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  • Cristiano Ronaldo releases emotional five-minute video statement confirming retirement decision

    Cristiano Ronaldo releases emotional five-minute video statement confirming retirement decision

    Cristiano Ronaldo releases emotional five-minute video statement confirming retirement decision

    Cristiano Ronaldo has announced that he has retired from international football in an emotional statement.

    Following Portugal head coach Jorge Jesus' decision to bench Ronaldo for the 2-1 Nations League win over Norway, the legendary striker stormed out of the national camp, casting doubts over his future playing for his country.

    Since then, following a damning 1,740-word statement, it was believed that Ronaldo could maybe represent Portugal once more, but he's now announced that his international career is over.

    In a video shared on social media, Ronaldo said: “Today I finish my walk on the pitch with the national team. I leave with my head held high, with pride in the path I took, and with the awareness that I gave everything I had for Portugal.”

    “The goals pass, the cups are in museums, the records end up being beaten. But there is something that time can never erase, the place we occupy in people’s hearts.

    “I spent my life working to be the best player in the world. Today I realise that the greatest victory was to have deserved to represent the best country in the world.

    “Thank you for these 23 years. Thank you for having believed in me.

    “Portugal will always be in me. Forever.”

    It comes ahead of the official announcement of Portugal's Nations League squad for the upcoming international break.

    Ronaldo was included in the preliminary squad announced in late October.

  • Linda Mwananchi Issues Notice on Official Social Media Accounts, Website

    Linda Mwananchi Issues Notice on Official Social Media Accounts, Website

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    OfficialThe Linda Mwananchi Movement (LMM) has issued a public notice outlining its official communication channels.The Linda Mwananchi Movement (LMM) has issued a public notice outlining its official communication channels.In an update on Thursday, November 5, Linda Mwananchi Head of Communications Pauline Njoroge said all official announcements and communications would be published through its website and designated social media accounts.

  • Joyfully ever after: Charlene Ruto shares new wedding photos with Isaya Yunge

    Joyfully ever after: Charlene Ruto shares new wedding photos with Isaya Yunge

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    President William Ruto’s daughter, Charlene Ruto, has delighted her followers after sharing new wedding-themed photos with her fiancé, Isaya Yunge, as the couple prepares for their white wedding in Tanzania.Charlene on Thursday, November 5, 2026, accompanied the latest photos with the caption “Joyfully Ever After”, alongside celebratory emojis, including a bride, groom and wedding ring.

  • Foul play fears as Sh1.5bn Equity Bank theft suspect dies in crash

    Foul play fears as Sh1.5bn Equity Bank theft suspect dies in crash

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    Police are investigating the death of Joel Mwangi Wainaina, a businessman who had been accused in court of fronting for a suspect in the Sh1.5 billion Equity Bank theft, after his family raised claims of foul play.Wainaina died on October 27, 2026, a week after he was hit by a lorry in Ruiru town in an October 20 accident that also killed a mechanic.

  • KenGen Secures KSh 10.5 billion for Battery Energy Storage System

    KenGen Secures KSh 10.5 billion for Battery Energy Storage System

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    KenGen MD & CEO, Eng. Peter Njenga and the Company's Presiding Chair, Eng. Frank Konuche during the 74th AGM event in Nairobi.KenGen (Kenya Electricity Generating Company) has obtained funding worth KSh 10.5 billion to establish a battery energy storage facility that aims to improve electricity supply and reducing dependence on expensive thermal power plants.

  • Safaricom’s Ziidi wealth assets jump 83% to Ksh23B as M-Pesa grows

    Safaricom’s Ziidi wealth assets jump 83% to Ksh23B as M-Pesa grows

    Safaricom’s Ziidi wealth management platform has recorded an 82.9 per cent increase in assets under management to Ksh23.36 billion, as more customers adopt digital savings and investment products.

    In a report released on Thursday, November 5, 2026 during the during the HY2026/2027 results announcements, Safaricom said its overall wealth management business had grown by 69.7 per cent to Ksh25.56 billion, supported by increased adoption of Ziidi.

    The company said its wealth solutions were encouraging savings, strengthening customer engagement and helping retain customers within its expanding financial services ecosystem.

    “Beyond asset accumulation, wealth solutions are strengthening customer engagement, encouraging savings behaviour and enhancing long-term ecosystem participation, thereby supporting greater customer retention,” the report stated.

    The growth in Ziidi’s assets under management highlights Safaricom’s expanding role in providing digital financial products beyond traditional mobile money transfers.

    The telecommunications company has continued to expand its financial services through savings, investments, insurance and merchant payment solutions accessible through its platforms.

    Safaricom said the increase in wealth management assets reflected strong adoption of Ziidi, whose assets under management rose by 82.9 per cent to Ksh23.36 billion.

    The company said these solutions were helping customers build savings habits while encouraging continued participation in its financial services ecosystem.

    M-Pesa’s contribution to Safaricom’s service revenue in Kenya increased to 46.3 per cent, up from 45.4 per cent in the first half of the 2026 financial year.

    The report highlighted the mobile money platform’s role as a key growth driver, supported by expanding payments, merchant services, wealth management, insurance and digital financial products.

    The latest figures follow Safaricom’s financial results for the six months ended September 30, 2026, when group service revenue increased by 13.1 per cent to Ksh226.06 billion.

    Net income excluding minority interest rose by 35.9 per cent to Ksh58.15 billion, while earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) grew by 27.5 per cent to Ksh129.18 billion.

    The growth of Ziidi’s wealth management business comes after the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) reported increased activity on Ziidi Trader, Safaricom’s digital stock trading platform.

    In June 2026, the NSE announced that Ziidi Trader had surpassed Ksh1.08 billion in cumulative turnover after facilitating 351,440 trades.

    “The platform has facilitated 351,440 trades, achieved a peak market share of 4.27 per cent and recorded an average trade size of KES 3,076.69, highlighting growing participation from retail investors,” the NSE stated.

    The exchange said the platform was helping widen access to stock market investments, particularly for smaller investors.

    Safaricom’s latest results underline the growing contribution of digital financial services to its business as it expands savings and investment options for customers.

  • Safaricom’s Shari’ah money market fund draws 1.5 million users, holds Sh230 million in first month

    Safaricom’s Shari’ah money market fund draws 1.5 million users, holds Sh230 million in first month

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    Listen to articleThe fund seeks to widen access to Shari'ah-compliant investments, particularly among Muslim customers whose religious beliefs restrict them from investing in conventional interest-bearing financial products.Safaricom's faith-based Ziidi Shari'ah Money Market Fund has attracted 1.5 million customers and accumulated Sh230 million in assets under management barely a month after its launch.

  • ‘1M for one musician’ – Bahati announces performance deal ahead of wedding

    ‘1M for one musician’ – Bahati announces performance deal ahead of wedding

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    Bahati has announced a Ksh1 million performance deal for a musician ahead of his highly anticipated wedding with his wife, Diana Marua.In a post shared on Thursday, November 5, 2026, the musician invited artists to perform at the couple’s special occasion, dubbed The Invite, a black-tie event organised by The Bahatis.

  • Safaricom reveals SMS use drops 22.9% as customers shift to internet messaging

    Safaricom reveals SMS use drops 22.9% as customers shift to internet messaging

    Safaricom reveals SMS use drops 22.9% as customers shift to internet messaging

    Safaricom has recorded a 22.9 per cent decline in the average number of text messages sent by each customer, as more subscribers turn to internet-based platforms to communicate.

    The telecommunications company’s half-year financial results, released on Thursday, November 5, 2026, show that messages per subscriber dropped to 98.94 during the six months ended September 30, 2026, reflecting changing communication habits among mobile phone users.

    However, the number of active messaging customers continued to grow, rising by 8.8 per cent to 25.86 million during the reporting period.

    The figures suggest that although more customers remain active on Safaricom’s messaging services, they are sending fewer traditional text messages.

    Safaricom attributed the decline in SMS revenue to the growing popularity of internet-based communication platforms, commonly referred to as over-the-top (OTT) messaging services.

    “Messaging revenue declined 8.6% YoY to KShs 5.01Bn, driven by the continued migration of customer communications to IP-based and over-the-top (OTT) messaging platforms, a trend observed across the global telecommunications industry. As a result, messages per subscriber fell 22.9% YoY to 98.94, the company stated in its financial report.

    The shift reflects the growing use of applications that allow people to exchange messages through internet connections rather than relying on conventional SMS services.

    Platforms such as WhatsApp, Telegram and Facebook Messenger have changed how mobile phone users communicate, offering text messaging alongside voice calls, video calls and multimedia sharing.

    For customers with access to mobile data or Wi-Fi, these services provide alternatives to traditional text messaging.

    The decline in messaging revenue highlights the pressure facing traditional telecommunications services as customer communication increasingly moves to internet-based platforms.

    The 8.8 per cent growth in active messaging customers also shows that the decline in revenue was not caused by a shrinking number of customers using messaging services.

    Instead, the reduction in messages per subscriber points to changes in how frequently customers use traditional SMS.

    The results underline a broader shift in Kenya’s telecommunications market, where internet connectivity is becoming increasingly important in everyday communication.

    Safaricom’s half-year performance therefore captures a changing relationship between mobile phone users and traditional text messaging, even as the company continues to serve millions of active messaging customers.

  • Ruto Awards ILU University charter as gov’t moves to expand access to higher education

    Ruto Awards ILU University charter as gov’t moves to expand access to higher education

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    President William Ruto has awarded a university charter to the International Leadership University (ILU), marking a major milestone for the institution and Kenya’s higher education sector.The charter was presented at State House, Nairobi, with the President describing the development as part of the government's efforts to expand access to quality university education and create more opportunities for young people.