3h ago
Top five NSE stocks’ market-cap share slips to 62% as mid- and small-caps rally
The five largest stocks on the Nairobi Securities Exchange—Safaricom, Equity Group, KCB Group, EABL and Cooperative Bank of Kenya—now account for 62% of total market value, down from 66% at the start of the year. Gains in mid- and small-cap names such as Stanbic, DTB, Absa Bank Kenya, I&M Group, Kenya Power, BAT Kenya and Car & General have helped shift market weight, with valuation increases ranging from 24% to 207%. The move points to a broader rebalancing within Kenya’s equity market, without any index rule changes or major policy shifts.
3h ago
4h ago
Kenya High Court clears KCB to auction Cytonn-linked Cysuites hotel over Sh425.6 million loan default
Kenya’s High Court has ruled that KCB Group can auction the Cysuites apartment hotel owned through Wasini Resorts Ltd to recover a Sh425.6 million loan. The property had been pledged as collateral during an April 2018 share purchase in which Cytonn Investment Partners Twenty LLP acquired equity in Wasini Resorts. The government’s official receiver has also frozen Cysuites and other assets while pursuing recovery of more than Sh14 billion owed to about 4,000 investors.
4h ago
4h ago
BAT Kenya hit with Sh4.5 billion petition over alleged VELO nicotine pouch promotion
BAT Kenya is facing a constitutional petition seeking Sh4.5 billion over allegations it unlawfully promoted VELO nicotine pouches in breach of tobacco control laws. The case asks the court to award Sh1.5 billion to a public health fund and Sh3 billion in punitive damages, and to order a recall. It also seeks interim orders to stop VELO promotions and requires BAT to deposit Sh500 million as security, plus Sh10 million as security for costs.
4h ago
5h ago
Kenya central bank seeks Sh150 billion via reopened infrastructure bonds to ease Treasury bill rollovers
The Central Bank of Kenya has reopened a 10-year bond first sold in November 2019 at 12.28% annual interest, with 3.2 years left to maturity, aiming to raise Sh150 billion. The offer is designed to help refinance Sh195.7 billion of 91-day Treasury bills maturing over the next three months, including Sh15 billion due on September 7. The move is also intended to support the government’s Sh987.4 billion domestic borrowing target for the 2026/2027 financial year. The issuance is set to affect duration in the local-currency bond market and the shape of the yield curve.
5h ago
5h ago
Kenyan retail investors add Sh836.3 million in KCB shares, raise stake to 24.73% by June 2026
Kenyan retail investors bought an additional 9.72 million KCB Group shares worth Sh836.3 million in the three months to June 2026, lifting their stake to 24.73%. Over the same period, local institutions and foreign investors reduced their holdings as the bank’s share price rallied. KCB reported a 10.7% rise in net profit to Sh17.8 billion for the first quarter ended March 2026.
5h ago
5h ago
Kenya watchdogs flag Sh7.7bn in fees on unused loans over five years
Kenya’s Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu and Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o say the government incurred Sh7.7 billion in commitment charges over five years on loans that were drawn but left unused, raising concerns about the prudent use of public funds. They say the fees were paid to international lenders to keep funds available even as ministries failed to utilise them. The Controller of Budget also reports that in the first six months of fiscal year 2025/26 the Treasury bought back part of a $1 billion bond issued in 2018 and due 2028, spending Sh86.2 billion to repurchase Sh82.3 billion in face value. She says the transaction added about ShSh3.86 billion in extra costs, including premium and accrued interest.
5h ago