News and Analysis
February 27, 2026
Hello and welcome to the Money News Roundup Newsletter, where we cover CBK’s approval for Safaricom to mask customer numbers in transactions made to Till and PayBill numbers. We also cover plans to restrict private cars at JKIA ahead of planned expansion.
Safaricom is set to roll out a data minimisation feature on M-Pesa that will mask customers’ phone numbers when making payments to Till and PayBill numbers.
This comes after the telco received regulatory approval from the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK)
In a letter to Safaricom, the CBK confirmed it had reviewed and approved the request to implement partial number masking for peer-to-peer and merchant transactions.
As reported by Business Daily, the feature will hide a sender’s full mobile number during transactions, though recipients may request to view it, subject to the sender’s consent.
Once activated, merchants will no longer see a customer’s full phone number alongside payment confirmations, limiting exposure of personal data at the point of sale.
The move aligns with the Data Protection Act, which requires firms to collect only necessary data.
CBK also directed Safaricom to conduct consumer awareness campaigns, monitor feedback and submit monthly compliance reports.
The rollout comes amid heightened scrutiny over data privacy, with Kenya’s High Court last year awarding over Ksh13 million in damages to consumers over unlawful data use.
Temporary parking and Terminal 1E at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport will be removed to allow urgent terminal expansion to boost capacity.
As reported by Kenyans.co.ke, under the proposed plan, only airport taxis and ride-hailing vehicles will access the main terminal, while private cars will use the long-term car park for drop-offs and pickups.
Terminals 1B and 1C may be merged for international departures, while Terminal 1D will handle domestic flights.
International arrivals will move to Terminal 1A, creating space for Terminal 1D expansion.
The upgrades aim to relieve congestion and eventually increase JKIA’s capacity from 7.5 million passengers to 22.3 million by 2029. The plan was developed with Dar Al-Handasah.
The Communications Authority of Kenya has approved new interconnection call rates, cutting charges from Ksh0.41 to Ksh0.37 per minute from March 1, before further reductions to Ksh0.35 (2027–2028), Ksh0.33 (2028–2029) and Ksh0.30 (2029–2030).
The phased cuts to Mobile Termination Rates (MTR) and Fixed Termination Rates (FTR) aim to lower the cost of off-net calls and boost competition.
As reported by Eastleigh Voice, the review follows the 2022 Telecommunications Network Cost Study, which found existing rates were above actual network costs.
Previously, rates were reduced from Ksh0.58 to Ksh0.41 for March 2024–February 2026. The new rates apply to local voice traffic, with operators free to negotiate lower fees. Firms must update interconnection agreements and file variations by February 15.
Britam General Insurance has launched an artificial intelligence-powered motor claims service that settles eligible claims within two hours, cutting the typical five-day turnaround.
The Britam AI Motor Assessment Service, based at Britam Centre and developed at BetaLab, serves comprehensive motor vehicle policyholders with minor, drivable damage.
As reported by Capital Business, vehicles are photographed and assessed using AI in about 15 minutes, after which customers complete a digital claim form sent to their phones.
The form is reviewed within 30 minutes, and payment is processed within the next hour via bank transfer, M-Pesa or the repair authority.
According to the Insurance Regulatory Authority, 22,364 claims worth Ksh658.9 million were rejected in Q1 2025. Britam says its AI system reduces fraud and speeds up settlements.
Global oil prices have increased after at least three ships were attacked near the Strait of Hormuz, as Iran intensified strikes across the Middle East following attacks by the US and Israel.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations said two vessels were hit and a third damaged by a nearby explosion.
The strait, which handles about 20% of global oil and gas, has seen shipping slow sharply.
Brent crude rose over 4% to Ksh9,826 ($76.16) a barrel, while US oil increased to Ksh8,989 ($69.67).
Analysts warn prices could exceed Ksh12,000 ($100) if disruption persists. Oil-exporting countries have pledged to raise output, but uncertainty remains high as tensions escalate and insurers raise costs.
For Kenyans, the conflict could see fuel prices increase as importation costs increase, further impacting the cost of living. Read more
Prudential Financial Inc. is set to sell its entire 24.1% stake in ICEA Lion Insurance Holdings, which it acquired from the family of former CBK governor Philip Ndegwa in 2021 for Ksh2.4 billion.
As reported by Business Daily, the stake is held via Leapfrog Strategic Africa Investments (LSAI) through Eastern Africa Holdings, a UK-based investment vehicle.
Prudential has not disclosed the buyer or deal value. The sale, announced in January 2026, is subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.
The move aligns with Prudential and Leapfrog’s strategy of investing, growing value, and exiting to redeploy capital into higher-return opportunities.
ICEA Lion provides life and general insurance across Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, with ICEA Lion Life holding a 13.9% market share and posting a net profit of Ksh3.59 billion in 2024, while ICEA Lion General grew to Ksh1.34 billion.
Fund managers in Kenya could face annual regulatory fees of up to Ksh339 million under the proposed Capital Markets (Licensing Requirements) General Regulations 2025.
The new rules, currently before Parliament, set annual fees at 0.05% of assets under management (AUM) for unit trusts and collective investment schemes, with a minimum of Ksh100,000 and a maximum of Ksh15 million.
As reported by Business Daily, non-CIS funds, excluding pension schemes, will pay 0.01% of AUM, capped at Ksh15 million.
The regulations also double the minimum capital requirement for fund managers to Ksh20 million and cap cross-investments in other CIS funds at 10% of AUM.
Kenya’s unit trust AUM stood at Ksh679.6 billion as of September 2025, up from Ksh316.4 billion in 2024, with investors rising from 1.29 million to 2.95 million. Fund managers will have 12 months to comply once the rules are adopted.
Limuru Tea Plc has issued its third consecutive profit warning, joining at least 12 firms on the Nairobi Securities Exchange to flag earnings declines in the past year.
As reported by the Kenyan Wall Street, the company cited rising labour and operating costs and weak prices at the Mombasa Tea Auction. It has now warned for FY2023, FY2024 and FY2025, after earlier alerts in FY2017 and FY2021.
Tea Board data shows average auction prices at Ksh295.75 ($2.190 per kilo in 2024, up from Ksh277.82 ($2.15) in 2023, amid volatile monthly pricing.
Higher national output has capped price recovery, squeezing margins for smaller producers with limited pricing power.
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