The Safari Lodge and the Last-Minute Letters

The Ritz-Carlton is set to open its first African safari lodge in the Maasai Mara amid late-stage approval disputes, while in South Sudan UAP Old Mutual faces a court battle with former employees seeking to block its exit from the market.

I am Brian from The Kenyan Wall Street and these are our day's business stories:

The Ritz Arrives in the Mara…

Luxury, Conservation, and the silent price of Doing Business in Kenya

By Morris Kiruga 

In the Maasai Mara where wildebeest trace ancient routes across the plains, The Ritz-Carlton is preparing its African debut: a twenty-tent safari lodge on the banks of the Sand River, with nightly rates that rival a small car payment.

The pitch is textbook luxury, with private butlers, eco-friendly design, bespoke wildlife encounters…but the timing is pure Kenyan theatre. Days before the August 15th opening, a local activist accused the developers of building on critical migratory routes, triggering a volley of letters between the county, regulators, and Marriott’s headquarters.

Both Narok County and NEMA insist the project is fully compliant, but whispers of last-minute “overtures” for millions have crept in, a familiar prelude to high-profile launches here. For the county, the lodge is part of a deliberate shift toward high-value, low-footprint tourism, a way to earn more from fewer visitors while preserving the reserve’s fragile ecosystems.

For investors, it’s another reminder that in Kenya, the rules can change long after the ink on the approvals has dried. And for the Mara, it’s a question of whether the Ritz’s promise of timeless wonder can withstand the timeless politics of land, money, and prestige. Read more here >>>>>

A Messy Exit for UAP Old Mutual 

By Chelsy Maina

In Juba, UAP Old Mutual’s departure from South Sudan has collided with a chorus of former employees who say the company is trying to slip away before settling old debts. The dispute stems from a 2023 strike over pay disparities, followed by the dismissal of union leaders; a case still winding its way through the courts. Now, the workers’ lawyer is seeking an injunction to keep the insurer from shutting its doors, accusing it of masking a 90-day exit plan behind talk of a two-year wind-down. The company insists the pullout is a strategic decision, not an evasion of liability. But in a country where precedent is rare, the outcome could redraw the boundaries of how multinationals leave fragile markets. Read more >>>>>

Also Read

NSE Gainers & Losers 

Insight

Trust is the Main Currency in Kenya’s Property Market

By Leo Toroitich

Kenya’s property market glitters with the promise of skyline views and double-digit returns, but beneath the glass and steel runs a KSh 60 billion current of land fraud each year. Developers, for their part, are learning that credibility is not a marketing expense but the foundation stone built on delivered projects, open communication, and faces the public can know. Buyers, meanwhile, have become amateur investigators, vetting architects, surveying deeds, and scrolling through corporate Instagram feeds in search of reassurance. In a sector still shadowed by vanished funds and half-built dreams, trust is the rarest and most valuable commodity on offer. And for those who can keep it, the city’s rooftops remain open ground for building fortunes. Read more here »»»»»

Analysis

Is Kenya Falling Out from Washington's Grace

By Morris Kiruga

Nairobi is caught between economic pragmatism and geopolitical loyalty, and is learning that its balancing act with Beijing and Washington may no longer hold. Plans are underway to revoke the non-NATO ally status that Kenya was granted last year. This would would mark a symbolic rupture in a long‑standing security relationship with the US. The coming months could bring both diplomatic turbulence and a rare chance to reset the country's global posture. Read the full analysis >>>>>>

Weak U.S. Treasury Demand Sparks Global Market Questions

By Chelsy Maina

The latest US$58 billion auction of 3‑year notes technically cleared, yet foreign buyers claimed their smallest share in over a year, signaling a subtle but significant shift in global capital flows. Rising hedging costs, narrowing yield gaps, and a creeping doubt about Washington’s fiscal credibility are quietly reshaping who underwrites America’s debt. It’s a whisper of change that could echo across currencies, bond markets, and the fragile balance of global finance. Read more »»»»»

Stories you missed 

♦️ Banking. Stanbic Bank Kenya, has recorded a drop in earnings despite growth in interest income and a sharp rise in dividends in its half-year 2025 results.

♦️ Companies. The High Court has overturned a ruling by the Tax Appeals Tribunal, siding with the KRA in a dispute over whether packaging bottles used by London Distillers Ltd qualify as raw materials under the Excise Duty Act.

♦️ Tech. Startups in Africa raised US$1.4 billion in the first half of 2025, a sharp 78% rise compared to the same period last year, marking a tentative recovery from the funding downturn that has gripped the continent since late 2022.

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