'No New Taxes, Just Expanding the Base’ - CS Mbadi

The events of 25 June 2024 that followed the drafting and subsequent passing of the Finance Bill are yet to be forgotten by the National Treasury.

So what's the plan for this year?

Good evening 👋🏽. It's Brian from The Kenyan Wall Street.

‘No New Taxes, Just Expanding the Base’ - CS Mbadi

By Brian Nzomo

The Treasury CS, John Mbadi, has promised that the 2026 Finance Bill will not bring any new taxes, insisting that compliance and digital wizardry will do the heavy lifting instead. After the 2024 Finance Bill provoked public fury with its new levies, the Treasury seems determined not to repeat the experience…especially with an election looming. The plan is simple in theory: drag the informal sector into the digital age, tighten reporting, and hope the cash appears. Whether this administrative sleight of hand can fill the yawning gap between ambition and revenue remains a question best left unanswered.

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With Profits Up 134%, the NSE Plans Extended Trading Time

By TKWS Reporter

The Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) plans to extend trading beyond its current 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. schedule, giving retail investors more time to participate and chase gains. The bourse’s 2025’s numbers provide a tidy incentive: profits more than doubled to KSh 272 million, with total revenue cracking KSh 1 billion for the first time. Local investors have filled the gap left by foreign capital, driving a 70% surge in retail activity. Meanwhile, dividends have tripled…a rare reward in a market often ruled by caution. The stock market has been on a mobilization drive, lowering barrier after barrier to make trading appealing to ordinary Kenyans. Whether longer hours can sustain this momentum, or merely magnify the volatility of exuberance, remains the quiet question behind these gains.

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More from the Stock Market 

• Thursday was not a good day for the NSE, where investors saw KSh 215 billion vanish in just four days, banks tumbled the most, and rising global oil prices reminded everyone that even a hot market can stumble fast. 📉

For more updates from the NSE and other market-relevant information, follow our Whatsapp channel here »»»»»

Who is most worried about Debt?

By Fred Obura

Women, older workers, and low-income earners are the most anxious about debt, even as overall financial stress eases. For many, borrowing isn’t about buying a house or starting a business…it’s survival: school fees, rent, and daily necessities. Access to credit is uneven, with wealthier households leaning on banks while poorer Kenyans rely on friends, family, or informal groups. Yet some signs of discipline are emerging: more borrowers are consolidating loans and negotiating repayment plans, cautiously navigating a path toward financial stability.

Read the article here »»»»»

OPINION: Kenya’s Options for Escape from 'Eurobondage’

By Cuba Houghton

Can Kenya turn its debt from a burden into a benefit for ordinary people? Right now, much of the money borrowed through Eurobonds ends up paying off older loans, leaving little visible impact on roads, schools, or hospitals. One solution is social bonds; loans that are tied to specific projects like maternal health clinics or local schools, so every shilling borrowed has a clear purpose. By linking borrowing directly to measurable improvements, Kenya could finally break the cycle of “Eurobondage” and use public debt as a real tool for national progress.

Read the opinion piece here >>>>>

Heads Up 

On Your Watchlist 

The African REITs Conference 2026, hosted by the REITs Association of Kenya, brings together the people shaping the future of listed real estate across the continent — from investors and developers to financiers, regulators, and capital markets leaders.

📍 31st March – 2nd April 2026 | Enashipai Resort & Spa, Naivasha

🎯 Theme: Transforming Africa’s REIT Landscape through Policy Innovation, Market Transparency, and Global Alignment

If you want to be in the room where Africa’s REIT market moves from potential to scale — this is it.

Register your attendance here »»»»»

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