Kenya’s interest rate hits lowest in nearly three years
It’s been a minute since we talked about countries’ interest rates and who’s sneezing at monetary policy meetings. But this one is significant: Kenya has been cutting interest rates for so long that the borrowing rate is now at its lowest ever since February 2023.
On Tuesday, Kenya’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) cut its benchmark interest rate for the ninth consecutive time—since June 2024—from 9.25% to 9%.
In November, headline and core inflation eased to 4.5% and 2.3% respectively, down from 4.6% and 2.7% the previous month. After months of nudging from the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK), private sector credit is finally growing, hitting 6.3% in November.
Food inflation also eased from 8% to 7.7%, riding on what the government says is a strengthening economy, at least on paper. CBK governor Kamau Thugge has framed the numbers as proof that the central bank’s work is paying off and that banks should keep expanding lending to support private sector activity.
What’s missing from the CBK’s victory lap is the risk side: Kenya is still grappling with a heavy debt-servicing burden, and sustained monetary easing could eventually collide with fiscal pressures. The government needs cheaper borrowing to refinance its obligations, but prolonged rate cuts can corner the CBK into prioritising growth over price or currency stability. For now, inflation is mild enough to justify the easing cycle, but the room for error is narrowing.
With lower borrowing costs, the CBK is clearly pushing for more aggressive economic spending, conveniently timed for the festive season. The Kenyan shilling has also remained relatively stable against the dollar, a key factor the regulator is counting on to keep consumers and businesses willing to spend in local terms.
Mobility
Ampersand Energy launches battery swap network in East Africa
Ampersand Energy, a Rwandan electric mobility startup, has opened its battery-swap network to any global electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer that meets its standards, to drive adoption of electric mobility across Africa’s commercial motorcycle markets. It’s a big step for a startup that has designed its own e-bikes, built its own batteries, and run its own swap stations.
So, what’s this battery-swap network? It’s an energy grid built for commercial motorcycles. Instead of a rider parking their bike for hours to charge, they can pull into a swap station, unlock the empty battery, slot it out, and slide in a fully charged one. Ampersand owns the batteries, maintains them, charges them, and tracks their performance through software. Riders never have to worry about battery health, charging time, electricity access, or degradation.
By opening this network, Ampersand is saying the EV market belongs to those who control the energy layer, and that layer is lucrative. The company already does over 20,000 swaps daily, each costing riders about $2 for roughly 80 km.
Why does this matter? It means that riders won’t lose money while waiting for their bikes to charge. The batteries may also last longer because Ampersand manages them properly. This swapping network solves an essential infrastructure problem in Africa’s EV market: the lack of charging infrastructure.
Wylex Mobility, an established Asian EV manufacturer, is the first to join Ampersand’s open network. The foreign e-mobility company is bringing the hardware e-bike parts, while Ampersand will supply batteries, control software, and access to swap stations. As part of the partnership, Ampersand will also assemble Wykex’s bikes at its Nairobi factory.
Yet by opening up its infrastructure to other e-mobility players, Ampersand could be directly enabling them to compete. The Rwandan startup says it is fine with that, as it believes providing easy access to charging infrastructure will increase EV uptake in East Africa.
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CRYPTO TRACKER
The World Wide Web3
Source:
|
Coin Name |
Current Value |
Day |
Month |
|---|---|---|---|
 Bitcoin |
$92,641 |
+ 2.86% |
– 12.72% |
| Ether |
$3,324 |
+ 6.67% |
– 7.76% |
| Yooldo |
$0.3323 |
+ 85.47% |
+ 869.49% |
| Solana |
$138.89 |
+ 4.48% |
– 16.98% |
* Data as of 06.50 AM WAT, December 10, 2025.
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