John Waweru Kamau

Nairobi

Data visualizer and Data journalist at Nation Media Group

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Articles

Firms going slow on permanent hires in cost-cutting measures

1 week ago | businessdailyafrica.com | John Waweru Kamau

About 17 percent of employees in top firms are casual workers, as firms increasingly turn to contract staff to control costs. Official statistics from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) show that individuals engaged in casual employment grew from 416,900 in 2020 to 559,200 in 2024, accounting for 17 percent of the 3.31 million formal sector workers This emerges in a period when Kenyaâ€™s soft economy has made firms reluctant to step up hiring and increase wages to cover inflation.
Households outpace trade and manufacturing for first time in dud loans

3 weeks ago | businessdailyafrica.com | John Waweru Kamau

Bad loans held by consumers overtook those of retailers, real estate and manufacturers, underlining the effects of shrinking payslips and layoffs on debt repayments. Latest data from the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) reveals that non-performing loans under households grew by 75.1 percent to Sh148 billion at the end of September last year. This saw defaulted consumer loans surpass those held by retailers and wholesalers (Sh125 billion), manufacturers (Sh125 billion) and real estate (Sh99 billion).
Kenyan online freelancers mint $1bn from digital service exports

4 weeks ago | businessdailyafrica.com | John Waweru Kamau

Kenya has ranked first in East Africa and third in Africa in export of services in information, communication and technology (ICT), also known as freelance online services, an indication of the growing demand for digital skills. UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) data reveals Kenya’s earnings from digital service exports jumped to $973 million in 2021, up from $567 million in 2020.
China, US, Pakistan leading sources of Kenya’s mitumba

1 month ago | businessdailyafrica.com | John Waweru Kamau

China was Kenya’s leading source of second-hand clothes, popularly known as mitumba, accounting for more than 50 percent of the East African nation's used clothing shipments. China became the dominant source of Kenya’s mitumba from 2016 after overtaking the United Kingdom. In 2023, Kenya imported used clothes valued at $183 million (Sh23.7 billion), mostly from China, where the country bought more than half of its mitumba.
End year cash in circulation grew slowest in 24 years

1 month ago | businessdailyafrica.com | John Waweru Kamau

Cash circulating outside the banking system in December grew 0.58 percent, the slowest in 24 years amid contracted payslips for those salaried and tough economic times for most Kenyans. Recent data from Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) reveals that cash circulating in the economy in December increased by Sh1.67 billion to close the year at Sh292.8 billion, reflecting a 0.58 percent growth in the festive month.
Kenya’s first US scholar: How ole Sempele opened the doors in 1909

1 month ago | nation.africa | John Waweru Kamau

When Kenyan pioneers are recounted, the name Molonket ole Sempele is seldom given its due recognition. Yet in May 1909, long before the winds of change swept across the land, Sempele embarked on a remarkable journey – sailing across the Atlantic Ocean at his own expense in pursuit of education in the United States.
Over 25s saddle retirees with economic burden

1 month ago | businessdailyafrica.com | John Waweru Kamau

A third of dependents of retirees were above 25 years and of working age, according to a new survey that underlines Kenyaâ€™s growing youth unemployment crisis. The Retirement Benefits Authority (RBA) pensioner survey indicated that 33.3 percent of those relying on retirees for their livelihood were above 25 years. It shows that individuals above 60 years and retired were spending their meager pension on their children often graduates expected to be in employment.
Adieu Kimani Waiyaki: The radical Kenyatta kidnapped from Uganda

2 months ago | nation.africa | John Waweru Kamau

It was the dead of night on March 7, 1968, when Jomo Kenyatta’s Special Branch reached across the border to snatch Kimani Waiyaki from his rented cottage in Kampala, Uganda. As the Kenyan officers, led by the feared Aggrey Okwirri, stormed Waiyaki’s residence with the backing of Idi Amin’s dreaded Uganda Research Bureau, the administrative secretary of Oginga Odinga’s Kenya People’s Union knew that his time was up. The raid was swift, brutal, and calculated.
McMillan Library’s second chance: Why Sakaja’s restoration plan is a win for Nairobi’s history

2 months ago | nation.africa | John Waweru Kamau

From the outside, the McMillan Memorial Library in Nairobi stands as an architectural gem. Clad in Nairobi blue stone, the building exudes an air of aristocracy while its neoclassical design lends it a timeless elegance. Yet, within its walls lies a library in decay. And that’s an understatement. That is not what Lady Lucie McMillan – she of Juja Farm and Ol Donyo Sabuk- had in mind as a legacy to her husband, Sir Northrup McMillan. This is not what she bequeathed to the people of Nairobi.
Kenya’s mobile money agent transactions hit Sh8.7 trillion

2 months ago | businessdailyafrica.com | John Waweru Kamau

Transactions worth Sh8.7 trillion were conducted through mobile money agents in 2024, underscoring the importance of mobile money in the daily lives of Kenyans. Data from Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) shows the agents recorded a Sh744 billion or a 9.4 percent growth from the Sh7.95 trillion in 2023. The amount dealt is equivalent to 53 percent of Kenya’s gross domestic product (GDP) of Sh15.1 trillion.