I begin by congratulating Dr. William Ruto on his election as Kenya's fifth President. The vote was very close but that it was generally seen to be fair and also accepted not just by the contestants but also the population is a huge endorsement for Kenya and of course that it was so peaceful is a great blessing. President Ruto certainly has a full in-tray both economic and social that will bring many challenges, though I look forward to the country continuing to develop on the trajectory established by his predecessor President Uhuru Kenyatta, who has led the country to another level during his tenure. Kenya is now in a strong position to secure its position as the region's major economy and D&S looks forward to supporting the new government.

As Africa develops regional trade is a key economic driver and there are several positive developments at present including the proposed expansion of the EAC to include DRC and South Sudan, the AfCFTA regional trading bloc and improved internal EAC relations, all of which will enhance the regional trading environment. Simplified cross-border transaction processes and conducive customs regulations are now most important and I hope to see good progress in these areas. As a regional trading business these issues have considerable implication on the D&S Group and we hope the new government will lead the way to prioritise growth in cross-border trade.

Physical resources are a vital component to all businesses and with growth the reisa continuous challenge to maintain adequate capacity. At D&S we are always building and two important projects are in the final stages of completion, a new warehouse in Lusaka for D&S Zambia which will be the region's central distribution hub and a new store at the Dundori Rd Head Office to replace the one fire damaged last year. I commend D&S Zambia MD Jonathan Mainga and Supply Director Henry Davis for leading the Zambia project which should be completed by the end of October and premises manager Timothy Kemboi and the building team under Jeff Wainaina for the successful HO project. The upgrade of the Dundori Rd premises is now an ongoing priority with ambitious plans to remodel the whole site. Watch this space as the project progresses!