Interviews

imported 2024-03-17 17:43:07

Transforming Healthcare Access in Kenya: How Checkups Cova Is Making Healthcare Affordable Across Kenya Through AI and Microloans

July 21, 2025

This in-depth interview with Renee Ngamau, Co-Founder and President, and Dr. Moka Lantum, Co-Founder and CEO of Checkups Cova, explores how the company is disrupting the Kenyan healthcare sector through an innovative hybrid healthcare delivery model that combines telemedicine, mobile clinics, and AI-driven healthcare financing.

Checkups Cova has successfully pivoted from a direct-to-consumer model to a strategic enterprise partnership approach, especially with banks and microfinance institutions. Their core innovation lies in providing medical credit solutions that enable patients to access healthcare without upfront payment, targeting the uninsured and underinsured populations in Kenya and across East Africa.

A major highlight of the conversation is the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare to accelerate microloan approvals, enhance operational efficiency, and reduce healthcare delivery costs. The team emphasizes their mission to improve healthcare accessibility in remote areas, such as Turkana, and cites coverage in 23 Kenyan counties, including Nairobi, Kiambu, Meru, Nyeri, and Mombasa, among others.

Renee explains how their home-based care model helps reduce outpatient waiting times, cut costs, and offer healthcare at the workplace or at the patient’s home. This model is inclusive—serving everyone from diaspora families arranging care for loved ones, to small-scale traders and farmers who can’t afford to leave work.

On the financing side, Dr. Lantum compares traditional bank models with telecom competitors like Safaricom, noting the urgency for banks to adopt more agile, digitally enabled health finance models before telecom-led microfinance systems dominate the space.

The company’s technology roadmap includes building AI-enabled backend platforms, supporting cross-border payments, and scaling operations via smart contracts and franchise-like partnerships in new markets, including South Sudan.

The interview also highlights ongoing fundraising efforts, a strategic partnership with a coastal Kenyan county for chronic disease management, and their broader push for public-private partnerships in healthcare under the Social Health Insurance Fund.

Kenneth Mbae on How Centum Real Estate is Transforming East Africa with Smart, Green Cities

July 20, 2025

The interview with Kenneth Mbae, Managing Director of Centum Real Estate, provides an in-depth look at how the company is shaping the future of real estate in East Africa through innovative, large-scale, mixed-use developments. With over 57 years of experience in the sector, Centum has positioned itself as a leading real estate developer in Kenya, Uganda, and across the region, committed to delivering sustainable, lifestyle-oriented housing and commercial infrastructure.

Centum Real Estate focuses on building model cities that integrate residential homes, commercial spaces, industrial hubs, and green infrastructure. Their developments are anchored in areas experiencing rapid urban growth, guided by demographic and infrastructural data. A hallmark of their strategy is the creation of affordable luxury homes and IFC Edge-certified green buildings that reduce energy and water consumption, lowering the total cost of homeownership.

From flagship projects like Two Rivers Mall in Nairobi, the region’s hub, to Vipingo City at the coast and Pearl Marina Resort City on the shores of Lake Victoria, Centum is redefining urban living. These sustainable real estate developments feature townhouses, apartments, bungalows, and high-rise residential buildings, alongside offices, retail malls, and industrial parks.

Centum’s housing portfolio is structured around three key segments:

Affordable homes (USD 20,000 – 100,000): Projects include Mzizi, Elmer and Palm Ridge.

Mid-market homes (USD 100,000 – 200,000): Projects include Cascadia, Awali Estate and Springfield Apartments.

High-end homes (above USD 200,000): Projects include The Loft duplexes and RiverBank Apartments.

The company also offers serviced plots within master-planned communities, appealing to real estate investors in East Africa who want flexibility with infrastructure-ready land.

A major competitive advantage for Centum is its ability to combine cost-effective construction with bankable, high-quality products in strategic urban locations. Through financial partnerships, the company facilitates access to mortgage financing, supports off-plan buyers, and reduces project cycles using modern construction technologies.

Looking ahead, Centum Real Estate plans to expand into other African markets, including Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Ethiopia, in response to a growing regional housing deficit. With an annual shortfall of over 200,000 units in Kenya alone, Centum is uniquely positioned to deliver investment-ready, scalable housing solutions.

Inside Hipora’s Retail Audit Revolution: Real-Time Data, Logistics Support, and Regional Growth

July 20, 2025

In this exclusive interview with Marcopolis, John Wanjohi, CEO of Hipora Business Solutions, outlines the company’s transformation and regional expansion since 2022. Operating as a leading inventory management company in East Africa, Hipora has successfully penetrated new markets including Zambia and Rwanda, with operations already established in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.

Despite political fluctuations in Kenya, the company has experienced stable growth in Uganda and Tanzania, and anticipates 20% year-on-year growth as it continues to address critical gaps in inventory visibility, loss prevention, and retail audits. Hipora’s flagship technology, Hiplapia, is a customized retail audit and inventory management system that captures real-time data, detects policy non-compliance, and enhances inventory control for retail and FMCG sectors.

To combat inventory loss in transit—a major issue in FMCG distribution—Hipora deploys stock distribution officers who monitor and report every movement of goods, ensuring full supply chain transparency. This human-resource-based inventory solution sets Hipora apart from competitors and supports its logistics and warehousing services, which include dispatch verification, inventory checks, and loss accountability.

The company’s latest ventures include the rollout of full-service warehousing in Kenya, offering clients end-to-end responsibility for inventory. Hipora also supports SMEs through SOP audits and business process restructuring, providing customized stocktaking services on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. These efforts have helped build a loyal client base across retail, manufacturing, and distribution sectors.

Investing heavily in workforce development, Hipora has launched the HiPora Academy, a training institution focused on soft skills, ethical decision-making, and inventory management. With over 900 employees across four countries, the company is also committed to youth empowerment, onboarding 20 to 30 young professionals every quarter, especially from disadvantaged communities.

Looking ahead, Wanjohi envisions expansion into Ethiopia, Mozambique, and potentially Malawi and Botswana, positioning Hipora as a regional leader in retail audits, inventory control, and warehousing solutions in Africa. The company aims to partner with compliance bodies and attract investors to scale its impact and technological capabilities.

Konza Technopolis: Kenya’s Smart City Leading the African Silicon Savannah

July 19, 2025

In this exclusive interview with John Paul Okwiri, CEO of Konza Technopolis, Kenya’s ambitious smart city project, we explore the transformative role Konza is playing in advancing Kenya’s digital economy and achieving Vision 2030. Dubbed the African Silicon Savannah, Konza is positioned as a leading innovation ecosystem and Special Economic Zone, designed to attract global investors in ICT-enabled services, life sciences, engineering, and digital infrastructure.

Konza has successfully completed Phase One infrastructure, including clean water systems, high-speed internet, energy distribution, stormwater drainage, and the establishment of a Tier III Uptime Certified National Data Center. With more than 100 out of 147 land parcels allocated, the city now offers a plug-and-play environment for investors looking to enter the African tech investment space.

Key anchors such as the Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) are in place, supporting research and development (R&D) in STEM fields and strengthening ties between academia, industry, and government. Additionally, Konza’s model includes zones for light industry, device assembly, textiles, and biopharma, with future phases set to include Digital Media City and expanded public-private partnerships (PPP).

CEO John Paul Okwiri addresses common misconceptions about delays, reaffirming that Konza Technopolis is ready for investment and progressing on par with global smart cities like Cyberjaya in Malaysia. The government-backed initiative offers a range of physical and non-physical investment incentives, including tax reliefs, making it an attractive destination for those interested in tech hubs in Africa, smart city development, and long-term infrastructure projects in Kenya.

Konza is not just a project—it’s the foundation of Kenya’s Fourth Industrial Revolution, poised to create over 17,000 jobs, drive sustainable urban development, and serve as a model for digital transformation in Africa.

IXAfrica: Building East Africa’s First AI-Ready, Hyperscaler Data Centre in Kenya

July 18, 2025

In this exclusive interview, Mr. Snehar Shah, CEO of IXAfrica, outlines the company’s leadership role as East Africa’s largest AI-ready and hyperscaler-ready data centre, based in Nairobi, Kenya. IXAfrica operates NBOX1, a carrier-neutral facility strategically located near Nairobi’s airport, and is developing NBOX1.2 and NBOX2, which together will expand their data centre capacity to over 75 megawatts.

The NBOX1 facility currently hosts over 20 network providers and two major internet exchanges—the Kenya Internet Exchange and the London Internet Exchange (LINX). With its high-density GPU hosting capabilities, including support for racks requiring up to 50 kilowatts, IXAfrica is the only data centre in Kenya engineered to support AI workloads, positioning itself as a regional digital infrastructure leader.

Through a strategic partnership with Safaricom, East Africa’s leading telecom operator, IXAfrica is jointly targeting enterprise clients and cloud providers. The company is also engaged in advanced discussions with hyperscalers, such as Oracle—which has announced plans to establish a sovereign cloud in Kenya—and Microsoft, which is investing $1 billion into a regional cloud zone in the country.

As a sustainable data centre, IXAfrica leverages Kenya’s 93% renewable energy mix, including geothermal energy from Olkaria. With upcoming power wheeling legislation, the company aims to source green energy directly, enhancing its ESG compliance and lowering operational costs. It is also EcoVadis-certified, reinforcing its commitment to sustainable data infrastructure.

On the talent front, IXAfrica is addressing the data centre skills gap in Africa through partnerships with organisations like Nomad Futurists and local initiatives that train university interns in cloud engineering and data centre operations. This initiative aligns with their long-term vision to build a scalable African talent pipeline for the global digital economy.

The company is also at the forefront of AI policy discussions, contributing to regulatory frameworks on data sovereignty, digital policy, and AI governance in collaboration with the Kenyan government and the United Nations AI board.

Looking ahead, IXAfrica plans to scale its infrastructure, onboard AI companies, expand its cloud services, and strengthen its position as the go-to data centre in East and Central Africa. With backing from Helios Investment Partners, IXAfrica is not only investing in Kenya but also exploring broader expansion in Tier 1 African markets, including Egypt, Nigeria, and Morocco.

Typotech Kenya’s CEO Alfred Kandarah on Transforming Printing and Packaging in East Africa

July 17, 2025

Typotech Kenya Limited, formerly known as Imaging Solutions, has repositioned itself as a complete printing and packaging solutions provider in East Africa. Under the leadership of CEO Alfred Kandarah, the company has expanded beyond its original focus on pre-press solutions to offer end-to-end services including pre-press, press, and finishing equipment, along with workflow software, consumables, and training.

Now serving key sectors such as newspaper printing, commercial printing, book printing, and most importantly, packaging printing (including paper, board, metal, and textile packaging), Typotech aims to become the first point of contact for high-end printing and packaging solutions in Eastern Africa. The company is particularly targeting the fast-growing packaging industry in Kenya, Uganda, and Ethiopia, and plans to expand across the East African Community and later into Central and West Africa.

Kandarah highlights that the commercial printing industry in Africa is slowing, while packaging printing solutions — including metal packaging, corrugated packaging, and textile printing — continue to see sustained growth. This shift is driven by increased demand for labeling and product packaging across sectors, from home-based manufacturers to multinational FMCG brands.

Typotech also places a strong emphasis on sustainability in printing and packaging, ensuring all imported printing consumables meet environmental standards, especially for food-grade packaging. They supply eco-friendly inks, non-toxic print chemicals, and sustainable substrates tailored to local market regulations.

With ambitions to dominate the East African packaging market, Typotech partners with globally recognized equipment manufacturers to deliver state-of-the-art solutions. From computer-to-plate systems, digital workflow automation, to press and finishing machinery, the company supports the region’s shift toward modern, scalable, and sustainable packaging solutions.

How Storage Central is Expanding Secure Self-Storage Across Nairobi

July 15, 2025

Storage Central is a modern self-storage company in Nairobi focused on delivering secure, affordable, and flexible storage solutions to Kenya’s growing urban population and SME sector. In this in-depth interview, CEO Gerardo Segura and COO Nicholas Sadron shares the company’s vision, expansion strategy, and the unique advantages that make Storage Central Nairobi’s preferred provider of self-storage solutions.

Since its last funding round, the company has raised $700,000 to expand its Nairobi storage facility, adding 1,800 square meters and 180 new storage rooms. With occupancy averaging 75 percent, demand for secure storage units in Nairobi remains strong. This modern self-storage facility now offers nearly 7,900 sqm of leasable space with 860 individual storage units, reflecting Nairobi’s growing need for dedicated storage solutions tailored to both residential and SME storage needs.

Nicholas Sadron highlights that self-storage in Nairobi is not only about warehouse alternatives but about enabling flexible storage options that support Kenya’s micro-SMEs, NGOs, and entrepreneurs. Affordable and secure self-storage Nairobi solutions allow businesses to scale up during busy seasons and downsize in slow periods without long-term commitments, supporting economic resilience and sustainable growth. Examples include Matumba dealers in Nairobi who use pay-as-you-use storage units for sorting and distributing secondhand clothing, and medical supply companies like Field Technologies, which grew from 20 to 325 square meters within Storage Central’s facility.

Storage Central’s strategic expansion plan aims to develop 15 to 20 new storage facilities in East Africa, including key markets such as Kampala, Dar es Salaam, and Mauritius, over the next decade. The company is currently looking to raise $20 million to build five additional storage facilities in Nairobi, emphasizing the investment opportunity in East Africa’s self-storage industry. The CEO notes that self-storage investment East Africa represents a rare, untapped market, given the region’s urban density, growing SME sector, and lack of modern self-storage facilities.

Gerardo Segura explains their financing strategy, preferring debt over equity to reduce shareholder dilution while balancing foreign exchange risk with a currency buying program. He describes Storage Central’s lean business model as inherently resilient, with low operational costs, month-to-month rental flexibility, and highly atomized customer base that diversifies risk and ensures financial stability.

Beyond offering secure rental storage units, Storage Central provides value-added services such as insurance-included storage units (with standard coverage of KES 50,000), locks, and transport assistance. Its digital experience includes an online space calculator and reservation system, with plans to scale CRM systems and localize services in Swahili and English to support expansion across East African markets. However, the CEO emphasizes that despite AI and automation trends in global self-storage markets, human-centered customer service remains a competitive advantage in Africa, where face-to-face engagement and trust-building are essential for converting customers.

Gerardo Segura’s message to investors is clear: Storage Central is unlocking opportunity in Africa’s overlooked markets by offering modern, accessible, and flexible storage solutions. It’s not about creating a new need but improving an existing one with purpose-built self-storage facilities that are safe, convenient, and tailored to local realities.

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