Kenn Abuya

Here, Nairobi, Thēre

Senior Tech Reporter at TechCabal

EA's ambassador for @techcabal

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Articles

Chpter expands to 11 more African countries through Flutterwave deal

1 week ago | techcabal.com | Kenn Abuya

Chpter, the Kenyan software startup building infrastructure for social commerce, has expanded into 11 more African countries through a deal with fintech company Flutterwave. The new markets are Ghana, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Egypt, Burkina Faso, Malawi and Zambia, expanding its presence in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa. The deal allows Chpter customers to accept payments using mobile money, cards and bank transfers.
Kenya extends real-time bank transfer hours

1 week ago | techcabal.com | Kenn Abuya

Kenya has begun modernising its financial infrastructure by extending the operating hours for its Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) system, the Kenya Electronic Payment and Settlement System (KEPSS). Starting July 1, 2025, KEPSS will operate from 7 AM to 7 PM on business days, up from the current 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM schedule. KEPSS is Kenya’s version of what many countries call an RTGS system, a central infrastructure bank use to securely transfer real-time high-value payments.
Safaricom Ziidi on the spot over anti-competitive behaviour

1 week ago | techcabal.com | Kenn Abuya

A fund manager has asked the Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK) to investigate Safaricom over what he says is preferential treatment for its new money market product, Ziidi. The May 26 letter by I.C. Law LLP, which mentions Cytonn CEO Edwin Dande as its client, claims that Safaricom is distorting the market by giving Ziidi free access to its M-PESA infrastructure while rival funds are forced to pass on transaction costs to customers.
Kenya wants crypto taxes fast, but offers few answers in return

2 weeks ago | techcabal.com | Kenn Abuya

Kenya’s tax authority collected KES 10 billion ($77 million) in taxes from crypto traders in the financial year ending June 2024. On the surface, that figure suggests that digital assets, long outside formal systems, are finally being pulled into the state’s revenue net. But scratch beneath that number, and a more complex story emerges, one that speaks to regulatory uncertainty, technical blind spots, and the looming risks of designing a tax regime for an industry still in its early stages.
Inside Roam Electric's Nairobi plant assembling 15 bikes daily

2 weeks ago | techcabal.com | Kenn Abuya

About 10 kilometres from Nairobi’s central business district, inside the city’s industrial zone along Mombasa Road, Roam Park sits behind a modest gate. The 10,000-square-metre facility is the site of Roam’s unfolding electric motorcycle assembly facility. Around 20 to 30 Kenyan technicians and engineers are spread across different stations inside the facility, including warehousing, fabrication, welding, electronics, and testing.
Twiga Foods halts Nairobi operations, considers new distribution hub

3 weeks ago | techcabal.com | Kenn Abuya

Twiga Foods, one of Kenya’s most funded e-commerce startups, is temporarily suspending its Nairobi operations for two months as part of what the company calls “the final stage” of its ongoing business overhaul. The move follows months of internal restructuring, acquisitions, and layoffs to cut costs and shift to a leaner, more data-driven distribution strategy.
Loan recovery efforts in Kenya intensifies

3 weeks ago | techcabal.com | Kenn Abuya

Kenyan banks are intensifying loan recovery efforts as household debt stress deepens, signalling a hard turn from pandemic-era leniency. More than 30 lenders are now targeting overdue personal and household loans, a category flagged by the Central Bank of Kenya as the most likely to see more defaults this quarter. In its latest Credit Officer Survey, 33% of the 39 banks surveyed said they expect non-performing loans (NPLs) in the personal and household segment to rise between April and June 2025.
DigiTax chases Africa’s rising demand for tax tech

3 weeks ago | techcabal.com | Kenn Abuya

Founded in 2022 by Caine Wanjau and Thuku wa Thuku, Kenyan startup, DigitTax, provides electronic invoicing (e-invoicing) software designed to meet rising tax authority demands across Africa. More governments, including Kenya, are rolling out e-invoicing mandates to tighten tax collection, and businesses need reliable tools to comply or risk penalties. DigiTax’s work is hinged on this development.
Kenya revives push to give KRA access to private financial data

3 weeks ago | techcabal.com | Kenn Abuya

Kenya is considering removing a legal provision that protects personal and customer financial data from tax authorities. In the 2025 Finance Bill, the Treasury has proposed deleting Section 59A(1B) of the Tax Procedures Act, a clause introduced in December 2024 that bars the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) from compelling businesses to share trade secrets or personal data collected from their customers.
The real cost of chasing higher returns in private debt

3 weeks ago | techcabal.com | Kenn Abuya

First published 01 June, 2025 The real cost of chasing higher returns in private debt Image | Alter Finance Across Africa’s startup landscape, attention usually goes to big-ticket equity raises, flashy valuations and headline-making VC or private equity (VCPE) backing. But underneath, a quiet and telling shift is underway. Startups and growth-stage companies are increasingly relying on debt financing, sometimes in conjunction with equity, and sometimes as the primary strategy.