M-PESA Cries Foul in Ethiopia

Happy New Week👋🏽 from The Kenyan Wall Street.

In this Monday morning brief:

M-PESA Cries Foul in Ethiopia

By Harry Njuguna

M-PESA Ethiopia has accused Ethio Telecom of blocking access to its new telco-agnostic mobile money application, days after launch, in an incident that aligns with earlier World Bank findings about structural advantages enjoyed by the state-owned operator in Ethiopia’s telecom market.

In a public statement issued on 5 December in Addis Ababa, M-PESA Ethiopia said its new app, M-PESA Lehulm, “is currently not accessible on smartphones using mobile data services managed by Ethio Telecom.”

The company stated that customers relying on Ethio Telecom data were unable to log in, transact or retrieve funds.

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The Art of the Health Deal

By Brian Nzomo

Kenya has finalized a five-year, US$2.5 billion health cooperation framework with the United States, marking the first African country to negotiate a new bilateral health partnership under Washington’s updated global health strategy.

The agreement positions Kenya to receive up to US$1.6 billion in U.S. support for programs targeting HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, maternal and child health, polio eradication, and disease outbreak preparedness.

Under the framework, Kenya will gradually assume greater financial responsibility, pledging US$850 million in domestic health spending over the next five years.

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OPINION

Sustainable Aviation Fuels, Africa's Next Industrial Frontier

Africa spends billions importing jet fuel each year, but the continent’s own feedstocks and renewable resources could anchor a homegrown sustainable aviation fuel industry. Boeing argues that domestic SAF production would chip away at the structural costs that have long hobbled African carriers and drained national coffers. The demographic wave coming by 2050 makes the push more urgent, with SAF value chains offering rare potential for skilled jobs at scale. The bigger challenge is timing: SAF won’t scale fast enough on its own, so airlines will need both smarter fleets and coordinated policy to turn all that latent potential into actual industry.

Read the opinion article here »»»»»

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