Cummins C&G Limited organized a training dubbed ‘Cummins Power Train Kenya Symposium’ on Friday, June 20, 2025.

The training, conducted by a team from Cummins Africa and Middle East PowerGen specialised technical leaders, was meant for engineers and consultants from the entire East African region.

The attendees included the Cummins C&G appropriate staff and key clients, including banks, data centres and oil companies, consulting engineers and service teams. 

The training offered valuable knowledge on how to handle the Cummins equipment from generator set settings and transient performance, genset paralleling, installation layout and design, data center power systems design considerations, alternator and generator acoustic closures.

The Power Train Kenya Symposium was also used to introduce BESS, Battery Energy Storage System that stores excess energy generated during periods of low demand and released during demand periods.

Speaking after the symposium, Erick Sangoro, the Cummins C&G Managing Director said, “This is very important to us. BESS, apart from enhancing energy efficiency, it also improves the stability and reliability of the grid.”

Car & General became a distributor of Cummins products in 2007. In 2017, Cummins C&G was formed as a 50:50 joint venture between C&G and Cummins Inc.

In 2023, Car & General bought back the Cummins Inc shares and fully acquired Cummins CG from the joint venture.

It is now owned 100% by C&G and is the Cummins distributor for generators, engines and power solutions in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and Somalia.

Car & General is a diversified distributor of Cummins generators, TVS motorcycles, Piaggio three wheelers, Kubota tractors, Toyota forklifts, Develon earthmovers among other equipment in East Africa. 

Car & General held its 85th Annual General Meeting on Thursday, June 19, 2025 for the year ending 31 December 2024.

During the virtual meeting, shareholders approved the recommended dividend of Shs 64,165,293 which is equal to Shs 0.80 per share.

Shareholders approved the retirement of Madabhushi Soundararajan as a member of the Board. Soundararajan joined the Board in 2008.

They also approved the appointment of Nikhil Rustam Hira as an Independent Non-Executive Director. 

Car & General saw various challenges during the period due to constraints in the Kenyan market, especially the boda boda business. Operational sustainability was achieved by the company’s transition to other business lines.

As a result, turnover for the twelve-month period ending 31 December 2024 was Shs 21 billion against Shs 27 billion achieved in the fifteen-month period ending 31 December 2023 compared to Shs 2.1 billion in prior year.

EBITDA (Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization) was Shs 1.5 billon and the Group made a profit before tax of Shs 526 million against a loss of Kshs 273 million in the previous year.

The Company believes that uncertainty will persist in 2025 given the challenging global geo-politics although East Africa will see less turbulence.

Speaking after the AGM, Car & General CEO said, “Key to success will be maintaining strict fundamentals in terms of higher efficiency levels in all areas of business, maintaining market share in core products and achieving productivity across all business."

Adding "We have a balanced business with five distinct business lines; automotive and equipment distribution, real estate investment, financial services, poultry and helmet manufacturing. This diversity, coupled with a broader geographical reach is the backbone of our sustainability.”

Car & General is a diversified distributor of TVS motorcycles, Piaggio three wheelers, Kubota tractors, Toyota forklifts, Cummins generators, Develon earthmovers among other equipment in East Africa. Car & General was the pioneered the use of two and three wheelers as taxis in Kenya over two decades ago.

This past Saturday, award-winning rapper and philanthropist Femi One visited Kiambu Men’s Prison as part of the Kiambu Edition of her One For One Foundation’s Men’s Mental Health Month campaign.

The event, held within the correctional facility, brought together inmates, officers, and guests for an afternoon focused on mental health awareness, dignity, and brotherhood.

Femi One spent time engaging with the inmates, encouraging them to open up about their struggles and reminding them that healing is possible,even behind bars.

“It was an emotional and powerful experience,” Femi One shared. “Our men are carrying so much silently. This month is about reminding them that their pain is valid, their healing is important, and that as a society, we see them.”

A highlight of the day was the crowning of Mr. Kiambu, where inmates showcased their talents, leadership, and confidence. Femi One, who had the honor of crowning the winner, emphasized the importance of self-expression and second chances.

She also gave a heartfelt talk to the guests and inmates, focusing on the need for mental wellness support among men and the role of community in reducing stigma around mental health.

The visit is part of the One For One Foundation’s ongoing mission to create safe spaces and platforms for underrepresented communities; particularly youth and men in overlooked environments-to be seen, heard, and supported.

Development partners have been urged to enhance their support for female legislators to strengthen their advocacy for women’s land rights and climate resilience.

Nominated Member of Parliament, Sabina Chege  acknowledged the support already extended to women leaders but called for greater investment to build their capacity.

“We appreciate and value the support of development partners who work with lawmakers, but more can be done to better equip female legislators to fight for women’s land rights,” said Hon. Chege.

She made the remarks during a high-level National Dialogue on Gender, Land, and Climate Resilience, convened by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), where she represented National Assembly Deputy Speaker Hon. Gladys Boss.  

“As female lawmakers, we are better placed to spearhead the land equality campaign, since it affects us directly and those we represent,” she added.

IGAD’s Head of Mission to Kenya, Dr. Fatouma Aden, reaffirmed the organisation’s dedication to empowering women in land governance and climate action.

"I wish to reaffirm IGAD’s unwavering commitment to building women’s leadership on land and climate justice, guided by the vision of our Executive Secretary and the work of the Land Governance Programme. Together, we must continue shaping a more equitable and climate-resilient IGAD region,” said Dr. Aden.

The two-day forum which started today was organised by IGAD in partnership with the Ministry of Lands, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, and the State Department of Gender, among others. 

Members of the Kenya Women Parliamentary Association (KEWOPA) participated in the event, including Hon. Phylis Bartoo (Moiben), Hon. Lilian Gogo (Rangwe), Hon. Janet Sitienei (Turbo), and Hon. Fatuma Jehow (Wajir).

The legislators emphasized the importance of leveraging on the voice and leadership of female parliamentarians to drive the women’s land rights and climate resilience agenda.

Innovative, AI-driven technology brand TECNO announced extension of its partnership with the Confederation of African Football (CAF), becoming the Official Global Partner of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2025 and TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations, KE- UG - TA 2027, to be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.

This strengthened alliance brings TECNO’s bold “Stop at Nothing” spirit to millions of fans across the continent. The announcement follows TECNO’s successful involvement as the exclusive smartphone sponsor of the 2023 tournament.

The Vice President of Transsion Holdings, Benjamin Jiang said: “This renewed partnership is a testament to the deep trust and shared success we’ve built with CAF. In our previous collaboration, we witnessed how football ignited passion and inspired dreams, and how AI-powered smart technologies became powerful tools to connect and empower millions across Africa. "

Adding "That’s why this partnership goes beyond the game, it stands as a symbol of ambition and a platform where young people can shine, united by an unstoppable spirit of progress. It reflects our shared vision of harnessing AI-driven innovation to shape a brighter future for Africa. This renewed collaboration marks a significant milestone in TECNO’s journey forward.”

In addition, TECNO will continue its Dream on the Field Renovation Campaign in cooperation with CAF, launched in 2024. The philanthropic initiative aims to bring more empowerment to African football through technology and to foster youth engagement by improving access to quality playing fields in underserved communities, reflecting TECNO’s enduring “Stop at Nothing” ethos.

Véron Mosengo-Omba, CAF General Secretary, said: “ As the highest-profile football tournament on the continent, the Africa Cup of Nations symbolizes passion and the achievement of life-long dreams, resonating with young people’s hope for the future and spirit of exploration. Deepening this partnership will help to ensure that AFCON 2025 and 2027 reach new heights of excitement to delight football fans.”

The partnership represents a milestone for TECNO in further strengthening its emotional bond with younger generations by empowering them to achieve more possibilities, building on its position as a leading brand among the entire African continent through its imaging technology, product performance and design aesthetics.

Safaricom (NSE: SCOM), has announced KES 3 million sponsorship to support four young Kenyan professional golfers through the Professional Golfers Association of Kenya programme (PGK).

The four include Mutahi Kibugu of Nyeri Golf Club, Mohit Mediratta of Sigona Golf Club, Samuel Njoroge of Railways Golf Course & Matthew Wahome of Nyali Golf Country Club.

The players will form Safaricom’s Corporate Team that will be participating in the Equator Tour events and other PGK-sanctioned events.

“At Safaricom, we believe in transforming lives by championing Kenyans passions. As we celebrate 25 years of impact, we are proud to partner with PGK and commit KES 3 million towards supporting four professional golfers through the Equator Tour and the Player Development Plan. Our goal is to create a sustainable pathway for aspiring golfers in Kenya, one that inspires, empowers, and equips them to compete at the highest level,” said Dr. Peter Ndegwa, CBS, CEO, Safaricom PLC.

The sponsorship is part of Safaricom’s commitment to growing local talent and expanding opportunities for youth in sports. The four will represent the company in Equator Tour events and other PGK-sanctioned competitions under a three-year agreement that offers not just financial support but a long-term development framework.

“It’s exciting to be part of the Safaricom team. We are a group of four young and promising individuals who have already made history and are destined to achieve even more, both in Kenya and beyond. All players in our team are exceptional players and together, we are going to do great things to make our fans and sponsor proud." said, Mutahi Kibugu, professional golfer.

Adding "This programme is incredibly important to us as professional golfers in Kenya. It will give us the opportunity to sharpen our skills and compete and shine not just here in Kenya but even on a global stage,” 

The partnership is anchored on PGK’s Player Development Plan (PDP), a structured mentorship and training framework aimed at equipping emerging professional golfers with the skills, discipline and exposure needed to thrive in competitive golf.

Through the PDP, selected players will benefit from consistent support, access to professional circuits and a clear growth trajectory within the sport.

The selected players will receive tailored mentorship and regular performance assessments aimed at fostering their ongoing development and competitiveness in the professional arena.

This investment underscores Safaricom’s commitment to nurturing Kenyan talent and youth initiatives across various fields, aligning perfectly with its mission of Transforming Lives.

By Shakeel Jhazbhay, General Manager: Digital Business Solutions at Datacentrix

As organisations across Africa are starting to invest in Generative AI (GenAI), they must carefully assess its business impact, ensure strategic deployment and account for potential hidden costs.

The African GenAI market is on a rapid growth trajectory, with revenue projected to reach $1.54 billion in 2025. Forecasts indicate an annual growth rate of 41.52 percent expected between 2024 and 2030, resulting in a market volume of $8.75 billion by 2030.

This is according to Statista, which states that AI adoption is still at an early stage within Africa. However, these developments are being driven by rising demand for AI-powered chatbots in customer service and sales, due in turn to the increasing use of smartphones and internet penetration across the region. Statista further affirms that there is a growing focus on the use of AI for predictive maintenance in industries such as agriculture and manufacturing.

PwC’s recent report, entitled the ‘28^th Annual Global CEO Survey: Sub-Saharan perspective’, shows that, while AI adoption rates in the Sub-Saharan African region are slightly lower (75 percent) than the global figure of 83 percent, the impact data reveals encouraging signs of effective implementation, with 72 percent planning to adopt or expand their AI initiatives in the next 12 months (compared to 80 percent globally).

Critical success factors for GenAI deployment

To implement GenAI successfully, businesses should focus on several critical factors. Firstly, strategic alignment is important, as bringing GenAI initiatives in line with business goals ensures relevance and value creation. 

Next is data management. The success of GenAI projects is very much dependent on the availability of high-quality data. In addition, data security, privacy and governance must all be prioritised.

Talent and training are additional important factors. Building a skilled workforce capable of using and managing GenAI tools is critical, while upskilling existing employees and hiring specialised talent are additional key components.

Furthermore, the identification of high impact use cases that align with organisational priorities plays a significant role in ensuring focused deployment.

Lastly, monitoring and feedback loops are important, so businesses must look at establishing dashboards to track costs, performance and outcomes, enabling continuous improvement.

Measuring the true business impact of GenAI

While GenAI does hold transformational potential, companies must quantify where its actual value lies. This requires a combination of traditional business metrics and tailored AI-specific measures. This requires a mix of key performance indicators (KPIs) such as:

• Standard business metrics: Revenue growth, cost savings, customer satisfaction and operational efficiency are important gauges here. For example, measuring time saved in content creation or personalised customer interactions can help to quantify ROI.
• KPIs for accuracy: Metrics such as accuracy in meeting business needs can be used to evaluate GenAI’s utility, as well as quality of information, which affects the customer experience.
• Customer and employee experience: Improvements in customer experience (faster response times, for instance) or employee efficiency can also serve as measurable outcomes.

By leveraging these metrics, organisations can move beyond the hype to make data-driven decisions about their AI investments.

Beware of the hidden costs of GenAI implementation

Finally, businesses should also remain mindful of hidden costs that could impact on their AI-related ROI.

The first of these is infrastructure costs, as high computational requirements for training and running models can lead to significant cloud or hardware expenses.

Additionally, fine-tuning and maintaining AI models can become costly, particularly when customising them for specific use cases or keeping them updated over time.

Talent acquisition and retention also requires substantial financial investment, whether it be the hiring of AI experts or the training of existing staff. In addition, data preparation – the cleaning and organising of data for model training - can be resource-intensive and thus costly.

Moving forward with GenAI in Africa

Organisations that take a strategic, measured approach to GenAI will be able to take advantage of its full potential - driving efficiency, innovation and sustainable growth in Africa’s evolving digital landscape.

Swift Capital Limited, a leading non-bank financial services provider in Kenya, has today announced the appointment of celebrated Kenyan music icon Wyre as its official Brand Ambassador.

The announcement was made during a press conference and official contract signing ceremony held at DoubleTree by Hilton, Nairobi.

The event was attended by Swift Capital’s Chief Executive Officer, company executives, members of the media, and special guests.

This partnership marks a bold and exciting new direction for both parties, bringing together Swift Capital’s commitment to financial empowerment with Wyre’s influential presence and cultural reach.

Speaking at the event, SamJim Mwanyasi, CEO of Swift Capital Limited, emphasized the significance of the collaboration:

“Wyre is a respected and influential figure whose career has been built on authenticity, consistency, and impact, which are values we strongly identify with at Swift Capital. Through this partnership, we aim to reach more Kenyans with financial solutions that are innovative, flexible, and accessible.”

Wyre shared his vision for the partnership and its potential to spark transformation in the financial and creative spaces:

“I am truly honoured to join the Swift Capital family as their new brand ambassador. Over the past few years, I’ve had the opportunity to venture into the tech and entrepreneurship space; training young innovators and creatives on how to build sustainable ventures. This experience has given me valuable insights that I’m excited to bring into this new partnership.”

“More importantly, I’m passionate about unlocking opportunities for the creative sector. We envision developing financial products and facilities tailored specifically for creatives such as musicians, producers, actors, video directors, and more. This is a bold step toward economic empowerment for the arts and culture industry.”

The ambassadorship will see Wyre take a leading role in upcoming campaigns to promote Swift Capital’s diverse product offerings, including SME working capital loans, asset financing, and salary advance services.

The collaboration will also feature a series of digital campaigns, on-ground activations, and community outreach initiatives aimed at youth, entrepreneurs, and underserved populations.

The initiative is part of Swift Capital’s broader strategy to redefine financial engagement by using culture, music, and storytelling to spark conversations around responsible borrowing, economic empowerment, and inclusive growth.