Ahmed Salem

The Kenyan capital hosted NairobiThe 95th annual St. John Ambulance Service parade at the Presidential Palace, in their capacity as first responders, as St. John Ambulance volunteers are often the first to arrive at the scene of accidents and other disasters.

The 62,000 volunteers play an indispensable role in alleviating the suffering of victims, in addition to responding to emergencies, as the organization is concerned with guiding young people, instilling discipline, promoting civic responsibility, and standing by the most vulnerable communities.

To enhance emergency care services, the government is establishing a national ambulance dispatch center in Nairobi, which will coordinate activities and ensure rapid response. The service will be free for all Kenyan citizens.

Increase funding for the emergency fund

The relevant authorities also worked to increase the funding allocated to the Emergency, Chronic and Critical Diseases Fund of the Social Health Authority.

Accordingly, the government will cover the costs of evacuation and emergency treatment for all Kenyans during the first 24 hours.

In support of the noble work of St. John Ambulance Service, we allocated land to the service in Nairobi. Furthermore, we approached Parliament to take over the management of the St. John Ambulance Service office adjacent to the Legislative Building at a cost of 300 million Kenyan shillings.

This measure will enable the organization to construct a modern headquarters. The government will also provide 200 million Kenyan shillings for the construction of St. John's Ambulance offices.

We will also purchase 15 new ambulances for the organization and register them with the Sri Lanka Health Authority.

Economic transformation in Kenya in recent years

On another front, Kenya has turned in recent years into an arena of fierce competition between the largest banking institutions in Africa, with expansion and acquisition plans accelerating, led by giant banks seeking to consolidate their presence in the largest economy in the east of the continent.

This growing trend reflects Kenya’s increasing status as a regional financial and commercial hub capable of attracting major banking investments.

A huge investment boosts competition

The latest chapter in this race came with the announcement by South Africa’s “Absa” group of its intention to invest about $238 million to raise its stake in Absa Bank Kenya from 68.5% to 85%.

This move is a clear message about the group’s confidence in the future of the Kenyan market and its desire to strengthen its influence within one of the most active and profitable banking markets in East Africa.

The competition is not limited to Absa alone, as major African banks are following the same approach, driven by the search for markets that are more developed and capable of achieving sustainable returns compared to traditional markets that are experiencing a relative slowdown.