The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), the nation’s premier statistical agency, has officially embarked on a monumental nationwide exercise: the 2025/26 Kenya Integrated Household Budget Survey (KIHBS). In a public notice, the bureau confirmed that its highly trained officials would commence visits to selected households across the country this July. This year-long endeavor, set to conclude on July 22, 2026, is far more than a routine data collection drive; it is a critical national undertaking designed to gather vital, comprehensive data that will serve as the bedrock for national planning, evidence-based policy formulation, and the meticulous monitoring of living standards across Kenya.

The KIHBS stands as one of Kenya’s most extensive and intricate household surveys, playing an indispensable role in shaping the country’s economic and social development agenda. Its findings will provide an invaluable snapshot of the nation’s socio-economic landscape, offering deep insights into the realities faced by ordinary Kenyans. The sheer scale of the operation is impressive, targeting 24,480 scientifically sampled households spread across all 47 counties, including a dedicated focus on 960 households residing within refugee camps, ensuring that even the most vulnerable populations are represented in the national statistical picture.

This survey is a testament to Kenya’s commitment to data-driven governance, recognizing that robust, reliable statistics are fundamental to designing effective interventions, allocating resources efficiently, and tracking progress towards national and international development goals.

Understanding the Kenya Integrated Household Budget Survey (KIHBS): A Foundation for Progress

The Kenya Integrated Household Budget Survey (KIHBS) is a multi-topic survey that collects a wide array of socio-economic indicators at the household level. Its primary purpose is to provide up-to-date and comprehensive data required to measure, monitor, and analyze the progress made in improving living standards across the country.

Historical Context and Evolution

The concept of integrated household surveys is not new to Kenya. Previous iterations, such as the KIHBS 2005/06, laid the groundwork for this comprehensive approach. The 2005/06 survey, for instance, was specifically designed to update and strengthen three vital aspects of the national statistical database: the Consumer Price Index (CPI), poverty and inequality statistics, and the System of National Accounts (SNA). These foundational elements are crucial for understanding economic performance, inflation, and the distribution of wealth. The continuity of these surveys highlights a sustained national effort to maintain a dynamic and accurate statistical system. By conducting these surveys periodically, KNBS ensures that policymakers have access to current information, allowing them to adapt strategies to evolving socio-economic conditions.

The Mandate of the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS)

At the core of this monumental task is the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS). Established by the Statistics Act of 2006, KNBS is the principal agency of the Government of Kenya responsible for the collection, compilation, analysis, publication, and dissemination of statistical information. It also holds the crucial role of coordinating, monitoring, and supervising the National Statistical System (NSS). This mandate ensures that all official statistics produced in Kenya adhere to international best practices, maintaining credibility and public confidence.

KNBS’s functions extend beyond just data collection; it is responsible for:

• Planning, authorizing, coordinating, and supervising all official statistical programs.
• Establishing standards and ensuring the use of best practices in statistical production.
• Conducting the Population and Housing Census every ten years, along with other essential censuses and surveys.
• Maintaining a comprehensive and reliable national socio-economic database.
• Providing technical advice on statistics to other state entities and promoting coordination among data producers, users, and suppliers.

The KIHBS is a prime example of KNBS fulfilling its mandate, providing the granular data necessary for informed decision-making across various government ministries, departments, and agencies, as well as for researchers, businesses, and international organizations.

The Breadth of Data Collection: Informing Key National Pillars

The 2025/26 KIHBS is designed to capture a wide spectrum of data points, each providing critical insights into different facets of household welfare and national development. The information gathered will directly feed into the planning and evaluation of various development programs.

Income Distribution and Expenditure Patterns

One of the most fundamental aspects of the KIHBS is its focus on household income and expenditure. This data is paramount for:

• Poverty Measurement and Analysis: By understanding how income is distributed and how households spend their money, KNBS can accurately measure poverty levels, identify vulnerable populations, and analyze the drivers of poverty and inequality. This information is vital for designing targeted poverty alleviation programs and social safety nets.
• Consumer Price Index (CPI) Updates: Expenditure patterns are used to update the “basket of goods and services” that forms the basis of the CPI, which measures inflation. An accurate CPI is essential for monetary policy formulation by the Central Bank of Kenya and for understanding the real cost of living for Kenyans.
• System of National Accounts (SNA) Revision: The SNA provides a comprehensive framework for compiling macroeconomic statistics. KIHBS data helps in revising and improving the accuracy of national accounts, including GDP calculations, by providing detailed insights into household consumption, a major component of the economy.
• Economic Inequality: By analyzing income and expenditure across different demographics and regions, the survey can shed light on disparities and inform policies aimed at promoting more equitable economic growth.

Education and Health

Data collected on education and health indicators offers crucial insights into human capital development:

• Education Access and Attainment: Information on school enrollment, literacy rates, and educational attainment levels helps policymakers assess the effectiveness of education programs, identify barriers to schooling, and plan for future educational infrastructure and teacher training. For instance, previous KIHBS data has shown high school attendance rates, but also disparities across regions.
• Health Status and Access to Services: The survey collects data on illness prevalence, access to healthcare facilities, types of medical treatment sought, and health-seeking behaviors. This information is critical for public health planning, resource allocation for hospitals and clinics, disease prevention programs (e.g., malaria prevention through net use), and assessing the reach of maternal and child health services. Understanding where people seek credit for medical expenses, as noted in previous surveys, can also highlight financial vulnerabilities.
• Child Health and Nutrition: Specific data on child health, including vaccination rates, nutritional status, and access to basic healthcare for children, is vital for designing interventions aimed at reducing child mortality and improving early childhood development outcomes.

Employment and Labor Conditions

The KIHBS provides a detailed picture of Kenya’s labor market:

• Employment Status: Data on employment, unemployment, and underemployment rates helps gauge the health of the labor market. It identifies who is working, who is looking for work, and the nature of their employment (formal, informal, self-employment).
• Labor Force Participation: Understanding participation rates across different age groups, genders, and regions is crucial for developing policies that encourage economic activity and address barriers to employment.
• Sectoral Employment: The survey can reveal which sectors are growing or shrinking in terms of employment, informing strategies for job creation and economic diversification. For example, previous surveys highlighted the significant proportion of households engaged in crop farming, particularly in rural areas.

Child Health and Nutrition, Fertility and Mortality Rates

These demographic indicators are essential for understanding population dynamics and public health needs:

• Demographic Trends: Data on fertility rates (births per woman) and mortality rates (deaths) provides critical information for population projections, urban planning, and resource allocation for social services.
• Maternal and Child Health: Specific questions on child health and nutrition, as well as maternal health (e.g., place of delivery), directly inform programs aimed at reducing maternal and child mortality and improving overall family well-being.
• Orphanhood: Previous KIHBS surveys have collected data on orphanhood, providing insights into vulnerable children and the need for social support systems.

Housing, Water, Sanitation, and Energy Use

Information on basic amenities and living conditions is crucial for infrastructure development and environmental policy:

• Housing Conditions: Data on dwelling types (e.g., house/bungalow, traditional huts, rented vs. owned) helps inform housing policies, urban planning, and slum upgrading initiatives.
• Access to Basic Services: Information on sources of drinking water, sanitation facilities (e.g., access to toilets), and energy sources for cooking and lighting (e.g., firewood, paraffin) is vital for planning and investing in infrastructure projects that improve access to clean water, adequate sanitation, and reliable energy. This also has direct implications for environmental sustainability and public health.

Methodology and Ensuring Data Integrity and Confidentiality

The credibility and utility of the KIHBS hinge on its rigorous methodology and the strict adherence to principles of data integrity and confidentiality.

Scientifically Sampled Households

The selection of 24,480 households is based on a “scientifically sampled” approach. This means that households are chosen using statistical methods that ensure they are representative of the entire Kenyan population, minimizing bias and allowing the survey results to be generalized to the national level. The inclusion of 960 households in refugee camps is a significant step towards ensuring that vulnerable and often overlooked populations are part of the national statistical narrative, providing data essential for humanitarian and development planning in these areas.

Trained Enumerators and Modern Data Collection

The survey will be conducted through face-to-face interviews by carefully selected and extensively trained enumerators. This direct interaction allows for clarification of questions, reduces misinterpretation, and ensures a higher quality of data. The use of tablet computers for data collection is a modern approach that enhances efficiency, reduces errors associated with manual data entry, and allows for real-time data transmission and monitoring. This digital approach is a significant improvement from older methods that relied on paper questionnaires.

Authentication and Security Measures

To safeguard against impersonation and ensure public trust, KNBS has implemented stringent authentication measures. All enumerators will carry official KNBS identification badges bearing unique QR scan codes, allowing households to verify their identity instantly. Additionally, enumerators will carry introduction letters from KNBS. This multi-layered verification process is crucial for building confidence among the sampled households and ensuring their willingness to participate.

Commitment to Confidentiality

A cornerstone of any credible statistical exercise is the assurance of confidentiality. KNBS has explicitly stated its “commitment is to hold the data collected in strict confidentiality and use it for statistical purposes only.” This pledge is not merely a formality; it is enshrined in the Statistics Act 2006, which mandates that the privacy of data providers (persons, households, enterprises) must be protected. Principle 6 of the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics, which guides KNBS, emphasizes that individual data collected by statistical agencies for statistical compilation, whether they refer to natural or legal persons, are to be strictly confidential and used exclusively for statistical purposes.

This commitment is vital because:

• Builds Trust: Households are more likely to provide accurate and honest information if they are confident that their personal data will not be misused or shared with unauthorized parties.
• Ensures Accuracy: Fear of disclosure can lead to underreporting or false information, compromising the quality of the data.
• Protects Privacy: Respecting individual privacy is an ethical imperative for any statistical agency.

By adhering to these principles, KNBS reinforces its credibility and encourages maximum participation, which is essential for the success of the survey.

KIHBS as a Tool for Kenya’s Development Agenda

The 2025/26 KIHBS is not just about collecting numbers; it’s about providing the empirical foundation for Kenya’s future development trajectory.

Alignment with Vision 2030

The survey is deeply intertwined with Kenya Vision 2030, the country’s long-term development blueprint aimed at transforming Kenya into a newly industrializing middle-income country by 2030, providing a high quality of life to all its citizens. Vision 2030 is structured around three key pillars:

• Economic Pillar: Aims to achieve an average Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate of 10% per annum. KIHBS data on income, expenditure, and employment provides crucial metrics for monitoring economic progress and identifying sectors that need intervention.
• Social Pillar: Seeks to build a just and cohesive society with social equity in a clean and secure environment. Data on education, health, housing, water, and sanitation directly feeds into assessing progress towards these social development goals.
• Political Pillar: Aims to realize a democratic political system founded on issue-based politics, respecting the rule of law and protecting individual rights. While less directly tied to household budget data, the overall socio-economic well-being captured by KIHBS contributes to a stable political environment.

The KIHBS provides the granular data necessary to track progress against the ambitious targets set out in Vision 2030 and its successive Medium Term Plans (MTPs), including the current Fourth Medium Term Plan (MTP IV) for 2023-2027, which implements the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).

Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Kenya, as a member of the United Nations, is committed to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. These 17 interconnected global goals address major development challenges such as poverty, hunger, health, education, gender equality, clean water, decent work, and sustainable cities. The data collected through KIHBS is directly relevant to monitoring progress on numerous SDGs, including:

• SDG 1: No Poverty: Income and expenditure data are fundamental to tracking poverty reduction.
• SDG 2: Zero Hunger: Information on food consumption and nutrition.
• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: Health status, access to healthcare, child health.
• SDG 4: Quality Education: School attendance and educational attainment.
• SDG 5: Gender Equality: Disaggregated data by gender on income, education, health.
• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation: Access to safe water and sanitation facilities.
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth: Employment and labor conditions.
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure: Data on housing and energy use provides insights into infrastructure development.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: Income distribution and access to services across different groups.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: Housing conditions and access to urban services.

By providing robust, disaggregated data, the KIHBS enables Kenya to accurately report on its SDG progress and identify areas requiring accelerated action.

Fostering Evidence-Based Decision Making

In an increasingly complex world, effective governance relies on evidence-based decision-making. The KIHBS provides the empirical evidence needed to:

• Design Targeted Interventions: Policies can be precisely tailored to address specific needs of different population groups or regions.
• Allocate Resources Efficiently: Government funds can be directed to areas where they will have the greatest impact.
• Monitor and Evaluate Programs: The survey provides baseline data against which the success of various development programs can be measured over time.
• Inform Private Sector Investment: Businesses can use the data to understand market demand, consumer behavior, and identify investment opportunities.

This shift from anecdotal evidence to data-driven policies is crucial for ensuring accountability, transparency, and ultimately, better outcomes for Kenyans.

Challenges and the Imperative of Public Cooperation

Conducting a survey of this magnitude across a diverse nation like Kenya is not without its challenges. Large-scale household data collection in Africa often faces hurdles such as:

• Logistical Difficulties: Reaching remote and sparsely populated areas, especially during certain seasons, can be challenging due to underdeveloped infrastructure and unreliable road access.
• Cultural and Linguistic Diversity: Kenya is a multicultural nation with numerous languages. Ensuring that enumerators can effectively communicate and build rapport across diverse communities is vital.
• Literacy Levels: Varying literacy levels among respondents can impact their understanding of survey questions, necessitating clear and simple communication.
• Reluctance to Share Information: Despite assurances of confidentiality, some households may be hesitant to share personal financial or sensitive information due to privacy concerns or past experiences.
• Security Concerns: In certain areas, security issues might pose risks to enumerators, requiring careful planning and coordination.

Recognizing these potential challenges, KNBS has appealed to all selected households to cooperate fully and provide accurate information. The success of the 2025/26 KIHBS hinges critically on the willingness of Kenyans to participate. The data collected is not for individual scrutiny but for the collective good, enabling the government to obtain reliable statistics that will be used to inform policies aimed at improving the lives of all citizens. The transparency in identification and the strong commitment to confidentiality are key elements in fostering this cooperation.

Conclusion: A Strategic Path to a Prosperous Kenya

The 2025/26 Kenya Integrated Household Budget Survey is a monumental undertaking that underscores the nation’s commitment to data-driven development. By meticulously collecting comprehensive socio-economic data from thousands of households across all counties, KNBS is laying a vital foundation for informed policy-making, effective resource allocation, and targeted interventions.

The insights gleaned from this year-long exercise will be instrumental in tracking Kenya’s progress towards its ambitious Vision 2030 goals and its commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals. From understanding income disparities and health outcomes to assessing employment trends and access to basic amenities, the KIHBS will provide a holistic picture of the nation’s well-being.

The success of this national initiative rests heavily on the cooperation of every selected household. By participating and providing accurate information, Kenyans are directly contributing to the development of policies that will shape their future, foster inclusive growth, and ultimately lead to a more prosperous and equitable society for all. KNBS’s assurance of strict confidentiality and its transparent methodology are designed to build the trust necessary for this critical endeavor to succeed, paving the way for a truly evidence-based approach to national development.

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photo source: Google

By: Montel Kamau

Serrari Financial Analyst

23rd July, 2025