Why Banks Face a Hidden Vulnerability

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November 11, 2025

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In today's newsletter, banks are being warned over depending too much on common tech providers overlooking the prevailing risks.

Also, manufacturers will brace up for higher costs of production as a new levy comes into effect.

Why Banks Face a Hidden Vulnerability

By Harry Njuguna

Financial regulators in Kenya are raising the alarm over the sector’s growing dependence on a handful of major tech providers, warning that a single failure could ripple across banks, insurers, and mobile money platforms. At a closed-door meeting in Naivasha, officials agreed to map these dependencies and strengthen crisis-management tools, from emergency liquidity access to resolution frameworks. The scrutiny now extends to AI and data-driven tools, reflecting concerns about systemic risk, algorithmic bias, and consumer protection. While the sector thrives on efficiency and innovation, regulators are signaling that resilience must keep pace with growth.

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A New Levy is here

By Chelsy Maina

Kenya has rolled out a 0.2% standards levy on locally made goods, aimed at funding the Kenya Bureau of Standards’ enforcement of quality and safety rules. The levy touches multiple sectors, from construction to food processing, and could subtly shift production costs. Small and medium manufacturers may feel the pinch first, potentially passing some costs onto consumers. Moreover, its ultimate impact will hinge on enforcement consistency and how quickly businesses adapt to the new charge.

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Ride-hailing and the algorithm of safety

By TKWS staff writer

A new Ipsos survey has found that a substantial percentage of ride-hailing users now consider the service safer than matatus or traditional taxis. Ride-hailing has become less about convenience than about control, offering users a sense of predictability in a city that rarely delivers it. Women, who make up the majority of riders, are driving that shift, valuing the technology’s vigilance as much as its comfort. What began as an urban novelty now reads as a subtle public referendum on what safety means in the transport sector.

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A Spike in regional trade

By Fred Obura

East Africa’s trade bounced back in Q2 2025, driven by a strong surge in exports. Key goods like coffee, tea, minerals, and flowers powered the growth, while imports focused on petroleum and machinery. China, the UAE, and South Africa remained the region’s top trading partners, underscoring global links. Intra-African trade picked up as well, even as inflation continued to pressure prices across the bloc.

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Mismatch in Pen Inventory Sinks Doshi Case

By Fred Obura

Doshi Ironmongers has lost its long-running bid to recover KSh 15 million from Haco Industries and Société BIC over alleged counterfeit pens. The Court of Appeal overturned a High Court ruling, citing a mismatch between pen stocks from 1996 and a 2002 seizure. Doshi failed to provide warehouse logs or records explaining the discrepancy of over 62,000 pens. Without proof that the pens were the same as those covered in the settlement, the court ruled no breach occurred.

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OPINION : Africa’s Trade Future Beyond AGOA Looks Bright

By Maxwell Okello

As Washington debates the future of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a deeper question hangs over the continent: what happens when the trade lifeline begins to fray? Across Kenya’s textile floors and Nigeria’s export corridors, uncertainty is no longer just economic, it’s existential. Yet beneath the unease runs a quiet confidence that Africa’s next chapter will not be written in Washington, but in Nairobi, Accra, and Lagos, where new continental and bilateral frameworks are already taking shape.

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On your watchlist

In the third episode of the Just Money Podcast , our host Just Ivy Africa sits down with two exceptional young founders, Ian Njoroge of Mancave Man Market (Grooming Franchise) and Dr. Renoh Omoro of InSmile Clinic (Dentistry).