Author: Jack Oduor

• There is a Climate Funding gap of 40 billion dollars in blue carbon, yet no Kenyan firms are undertaking it.
• According to the World Bank, Kenya remains vulnerable to frequent climatic shocks that pose significant economic risks.
• The East African country has been gravely affected by changing weather patterns and a fall in disposable income available for necessities.

Despite their considerable potential, Kenya is foregoing billions of dollars in untapped climate financing opportunities. While many startups are entering this sector, industry experts argue that the current figure remains insufficient to combat climate change adequately.

Pangea Accelerator, an investment platform that provides funding for startups and small and medium enterprises (SMEs), says that the region needs to grow the number of startups, fully focusing on the environment. The Founder of Pangea, Jonas Tesfu, says that as a country, Kenya needs to have a lot of innovative businesses join climate change initiatives …

• The AfDB’s mandate for a three-year social bond was announced on Wednesday, 17th January 2024.
• This issuance is a significant highlight amid a dynamic week in the USD SSA markets, witnessing the launch of eight benchmarks totaling US$17.25 billion within a span of two days.
• This new three-year Social Benchmark is the Bank’s first global benchmark of the year.

The African Development Bank has issued its first ever three-year social bond targeting to raise US$2 billion under its recently established Sustainable Bond Framework, which was launched in September 2023.

Set to mature on February 25, 2027, the Sustainable Bond Program seamlessly integrates and strengthens the African Development Bank’s existing Green and Social Bond initiatives, streamlining the issuance of green bonds, social bonds, and sustainability bonds.

This new three-year Social Benchmark is the Bank’s first global benchmark of the year, strategically aligning with the robust reopening of primary markets in January …

• Cybersecurity, corruption, and policy shifts have been cited among the top issues that Kenyan businesses will have to confront in 2024.
• In 2022, Kenya suffered a loss of at least $153 million to cybercrime, which is projected to rise by 14 per cent annually.
• A new report ranks Kenya as the second most difficult country for businesses in EAC after South Sudan.

Cybersecurity, corruption, and policy shifts have been cited among the top issues Kenyan businesses will have to confront in 2024.

The latest Risk Barometer by underwriting giant Allianz, reveals that in Kenya’s complex and dynamic business environment, several challenges loom, casting shadows on the entrepreneurial spirit that drives the economy.

The high cost of living directly impacts consumer spending, affecting businesses across sectors. A weakening currency coupled with inflation also threatens businesses and the economy.

According to Allianz Commercial CEO Petros Papanikolaou, the key challenges for companies …

• Kenya’s debt repayment in 2023 was majorly from the Consolidated Fund. 
• The country has faced liquidity challenges due to uncertainty in accessing funding from global financial markets.
• Analysts, however, maintain that the practice of taking on debt to pay debt is unsustainable.

The National Treasury has revealed that Kenya’s debt repayment surged to $3.69 billion (KSh600.73 billion) by December 2023. Despite an increase in revenue collection, Kenyans found little reason to rejoice as debt consumed 57 per cent of the government’s tax revenues, amounting to $6.14 billion (about KSh1.05 trillion).

Only 43 per cent of the generated revenue remained for development, salaries, and the state’s recurrent expenditure such as paying salaries.

The disclosure, titled “Kenya’s statement of actual revenues & net exchequer issues as of 31st Dec 2023,” signals a need for Kenyans to tighten their belts this year. President William Ruto’s administration anticipates higher repayments due to the devaluation …

• Rising volatility in Kenya’s Fixed Income Market derives from a combination of global and domestic factors.
• The yield curve soared fastest at the head and upper belly of the curve, rising by a cumulative 661bps on the three-month treasury bill.
• There is hope as it is anticipated, that a rebound in trading activity will happen in 2024.

The Kenyan Fixed Income Market displayed remarkable flexibility last year to experience one of the most rapid annual increases in yields resulting in a notable inversion of the effective yield curve.

According to financial experts, the rising volatility in the fixed income space derives from a combination of global and domestic factors.

On the external front, the rapid monetary policy tightening in 2022 and 2023 led investors to price-in bearish capital gain expectations for bonds.

On the domestic front, the rising concerns around fiscal sustainability indicators, coupled with an elevated inflationary regime in …

• In 2023, a significant investor sell-off led to a $15.5 million (KSh4.2 billion) decline in the Kenya stock market.
• During the review period, Safaricom’s market valuation declined, attributed in part to prolonged and price-agnostic portfolio outflows by foreign investors in favor of dollar-denominated assets.
• Utility Umeme Limited recorded the highest valuation gains throughout 2023, registering an impressive 115.6 percent return.

Nairobi Securities Exchange-listed firms, including Safaricom PLC, British American Tobacco (BAT), and Cooperative Bank, emerged among the top counters experiencing the highest investor sell-off in 2023, a new trading report reveals.

Over the past year, a consistent trend of investor flight led to the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) witnessing a drop of $15.5 million (KSh4.2 billion) in the value of shares traded on the bourse

The 2024 outlook report by AIB-AXYS Africa Investment indicates that despite some firms, such as Safaricom, recording improvements in share prices towards the end …

• International Finance Corporation targets specific projects in Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, Senegal, and South Africa.
• IFC’s $30 million (Sh4.8 billion), own-account investment will help Africa Infrastructure Investment Fund 4 Partnership (AIIF4) exceed its final close target of $500 million (Sh80.4 billion).
• A pan-African infrastructure private equity firm called the Africa50 Infrastructure Acceleration firm I is raising up to $500 million for investments

Kenya is among six African countries that International Finance Corporation (IFC) will pump $30 million (about KSh4.8 billion) equity investment to fund works on essential infrastructure.

The fund, managed by Africa Infrastructure Investment Managers (AIIM), part of the Old Mutual Group, will support projects in the telecoms, renewable energy, and transport sectors across Africa but with a specific focus on Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, Senegal, and South Africa.

In the telecoms sector, the fund will focus on financing data centers, fiber networks, and communications towers. In …

• Egypt has secured $250 million to aid its battered economy after the elections held in 2023.
• The country has been struggling, with the economy remaining on life support, while the regime continues to plough on with mega projects.
• Africa Finance Corporation and ITFC have a successful joint track record in Islamic finance, previously providing a $50 million loan to Egypt and a EUR 25 million loan to Senegal in November 2022.

Egypt has secured a $250 million loan from the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) to better prepare for anticipated shocks, disruptions, or stress that the North African country may experience.

As the continent’s primary provider of infrastructure financing solutions, AFC will extend a $250 million Sharia-law-compliant trade loan to Egypt in collaboration with the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC), a member of the Islamic Development Bank Group.

According to a statement from IFC, the loan proceeds will contribute to …

• Trade tensions within the EAC bloc have intensified lately, with neighboring countries taking adverse actions against each other.
• In the latest development, Tanzania is blocking passenger flights from Kenya Airways to Dar es Salaam, while Burundi has officially closed its borders with Rwanda.
• Elsewhere, Kenya has been pursuing trade deals with the European Union and the United States, leaving regional economies to play catch-up

Heightened trade and political tensions between the East African member states are threatening to erode the gains of a free market and the dividends of a united bloc for a region expected to achieve the fastest growth across Africa this year.

As East Africa increasingly evolves into a focal point for economic growth and development, underlying trade tensions are testing the region’s unity to the fullest. As nations strive to harness the benefits of globalization, differing economic policies and priorities can often strains trade relations defeating …

• Kenya’s electricity imports from its neighbours have more than doubled
• For years, Ethiopia has supplanted Uganda from position one, Kenya’s top source of power imports.
• The East African nation has revealed that it needs $5.3 billion to overhaul power transmission lines and forestall frequent blackouts.

Kenya’s electricity imports from its neighbours have more than doubled in the past year amid increased demand and a slower pace of investment in energy infrastructure.

Data by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) said the country imported 706.9 million kWh of electricity from Ethiopia and Uganda in the first 11 months of 2023, up from 288.27 million kWh in a similar period in 2022.

The bulk of the power imports — 546.5 million kWh — were sourced from Ethiopia during the period, according to KNBS, with the country emerging as Kenya’s biggest electricity supplier in the region. (pamblancopainting.com) Ethiopia has supplanted …