Officials argue that speculative real estate projects are exploiting the SEZ programme, potentially undermining its primary purpose of fostering industrial and service growth. Comprehensive Framework Overhaul Targets Abuse The Kenyan government has unveiled comprehensive plans to review the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) framework by eliminating tax and housing incentives from developers constructing projects not directly […]

Global credit ratings agency S&P Global Ratings upgraded Kenya’s long-term sovereign credit rating to ‘B’ from ‘B-‘ on Friday, citing reduced near-term external liquidity risks and improved economic management. The upgrade represents a significant vote of confidence in Kenya’s economic trajectory under President William Ruto’s administration, marking a recovery from the previous year’s downgrade. The […]

Substantial Interest Rate Reduction Expected The proposed currency conversion could deliver significant financial relief to Kenya’s strained public finances. Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi revealed that converting the loan from US dollars to Chinese yuan could reduce interest rates from 6.37 percent to approximately 3 percent, representing a dramatic halving of debt servicing costs. “The […]

Executive Summary Kenya’s economic growth this year is expected to exceed official forecasts despite higher U.S. tariffs and other challenges, President William Ruto announced at the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) in Yokohama, where Kenya and Japan also signed a strategically significant yen-denominated loan agreement. The East African nation’s economy is forecast to […]

Kenya has stepped up efforts to strengthen its trade and investment relations with the United States, as a high-level delegation from the Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry commenced a three-day working tour in Washington D.C. The delegation is led by Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui and Principal Secretary for Trade Regina Ombam, with the mission […]

The cooperation between Kenya and the United Arab Emirates has reached unprecedented heights with the signing of the landmark Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in January 2025, setting the stage for the highly anticipated visit of UAE ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan scheduled before December 2025. This transformative partnership has already propelled bilateral […]

Japan is looking to Africa for its next big trade move, and Kenya is right at the center of an ambitious plan that could reshape economic relations between Asia and Africa. In what represents a potential game-changer for continental trade dynamics, Tokyo is preparing to launch negotiations for a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with […]

The dawn of the artificial intelligence (AI) era presents a transformative opportunity for nations worldwide, and Africa stands at a pivotal moment. The recent 2024 Oxford Insights Government AI Readiness Index provides a crucial snapshot of this landscape, ranking Kenya eighth in Africa and 93rd globally. While these figures may seem modest on a global […]

Iran has made a significant statement regarding its long-term economic strategy in Africa, declaring Kenya as its primary gateway to the lucrative East African market. This declaration, made by Iranian Agriculture Minister Qolamreza Nouri Ghezeljeh during a high-profile visit to Nairobi, marks a pivotal moment in the relationship between the two nations. At the heart […]

The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has announced a significant decision by its Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) to lower the benchmark lending rate, known as the Central Bank Rate (CBR), by 25 basis points. This move, which brings the rate down to 9.50 per cent from the previous 9.75 per cent, marks the latest step […]