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News and Analysis
January 20, 2026
Hello and welcome to the Money News Roundup Newsletter, where we cover Safaricom’s plan to introduce a tokenised Wi-Fi plan. We also cover plans to close or merge schools that have low Grade 10 enrollment.
Safaricom plans to roll out tokenised Wi-Fi within the next month, introducing pay-as-you-go broadband access as it seeks to widen fixed internet usage beyond higher-income households and businesses.
The service will offer hourly, daily, and weekly access options, mirroring the flexible model that has driven mobile data adoption in Kenya.
The product will be launched in both Kenya and Ethiopia, targeting users who need heavy internet access for short periods but do not want to commit to monthly subscriptions.
As reported by the Business Daily, the product is expected to be available by late January or early February.
Details on whether the packages will have fixed data caps or unlimited access at different speeds are yet to be disclosed.
Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa said the telco is rethinking internet pricing and distribution to reach millions of users currently priced out of fixed broadband.
He noted that offering hourly, daily, and weekly options, alongside monthly plans, could unlock demand in high-traffic locations and lower the cost of serving low-income segments.
The company has just over 400,000 fixed broadband customers, compared with an estimated market potential of four million connections.
Last month, the telco introduced a Ksh800 monthly home fibre plan for households with irregular incomes.
The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) is rolling out a georeferencing technology that locks electronic tax invoices to specific physical locations in a bid to curb tax fraud estimated at up to Ksh 30 billion annually.
The system assigns precise geographic coordinates to invoices generated through the electronic Tax Invoice Management System (eTIMS), linking them to a seller’s registered location or service point.
As reported by the Business Daily, KRA says the move targets a surge in fictitious invoices, with the taxman flagging between Ksh 2 billion and Ksh 2.5 billion in fraudulent VAT claims every month.
According to KRA Commissioner for Micro and Small Taxpayers George Obell, geolocation will help identify invoice fraud hotspots, noting that similar systems are already used in countries such as Germany, Switzerland, Brazil, and the Netherlands.
The initiative comes as KRA conducts income and expenditure validation for the January–December 2025 period, requiring taxpayers to back declared expenses with eTIMS invoices, withholding tax certificates, and import records. Under the Income Tax Act, only expenses supported by eTIMS invoices are allowable.
KRA says fictitious invoicing persists despite the Special Table, which blocks non-compliant taxpayers from filing VAT returns. About 100,000 taxpayers are currently listed, many classified as missing traders.
To strengthen enforcement, KRA is developing a stock management module within eTIMS to ensure invoices align with actual inventory. The authority is also targeting invoice manipulation at fuel stations and has forwarded several fraud cases to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has warned that some secondary schools may be closed or merged due to low Grade 10 enrolment, as the government moves to concentrate resources in institutions with adequate student numbers.
Speaking during the Elimu Mashinani forum in Nairobi, Ogamba said the ongoing placement exercise shows sharp disparities, with some schools attracting tens of thousands of applicants while others receive none.
As reported by the Eastleigh Voice, He explained that the placement system reflects student choice, making it impractical to sustain schools with very few learners.
Ogamba said the ministry will analyse final data to identify under-enrolled schools and consider consolidation, while redistributing teachers to institutions with higher demand.
The CS added that the competency-based curriculum places learners into STEM, social sciences, or arts pathways based on assessed skills, with room for guided changes in Grade 10.
Treasury used a bond switch auction in January 2026 to push domestic debt repayments out to 2037, easing refinancing pressure without raising fresh cash.
The January 21 operation saw investors exchange the bond maturing in August 2026 for a longer bond that matures in April 2037.
As reported by the Kenyan Wall Street, the Treasury offered Ksh20.0 billion but accepted Ksh25.17 billion after bids reached Ksh26.49 billion, reflecting strong demand.
The weighted average yield settled at 13.1669%, below the coupon rate, resulting in a premium price.
The voluntary switch allowed Treasury to defer cash repayments while giving investors longer-term returns. Together with earlier switches, the strategy has rolled over more than Ksh90 billion and helped lengthen Kenya’s domestic debt maturity profile.
The Social Health Authority (SHA) has dismissed claims that some Kenyans receive preferential treatment when accessing health services, saying differences in approvals are driven by clinical factors.
Responding to concerns raised in a Daily Nation report, SHA said patients with similar diagnoses may still receive different approvals due to variations in their medical profiles, treatment needs, and care pathways.
SHA explained that pre-authorisation requests, including for cancer care, are processed through an automated digital system, limiting human interference.
As reported by Citizen Digital, factors such as stage of treatment, remaining annual oncology cover, case complexity, accuracy of hospital submissions, and choice of facility influence approvals.
The authority warned that any manipulation of the system will be investigated. It also said it is integrating the National Cancer Control Programme to improve standardisation and patient experience.
Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) plans to cut its reliance on petroleum-related business from 95 percent to 81 percent by 2030 as part of a broader strategy to diversify revenue, even as regional fuel demand remains strong.
Under its 2025–2030 strategic outlook, the shift will be driven by investments in non-petroleum ventures such as fibre optic connectivity and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) infrastructure.
As reported by Capital Business, KPC plans to develop an LPG bulk import handling and storage facility in Mombasa and expand its fibre optic cable business through links to submarine cables, satellite connectivity, and bulk data transport.
The firm, which has recently been listed on the NSE, is also exploring natural gas transportation to regional markets.
Meanwhile, petroleum demand remains robust, with regional consumption at 13 million cubic metres in FY2024/25. Domestic demand and transit volumes through the Port of Mombasa are both projected to rise steadily, led by Uganda as the largest transit market.
Aviation workers have accused the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) of unfair labour practices, warning of a nationwide shutdown if grievances are not resolved within seven days.
As reported by Eastleigh Voice, the Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU), some employees have gone more than 11 years without salary reviews, citing discrimination, stalled promotions, and unpaid overtime.
Speaking on Tuesday, KAWU Secretary General Moses Ndiema said court-ordered mediation had collapsed, leaving workers frustrated. He warned that failure to act would see all Kenyan airports shut down, including Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
Union officials said earlier that conciliation agreements, including staff confirmations, overtime payments, and equipment procurement, remain unimplemented.
KAWU urged the government to intervene urgently to avert disruption to aviation, tourism, and trade.
Thousands of Ugandans remain cut off from cash after authorities kept mobile money services offline despite restoring general internet access following last week’s elections.
As reported by the Daily Monitor, in eastern border towns such as Busia, residents are crossing into Kenya to withdraw money, transferring funds from Ugandan MTN and Airtel wallets to Kenyan platforms like M-Pesa and Airtel Money before converting them back to Ugandan currency.
The workaround has eased cash shortages for households but deepened losses for Ugandan mobile money agents and small businesses that depend on daily commissions.
Telecom operators say the restrictions remain in force under regulatory directives, with no clear timeline for full restoration. Authorities say the partial shutdown is a security measure, but pressure is mounting over its growing economic impact.
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