Safaricom’s Ziidi Trader is Here

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Kenyan Wall Street
February 09, 2026

Hello from The Kenyan Wall Street.

Here’s what you need to know to kickstart your week.

Safaricom’s Ziidi Trader is Here

By Morris Kiruga

This week, President William Ruto will officially launch Ziidi Trader, a revolutionary feature that allows you to trade NSE-listed shares on within the M-Pesa app.

Safaricom has been piloting the feature since last November, a year after the telco launched its own money market fund as the first of a new series of retail investment features under the Ziidi banner.
In July 2025, the Nairobi Securities Exchange had eliminated the long-standing minimum board lot of 100 shares, allowing securities to trade in multiples of just one share.
Combined, the moves are meant to democratize the retail market, allowing for access to and convenience for the general public.

Despite its record-breaking and liquidity streaks, Kenya’s stock market has not explored its full potential. The capital markets has been limited to big institutional investors with the liquidity and patience to wade through high barriers to entry, and the lack of any substantial IPOs in recent years has limited new investor interest.

Why it Matters

Mobile phone access is a core feature of Kenya’s social and economic fabric, with a 138.5% penetration by 2025 and M-Pesa is firmly at the top of the mobile money revolution. That the Ziidi series of investment features are limited to the M-Pesa app is an ingrained limitation unlike M-Pesa itself, which is available on the SIM toolkit of any phone, but smartphone penetration has been on a steady rise.

The recent moves by regulators and institutions are meant to attract more retail investors into the capital markets, and increase the menu of regulated, formal investment options. For Safaricom, Ziidi Trader is a new revenue stream and product offering for its nearly 40 million M-Pesa subscribers.

For the NSE, which is also listed, this new revenue stream will also come with its own challenges, and will test its ability to maintain its core functionality as it attracts a wave of new investors and listings, beginning with the ongoing IPO of Kenya Pipeline.

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

Kenya's Stock Market Closes First Week of February at All Time High

By Harry Njuguna

The Nairobi Securities Exchange closed Week 6 of 2026 on its strongest footing ever, as broad-based gains carried market capitalization to a new peak of KSh 3.199 trillion.

The NSE All Share Index (NASI) closed at a record 202.73, the highest level in its history: the NSE 20rose 1.46% to 3,347.53, the NSE 25 surged 2.24% to 5,441.21, and the NSE 10 was up 2.33% to 2,094.47.
The Banking Index edged up 1.62% to 218.51, reflecting heavy activity in Equity, KCB, and Stanbic.
Offshore participation fell to 24.6% of turnover, while local participation accounted for 75.4%, showing that domestic demand absorbed most selling pressure.

Read the story here >>>>>

More in Markets to Kickstart Your Week

Standard Group suspends KSh 1.5Billion rights issue | The Kenyan Wallstreet

Standard Group halts its KSh 1.5bn rights issue after board review on 4 Feb 2026; offer remains active but paused pending reassessment.

kenyanwallstreet.com/standard-groups-k-sh-1-5-billion-lifeline-hits-pause-after-18-months

Mansa-X Special Funds Cross US$ 1 Bn in Assets | The Kenyan Wallstreet

Mansa-X Special Funds, the flagship investment product of SIB, has officially crossed the US$ 1 billion mark in Assets Under Management (AUM).

kenyanwallstreet.com/mansa-x-special-funds-hit-us-1-billion-milestone-in-aum

Safaricom's Market Valuation Briefly Crosses US$ 10bn | The Kenyan Wallstreet

Safaricom declared a record interim dividend of KSh 0.85 after bumper profits, sending its shares to a three-year high and briefly above a US$10bn valuation.

kenyanwallstreet.com/safaricom-lifts-interim-dividend-54-5-after-record-profits-shares-touch-us-10bn

INSIGHT : Why Carbon Finance Is Still the Only Way to Scale Clean Cooking in Africa

By TKWS Desk

Recent events in Kenya, including the closure of KOKO Networks, a high-profile clean-cooking company, have raised questions about whether carbon credits can finance and deliver clean-cooking appliances to households across the continent. Clean cooking in Africa does not have a technology or an adoption problem. It has an affordability problem, and carbon finance is the most viable solution to solve it at scale.

Read this article here >>>>>

Diaspora Dollars Back New Loans

By Fred Obura

Kenyan banks and fintechs are now turning to diaspora remittance data to expand lending, as record inflows from abroad hit US$5 billion in 2025. For decades, these steady streams of income sat outside the formal credit system but new tools are changing that. Platforms like Wapi Pay now use AI and transaction histories to turn remittances into measurable credit profiles. The goal is to convert everyday transfers into loans, mortgages, and investment, unlocking capital that has long been invisible.

Read the article here »»»»»

Heads Up

Africa Global and Yusen Logistics Launch Joint Venture | The Kenyan Wallstreet

Africa Global Logistics (AGL) and Yusen Logistics have launched Yusen Africa (East Africa) Limited, a new joint venture company headquartered in Nairobi.

kenyanwallstreet.com/africa-global-logistics-yusen-logistics-launch-east-african-joint-venture

On your watchlist

Upcoming Events : InvestKenya Announces the Upcoming Kenya International Investment Conference (KIICO) 2026

Taking place at the Radisson Blu Upper Hill on March 25, 2026, the 4th Kenya International Investment Conference (KIICO) 2026 is set to be the largest and most impactful investment promotion conference in Kenya’s history. Register here »»»»»

During KIICO 2026, Kenya will also host the 2nd COMESA Investment Forum on March 26 and the Africa Green Industrialization Initiative (AGII) on March 27th.