Banking On SEZs

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September 18, 2025

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Howdy!

It's Brian from The Kenyan Wall Street…

In today's edition, KCB has joined the fray of financiers betting on SEZs to revamp Kenya's industrial future. Also…

  • NMG is undergoing a shareholder reorganization.

  • Uber's new path to Kenyan safari sector

  • Where startup founders need to invest if they want returns

Banking On SEZs 

By Brian Nzomo

Kenya’s latest bet on prosperity is in Special Economic Zones (SEZs) designed to churn out factories instead of promises. At the coast, Dongo Kundu is being primed as more than a port-side afterthought, while in Naivasha, a sprawl of land is being redrawn as a gateway to the northern corridor.

Afreximbank, with KCB at its side, has put its money where the blueprints are, trading the language of loans for the posture of partners. The choreography is deliberate: bankers as builders, financiers as midwives, industry as the child to be delivered.

Officials say jobs, exports, and growth will follow, but the real experiment is whether these enclaves can turn Kenya from a country that ships out raw goods into one that ships out finished ambition. If the gamble works, the names of these parks will be shorthand for an economy remade; if it doesn’t, they risk joining the long gallery of projects remembered more for ribbon cuttings than results.

Read more here >>>>>

Kenyan Company to Acquire 54% Stake in NMG

By Harry Njuguna

The Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development is reshuffling its cards in Nation Media Group, moving its 54 percent stake to a locally incorporated entity, NPRT Holdings Africa.

The Capital Markets Authority (CMA) has approved through the transfer, exempting NPRT from making a mandatory offer to minority shareholders, keeping the process contained.

NPRT says it has no plans to expand its position beyond the transferred shares. NMG will remain listed across East Africa, its top ten shareholders still controlling nearly three-quarters of the company.

Read more here >>>>>

Where Startup Founders Should Bet Big: Africa’s Top 5 High-ROI Markets

By Sylvester Omondi

Africa’s startup scene is maturing, but the terrain is uneven. Some countries are proving to be fertile ground for outsized returns, while others remain more difficult to navigate.

Velex Advisory, after more than a decade of guiding investors on the continent, has taken a closer look at where the balance tilts most favorably. Their new report doesn’t just flag opportunity, it suggests a pattern in how capital, policy, and innovation converge.

For entrepreneurs and investors alike, it’s a glimpse into where Africa’s next big wins are likely to be found.

Read more here >>>>>

Also on Tech

Reap, Fincra Sign MoU to Power Cards and Cross-Border Payments Innovation Across Africa

Fincra and Reap have announced a formal partnership to transform cross-border payments between Africa and Asia.

share.google/2CFNeuJvsAHElJXnv

China Bans Nvidia Chip Purchases, Deepening US-China Tech Rift

China's internet regulator has ordered its biggest tech companies to stop buying Nvidia's artificial intelligence chips

share.google/w1JhMiZ1wuS3n3PT4

Insight 

Uber Safari is Welcome to the Travel Party

By Muthuri Kinyamu

Uber has found a new lane in Nairobi: the road to the national park. For KSh 25,000, groups can summon a 4x4 Land Cruiser with a driver-guide as easily as they would an airport pickup, leaving traditional tour operators uneasy. Industry veterans fret over commissions, cancellations, and the erosion of personalized service, but Uber’s platform promises standard rates, seamless payments, and fewer last-minute disappointments. In a city where wildlife grazes against the skyline, Uber Safari feels like the logical next tap of the app.

Read more here »»»»»

CBK Raises KSh 61.4Bn from Long-Term Bond Reopenings After 30-Year Flop

CBK raised KSh 61.4Bn from two oversubscribed long-term bond reopenings after a failed 30-year sale, signalling investor preference for shorter long-dated maturities.

share.google/Ybtf82sstjT1FE0HP

Flydubai Expands Kenya Routes with New Nairobi Flights, Upgrades Mombasa

Gulf-based carrier, Flydubai, will expand its footprint in Kenya next month by adding Nairobi to its network and upgrading its Mombasa route

kenyanwallstreet.com/flydubai-expands-kenya-routes-with-new-nairobi-flights-upgrades-mombasa-service

East Africa Hunger Crisis Deepens as Food Insecurity Triples Since 2016, IGAD Says

Acute food insecurity in East Africa has more than tripled over the past decade, leaving 42 million people in urgent need, according to IGAD

share.google/HHPtd3OLBcSLlaX6p

NSE Gainers & Losers 

The NSE Investment Challenge is a fun, interactive, and educational platform designed to teach you how to invest on the Kenyan Stock market using a real-time trading simulation.

✅ Virtual capital to trade

✅ Live market data

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✅ Open to students & young professionals

💰 Cash prizes for the top performers 

Click here to join this amazing opportunity 🎉

For up-to-date market insights and data from the NSE, join our Whatsapp channel here »»»»»

On your watchlist

The Kenyan Wallstreet Founder Eric Asuma and Head of the European Investment Bank (EIB) for East Africa Edward Claessen explore the complex reasons why the continent lags behind in the global investment landscape,

Yesterday's Top Hits 

♦️Labour. A former senior manager at Safaricom has lost his bid for compensation totalling more KSh 200 million after the telco giant fired him in 2021.

♦️ Capital Markets. A Tribunal has ruled that the Capital Markets Authority (CMA) acted improperly by relying on press coverage in its evaluation of Limuru Tea PLC’s corporate governance, declaring that regulators must base findings on verifiable evidence rather than mere media reports. (By Brian Nzomo)

Keep up with what’s happening on our X and LinkedIn pages. Stay updated with the latest financial news on our website The Kenyan Wall Street.