INFRASTRUCTURE
Kenya's power reserve margin collapses to 3.34%, reviving rationing fears
KNBS data shows the buffer above peak demand fell from 20.73% in January to 3.34% in June, against a comfortable 20–35% norm. Peak demand hit 2,549MW in July and is projected at 2,680MW by 2027 — leaving data centres and heavy industry exposed to any plant or transmission failure.
TechTrends KE
POLICY
Kenya moves closer to joining the Budapest Convention on cybercrime
Invited to accede in October 2024 and approved by Cabinet in February 2026, the treaty now awaits parliamentary endorsement. It would open 24-hour channels for cross-border evidence requests — and raises questions about foreign access to Kenyan subscriber and traffic data under the Data Protection Act.
Techweez
FUNDING
Nairobi's Flowt raises pre-seed to turn messy books into loan-ready data
Founded by Elana Laichena, Flowt uses AI to read transaction histories and bank statements so lenders can assess climate-smart SMEs in days rather than months. Delta40 Fund I, Impacc and the Argidius Foundation backed the undisclosed round; first client was appliance refurbisher GreenBay.
Disrupt Africa
AI
Microsoft names Angela Nganga East Africa country lead
A 20-year Microsoft veteran, formerly regional director of customer success for East and West Africa, Nganga fills the seat vacated by Phyllis Migwi in January. Her brief covers the region's first Azure cloud region and data centre, and making East African firms producers of AI rather than only consumers.
TechTrends KE
GOVERNMENT
ANITRAC gives every Kenyan cow, goat and sheep a digital identity
Agriculture CS Mutahi Kagwe is rolling out ear tags and microchips tied to a central database, aimed at livestock theft, disease response and export compliance. Kenya produced 613,627 tonnes of meat worth KSh 397 billion in 2024, with $145.42M exported and Gulf markets the prize.
Khusoko
FINTECH
Absa Next launches a wallet that needs no Absa account
The lifestyle wallet splits into personal and BIZ tiers, adds chama group savings, bill-splitting, and savings paying up to 7% annually credited monthly, plus a NEXT Coins rewards ladder — a bank chasing everyday M-Pesa-adjacent behaviour rather than core banking.
Techweez
