficiaries of the platform.

Unlike conventional lenders that often require years of financial records, Avenews considers businesses with as little as three to six months of transaction history, using M-Pesa, bank or SACCO statements to assess creditworthiness.

To qualify, businesses must be formally registered, operate within the agricultural sector and record a minimum annual turnover of Sh300,000.

The company currently serves clients in western Kenya, South Nyanza, the Rift Valley, the Mount Kenya region and Nairobi, where field officers support businesses through onboarding, credit assessment and financial literacy training.

Despite relying on artificial intelligence to power lending decisions, Mr. Tseelon said direct engagement with customers remains central to the company’s approach.

“Technology helps us assess businesses efficiently, but we also invest heavily in field support because trust and close engagement are essential in serving rural enterprises,” he said.

Hundreds of agribusinesses have already secured financing through the platform, with many reporting stronger cash flow, higher trading volumes and business expansion after accessing working capital, according to the company.

The financing attracts daily charges of between 0.15 and 0.3 percent depending on the product, with borrowers paying only for the period the funds are utilised.

Customers are not charged for unused credit limits or for early repayment, providing greater flexibility for businesses managing seasonal cash flows.

Also Read: Alice Muhuhu: Kenyan doctor brings life-saving heart care closer to people

Inside Kenyan fintech using AI to offer quick credit to small agribusinesses first appeared on Bizna Kenya

This figure remains far below the global average of seven per cent. This considerable gap reflects a wider pattern in which insurance is treated as optional, something to consider later, once the more urgent bills are paid.

This gap matters more than most of us realise, because of the simple fact that women live longer than men. On average, women outlive men by five to seven years. This means that for those final years, many women will be managing a household, and sometimes their health, without the income or support that a spouse once provided.

Insurance is not a luxury reserved for the wealthy; it is a tool that protects everything else a woman has worked to build. A savings account can be depleted by a single medical emergency. A family home can be lost to a fire.

Insurance, whether it covers health, life, or the assets a family depends on, is what allows a family’s financial plan to hold together when life fails to go as planned.

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Why Most Kenyans Are Not Insured

The barriers to insurance uptake remain persistent, and they weigh differently on women. A 2025 GeoPoll survey cited affordability, unpredictable earnings, and mistrust of insurance companies as the main reasons most Kenyans go without cover. Some of these pressures are often a harsh reality for women managing informal incomes and side hustles, or juggling household budgets alone.

Kenya’s median income is relatively low, making it difficult for many to afford insurance coverage, with premiums considered too high. As a result, many Kenyans opt to spend their hard-earned money on something tangible that can bring immediate returns.

Most women assume insurance is something for later in life, once there is more to protect. However, there is never a more convenient time to protect their wealth, because an unpredictable crisis could strike at any moment.

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The Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA) notes that most Kenyans have expressed mistrust of insurance companies, stemming from disputed claims, lengthy payout delays, and policy issues. For women who are already the most cautious spenders in the household, this mistrust becomes another reason to postpone taking out insurance.

This is where bancassurance plays a huge role by bringing insurance into the same conversation as everyday banking. Women no longer need to treat protection as separate; it can also sit alongside a savings account or an investment plan overseen by a trusted financial partner, such as banks.

The Emergence of Bancassurance

Bancassurance, a model that positions banks as a bridge between insurance companies and millions of Kenyans, is gradually increasing insurance penetration by tackling the trust deficit that keeps so many women, and Kenyans more broadly, away from insurance uptake.

The bancassurance market has grown considerably, with Absa Bank Kenya maintaining its lead as the country’s most profitable bancassurance operator, recording a whopping Kes 1 billion in after-tax profits. These significant profits reflect the trust that Absa Bank has built with its customers.

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Through Absa Bancassurance Intermediary Limited (ABIL), the bank has forged strategic partnerships with various insurance companies to provide more affordable insurance solutions. Through a partnership with Old Mutual Kenya, we launched a join insurance product dubbed Linda Biz, a product targeting Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) that offers business assets, medical, and life insurance. This matters for women in particular, since they run a significant share of Kenya’s SMEs and are often the ones left exposed when a business goes uninsured.

Life is unpredictable, and proactivity is essential to financial preparedness. Every woman should ask herself: if an accident, a fire, or an illness struck tomorrow, would the wealth she has worked so hard to build survive it? Given how much longer a woman’s life may be, and how much of a household’s well-being rests on her shoulders, insurance uptake should be a top priority.

About the author

Julia Nechesa Shisia is a seasoned financial services executive with more than 20 years of experience in banking, insurance, and bancassurance across East Africa. She currently serves as Executive Director, Bancassurance at Absa Bank, where she leads strategic initiatives to drive growth, innovation, and customer value.

Throughout her career, Julia has held senior leadership positions at leading financial institutions, including Stanbic Bank and Absa, successfully transforming bancassurance businesses and delivering sustained commercial growth. Under her leadership, Absa Bancassurance recorded more than 40% profit growth and over 30% revenue growth in 2023, strengthening its position in the market.

A passionate advocate for collaborative leadership, talent development, and innovation, Julia is actively involved in professional industry associations where she champions women’s empowerment and leadership development. She is also an alumnus of Harvard University’s Senior Executive Program Africa (SEPA), reflecting her commitment to continuous learning and executive leadership excellence.

Bancassurance: The insurance bridge protecting the wealth Kenyan women build first appeared on Bizna Kenya

Years later, while training as a medical doctor at one of Africa’s largest public hospitals, she witnessed similar delays on a much wider scale. Patients frequently arrived with advanced disease simply because diagnosis had come too late.

During her medical education, Alice Muhuhu trained across several countries, including Kenya, Poland, Grenada, Egypt and South Africa. Experiencing medicine in very different healthcare systems revealed how strongly access to diagnostic technology shapes outcomes, often determining whether patients receive care early enough to prevent serious complications.

While training in Poland, she saw how technology could support proactive care when a woman arrived at the hospital after receiving an alert that she was at high risk of arrhythmia.

Back in Kenya during the 2019 pandemic, Alice Muhuhu saw the opposite: patients missing follow-up appointments, and arriving critically ill when it was already too late for early intervention. The contrast made clear how often healthcare in Kenya remained reactive rather than preventive.

Kenya’s healthcare system remains heavily centralized, with specialist services concentrated in major cities. Rural clinics often lack ECG equipment entirely, and where machines exist, interpretation depends on scarce cardiologists.

Late diagnosis of cardiac conditions can lead to stroke, heart failure and preventable deaths. Maternal cardiac complications, an often overlooked contributor to maternal mortality, also frequently go undetected.

Determined to address these challenges, Alice founded Aurora Health Systems to develop medical technologies tailored to the realities of healthcare delivery in Africa.

The result is MoyoECG, a wearable device designed to expand access to cardiac screening in low-resource environments. The device captures electrical signals from the heart from multiple angles and helps healthcare providers detect abnormal heart rhythms and other cardiac conditions earlier.

“Moyo” means “heart” in Swahili, reflecting the mission behind the technology: bringing life-saving cardiac care closer to the communities that need it most.

The platform uses embedded artificial intelligence to assist healthcare workers in interpreting cardiac signals more quickly, helping identify high-risk patients who require urgent referral for specialist care.

Designed for real-world conditions, the technology enables cardiac screening to take place directly at the point of care, even in clinics where connectivity and infrastructure are limited. The device can operate without reliable internet connectivity or stable electricity, allowing diagnostic services to reach communities that previously had little or no access to cardiac testing.

MoyoECG primarily serves rural and lower-tier health facilities where access to ECG diagnostics is minimal. Clinical pilots have demonstrated strong diagnostic performance while significantly reducing the time required for cardiac interpretation by frontline healthcare workers. The work has been recognized by the Kenya Cardiac Society and published in the Cardiovascular Journal of Africa (CVJA).

The innovation has also received international recognition, including being named Top African Winner by Qualcomm in 2024 and winning the HealthTech Hub Africa Innovation Challenge. The project has attracted support from organizations including the Novartis Foundation, the Global Fund and Standard Chartered Bank.

Beyond improving access to diagnosis, the platform is also contributing to the development of one of the largest ECG datasets from African populations, helping address global disparities in medical data and improving the accuracy of future diagnostic tools.

With support from the Africa Prize, the team aims to secure regulatory approvals, strengthen intellectual property protection, refine its AI pipeline and scale deployment beyond East Africa. Aurora Health Systems also plans to expand from its current network to more than 200 facilities, while continuing to develop new applications for maternal and neonatal cardiac monitoring.

For Alice Muhuhu, the mission goes beyond building a device. It is about proving that world-class medical innovation can emerge from Africa and be designed for the realities of the communities it serves.

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Quick Takeaway

• Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, and across sub-Saharan Africa non-communicable diseases are rising rapidly and projected to overtake infectious diseases as the leading cause of death by 2030.
• Access to cardiac diagnostics across the continent remains severely limited.
• In Kenya, fewer than 6% of health facilities have specialized cardiac diagnostic equipment, and only around 35 cardiologists serve a population of more than 50 million people. For millions of patients, life-saving diagnosis remains out of reach.

Alice Muhuhu: Kenyan doctor brings life-saving heart care closer to people first appeared on Bizna Kenya

Building on similar engagements in Nairobi and Mombasa, the Kisumu tour gave aspiring homeowners and investors a practical view of the local property market by connecting them with trusted developers, industry experts and flexible financing options.

As Kisumu strengthens its position as a commercial and investment hub, demand for quality housing continues to rise. Infrastructure development, regional air connectivity, planned railway expansion, population growth, and investment across retail, hospitality and education are making the city increasingly attractive to homebuyers and investors.

According to a 2022 report by the Kenya Mortgage Refinance Company (KMRC), homeownership in Kisumu stood at approximately 57.8%, leaving an estimated 42.2% of urban households renting. This underscores the need for accessible financing solutions that empower more families to transition into homeownership.

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Speaking on the engagement, Dennis Njau, Group Director – Retail Banking, NCBA, said: “At NCBA, our purpose of Banking on Belief, Empowering Ambition guides everything we do. We believe homeownership is a powerful catalyst for financial security, wealth creation and long-term prosperity. The Kisumu Property Investment Tour reflects our commitment to equipping Kenyans with the knowledge, trusted partnerships and innovative financing solutions they need to make informed property investment decisions with confidence. Whether purchasing an Affordable Housing unit, acquiring land through Easy Build, investing in a completed home or adopting clean energy through Solar Leasing, NCBA is committed to supporting customers at every stage of their property ownership journey, enabling them to turn their ambitions into lasting legacies

During the tour, participants visited four residential developments: Anderson Park, Jamii Jua, NHC Kanyakwar and California Gardens. Together, these projects showcase a diverse mix of housing options ranging from Affordable Housing developments to premium residential communities, catering to first-time homeowners, families and investors alike.

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Participants also engaged legal experts, valuers, property developers and NCBA property finance specialists, gaining practical insights into due diligence, ownership documentation, mortgage structuring, affordability assessments, insurance and financing options.

The tour highlighted NCBA’s property financing ecosystem, including KMRC-backed Affordable Housing mortgages priced at 9.5% fixed interest rate, standard residential mortgages, plot financing, construction financing, Easy Build, equity release solutions and the just-launched Solar Leasing value proposition. Together, these offerings create flexible pathways for customers to buy, build, finance and sustainably power their homes.

The tour also demonstrated NCBA’s sustainability focus, with participants travelling between developments using electric buses as part of the Bank’s commitment to environmentally responsible solutions and sustainable communities.

NCBA continues to support homeownership through partnerships with leading developers, including NHC, SIC, Jamii Jua and Shelter Afrique. The Bank also serves diaspora customers through its Kisumu branches, with Easy Build enabling diaspora to purchase land and undertake phased construction through counsel by a consortium of experts including Architects, Quantity Surveyors and Contractors working with the Bank, while living and working overseas.

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Beyond property showcases, NCBA offers up to 105% mortgage financing to reduce upfront costs, construction financing, buy-and-build solutions, expert project support from in-house quantity surveyors and competitive home insurance, providing end-to-end support from acquisition through long-term homeownership.

Beyond property showcases, NCBA offers up to 105% mortgage financing to reduce upfront costs, construction financing, buy-and-build solutions, expert project support from in-house quantity surveyors and competitive home insurance, providing end-to-end support from acquisition through long-term homeownership.

NCBA brings property investment drive to Kisumu as demand for housing grows

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NCBA brings property investment drive to Kisumu as demand for housing grows first appeared on Bizna Kenya

It could be buying a home, starting a business, raising children, supporting ageing parents or saving for retirement. Achieving these milestones often takes years of discipline, careful planning, and sacrifice.

Take the example of a young family that has just purchased land and built a home after securing a loan. They budget carefully each month, balancing loan repayments, school fees, and daily household expenses.

Then one spouse is diagnosed with a critical illness that requires prolonged treatment and time away from work.

Suddenly, the family’s financial priorities change. Income reduces, but the loan repayment schedule remains the same. School fees are still due, and everyday expenses continue to accumulate. What seemed like a well-planned financial future is now under pressure; not because the family failed to plan, but because life happened.

AfricaNenda supported by Gates Foundation partner with Equity Group

A similar challenge faces many entrepreneurs.

A business owner may spend years growing an enterprise that supports not only their family but also employees, suppliers and customers. If an accident, disability or unexpected death prevents that individual from running the business, the financial impact extends far beyond one person. Families lose income; businesses struggle to operate, and livelihoods are affected.

While many people focus on reaching their life goals, fewer stop to consider how they would protect them if life suddenly took an unexpected turn. Whether it is a critical illness, disability, or the loss of a breadwinner, unexpected life events can disrupt a family’s financial stability almost overnight.

While savings help build wealth, they may not always be enough to protect a family against major life disruptions. Financial planning should go beyond saving and investing. That is where life insurance plays an important role.

Equity Insurance provides individuals and families with a financial safety net against covered life events, helping protect the people and goals that depend on their income. It can help families continue meeting essential financial obligations such as education expenses, loan repayments and day-to-day living costs, reducing the risk of having to exhaust savings or dispose of investments during difficult times.

In effect, life insurance complements other financial planning tools by protecting the progress families have worked so hard to achieve.

For many people, however, affordability remains a concern. Paying an insurance premium upfront can seem difficult, particularly when households are already balancing school fees, rent or mortgage repayments, business expenses and other financial commitments.

Recognizing this challenge, Equity offers Insurance Premium Financing (IPF), enabling customers to access eligible insurance cover immediately while spreading the premium into manageable monthly repayments.

This makes it easier for individuals, businesses, and institutions to access insurance protection without the burden of paying the full premium upfront.

Preparing for the unexpected does not mean expecting the worst. It means recognizing that the future we are working so hard to build deserves protection.

Photo caption:

A Kenyan family proudly outside their home, reflecting the dreams, sacrifices, and financial milestones that many families work years to achieve. Life insurance helps protect those achievements when unexpected life events threaten a family’s financial stability.

Life happens: Are your biggest goals truly secure? first appeared on Bizna Kenya

Across sub-Saharan Africa, smallholder farmers produce up to 80 per cent of the region’s food supply while accounting for the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people. Yet they remain among the most vulnerable to climate change, volatile commodity prices, declining soil fertility and limited access to finance. The paradox is stark: those who contribute the least to global emissions are often the first to bear the consequences of a changing climate.

This challenge extends to Africa’s palm oil sector. While global conversations about palm oil often focus on Southeast Asia, Africa is the crop’s ancestral home and is increasingly becoming part of the global sustainability agenda. Smallholders are estimated to account for nearly 70 per cent of Africa’s palm oil production, making them indispensable to both food security and economic development.

Demand for vegetable oils is projected to continue rising as populations grow and urbanisation accelerates. The question, therefore, is not whether Africa should produce more palm oil, but how it can do so responsibly. Expanding production at the expense of forests, biodiversity and community rights would be a costly mistake. Equally, denying smallholders access to growing markets because they cannot meet sustainability requirements would only deepen rural inequality.

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Investing in Smallholders as the Foundation of Sustainable Agriculture

The solution lies in making sustainability an investment rather than a compliance exercise. Certification is often viewed as an extra cost rather than an investment. Yet, experience increasingly shows that sustainable production improves productivity, strengthens resilience and opens access to premium markets. Better agricultural practices can reduce unnecessary input costs, improve yields and protect natural resources that farmers depend upon for future harvests. Sustainability, in other words, is becoming central to business competitiveness.

This was a recurring message during the recent RSPO Africa Supply Chain Forum held in Nairobi, which brought together growers, manufacturers, refiners and other downstream actors to explore how Africa can accelerate the uptake of certified sustainable palm oil. The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) acknowledges that transforming the market requires more than standards. It demands stronger partnerships across governments, financial institutions, buyers and producers.

Encouragingly, there are signs of progress. Through the RSPO Smallholder Support Fund, more than US$800,000 has been invested in projects supporting independent smallholders across six African countries. In Sierra Leone alone, over 5,000 independent farmers have achieved certification through Africa’s first certified independent smallholder group, demonstrating that sustainability is achievable when farmers receive the right technical support and market incentives.

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The broader economic context makes this work even more urgent. According to the African Development Bank (AfDB), agriculture contributes approximately 23 per cent of Africa’s GDP and employs more than half of the continent’s workforce. By 2050, Africa’s population is expected to approach 2.5 billion people, significantly increasing demand for food, edible oils and agricultural commodities. Meeting that demand sustainably will require productivity gains and ensuring any required agricultural expansion does not compromise forests and high conservation value areas.

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Kenya holds an opportunity. Although not a palm oil-producing country, it is one of Africa’s largest importers of edible oils and an important manufacturing hub for consumer goods. Decisions made by processors, retailers and manufacturers in Nairobi have implications that extend across regional supply chains. Growing palm oil production in West and Central Africa could create future intra-African trade. As more companies adopt sustainability commitments, market demand for certified products is likely to increase.

Removing Barriers Facing Africa’s Smallholder Farmers

The challenge is ensuring that smallholders are not left behind. For many farmers, barriers remain practical rather than ideological. Limited access to affordable finance constrains investment in improved seedlings and farm management. On many smallholder farms, the oil palm plants are past their productive lifecycle because farmers cannot afford to replant, lacking alternative crops or income sources to sustain them during the three to four years before the new oil palm is commercially productive. Land tenure insecurity discourages long-term investment.

These obstacles are not insurmountable. They require coordinated action. Financial institutions can develop lending products tailored to smallholder realities. Development partners can continue investing in farmer training and capacity building. The private sector can reward sustainable production through long-term sourcing commitments that provide farmers with confidence to invest, in addition to incentives such as premiums.

Building Resilient Agricultural Value Chains for Africa’s Future

Africa has an opportunity to chart a course towards sustainability that provides economic growth by creating resilient farming communities and stable supply chains that attract foreign investment and ensure environmental protection. That opportunity begins with recognising the smallholder as the greatest strategic asset in the value chain.

Why an investment in sustainable agriculture must include the African smallholder first appeared on Bizna Kenya