NEWS HEADLINES 1. Kenyan Shillings vs Dollars : Ksh 129 = 1 USD 2. Govt Moves Madaraka Celebrations, Kitui to Homa Bay 3. Hustler Fund lent Sh 31Million to Minors & "Unborn 4. President Ruto in Lamu, Slams his critics 5. U.S President Trump : Tarriffs on Canada, Mexico, China still on schedule, set to Kick-off on March 6. The Auditor General's report has exposed massive misuse of county funds, including payments for undelivered equipment, stalled projects, unjustified foreign trips, and questionable procurements 7. The Ministry of Health is seeking funds to settle Ksh30 billion owed to private hospitals under NHIF, as service providers demand urgent payment and senators question the government's handling of the issue 8. Nairobi will host the Financing Agri-food Systems Sustainably (FINAS) 2025 Conference in May, convening global stakeholders to tackle systemic gaps in agricultural financing through data-driven reforms and policy alignment 8. Public Service and Human Capital Development CS Justin Muturi disclosed that budget constraints are preventing the commercialisation of the National Youth Service (NYS) as directed by President Ruto 9. Inua Jamii, which enables elderly recipients to collect their Sh2,000 monthly stipend via M-Pesa, disbursed Sh3.52 billion to 1,760,074 beneficiaries in January 10. ACA officers seized 19,000 counterfeit fertiliser bags in Nairobi’s Kariokor area, arresting a suspect and preventing a potential Ksh57 million fraud that could have affected farmers and food security 11. Tanzania reports success in reducing maternal mortality rates 12. The Somali National Army successfully repelled a dawn attack by Al-Shabaab militants near Balcad, Middle Shabelle 13. Uganda invests 260 million U.S. dollars to enhance energy exports to South Sudan 14. Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera appoints Vitumbiko Mumba as the new minister of trade and industry 15. The International Monetary Fund's (IMF) executive board approves an immediate 101 million U.S. dollars disbursement for Madagascar 16. Nigeria partners with China Foreign Trade Centre to strengthen trade relations and explore new markets 17. Somali President Hassan Mohamud and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed hold bilateral talks in Mogadishu 18. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa says that he wants to "do a deal" with U.S. President Donald Trump to resolve a dispute over his country's land policy and genocide case against Israel at the World Court 19. BlackRock has deposited 5,100 BTC worth $441.88M and 30,280 ETH worth $71.85M in a series of transactions into Coinbase Prime. The transactions have sparked liquidation concerns among investors and crypto traders 20. Nasdaq 100 drops 1% as Trump confirms 25% tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and a 10% tariff on China, all set for March 4 21. House Democrats target $ TRUMP memecoin with MEME Act. A new bill to ban officials and families from launching and promoting crypto. $ TRUMP coin launched in January, hit 15B market cap before dropping 38% 22. Bitwise has registered an Aptos ETF in Delaware, suggesting a potential upcoming filing for a spot Aptos ETF 23. Bitcoin spot ETF demand remains weak. Price recovery might take longer than expected 24. Bank of America to launch its own USD-backed stablecoin in efforts to charm Trump