Policy briefs, explainers, and data-informed analysis on Kenya's economy.
A data analysis of commercial bank weighted average rates from 1991 to 2025 reveals one persistent truth: the gap between what banks charge borrowers and what they pay depositors has averaged 9.5 percentage points for three decades.
From 307 agents and 20,000 accounts in 2007 to 473,000 agents and 89.5 million accounts in 2025. Here is what 18 years of CBK data shows about the infrastructure that reshaped Kenya's economy.
10 years of GDP data reveals Kenya's economy more than doubled — but manufacturing is quietly losing ground while agriculture defied development theory.
Ten years of GDP data reveal a doubling economy, an agriculture surprise, and a structural manufacturing decline that should concern policymakers.
26 years of Kenya's principal export data (1998–2025) reveal a structural shift: horticulture is overtaking tea, and the export mix is quietly changing.
An analysis of 26 years of Kenya's principal export data (1998–2025) covering coffee, tea, and horticulture, revealing a transition toward high-value agriculture.
If Uganda shut its doors, Kenya's exports would fall by close to 40%. 28 years of export data reveal a dramatic structural pivot away from Europe toward East Africa.
Should Uganda shut its doors, Kenya's exports would fall by nearly 40%. An analysis of 28 years of Kenya's export data reveals a dramatic shift toward the East African market.
It's not February, despite Valentine's Day. 15 years of diaspora remittance data reveal December dominance, a COVID shift that never reversed, and a North American corridor worth $2.9B annually.
Kenya's debt has grown 22.9× in 26 years. But the real danger isn't the size — it's the structure. Costs, currency risk, and a narrowing revenue base make Kenya's debt position far more precarious than the headline ratio suggests.
It's not February, despite Valentine's Day. An analysis of Kenya's diaspora remittance data from 2011 to 2025 reveals $40.51B in cumulative inflows and a permanent COVID-era shift.
Revenue is diversified but insufficient, deficit financing is mostly domestic, and 81.5% of spending is recurrent. A close reading of Kenya's FY 2025/26 Financial Statement.
Kenya's debt has grown 22.9× in 26 years. The debt-to-GDP looks manageable, but structure matters more than size — and the structure is deeply concerning.
A review of Kenya's FY 2025/26 Financial Statement reveals revenue that is insufficient, a deficit financed largely domestically, and expenditure that is structurally rigid.
A short explainer on Kenya's Sessional Paper No. 10 — African Socialism and Its Application to Planning in Kenya — its context, and what it reveals about Kenya's early economic choices after independence.
Sessional Paper No. 10 (1965) set out Kenya’s post-independence economic direction amid Cold War pressures. It defined African Socialism as pragmatic, non-aligned, and adaptable, balancing state authority and private enterprise while confronting constraints of capital, skills, and growth.
Monthly data drops, policy analysis, and economic trends from Kenya.
