International development institution providing emergency financing and technical support to Kenya for disaster response, resilience building, and skills certification programs.
… But while inflation has eased, the economic gains have not been felt evenly for the more than 70 percent of the population which lives on less than $3 a day, according to World Bank data. …
… A World Bank analysis of more than 60,000 online job advertisements posted on Kenyan recruitment platforms between 2015 and mid-2019 found differences between labour-market demand and computer science programmes at the University of Nairobi and Moi University. …
… le inflation fell to 6.8 percent in April and the kwacha currency has strengthened, many face high food and energy costs, and unemployment stands at around 10 percent.More than 70 percent of Zambia's 22 million people live on less than three dollars a day, according to World Bank …
… It will take a mindset reset: treating skills, trade and payments as one system to be built together, not three agendas competing for the same budget line and the same graduate's attention.The scale problem we keep underestimating The World Bank's 2025 analysis of nearly 4.9 mill …
… NIGERIANS BRISTLE, INVESTORS CHEER REFORMS The World Bank estimates just over half of Nigeria's population were in poverty last year, up from roughly 42% in 2022. …
Kenya is set to receive approximately Sh51.8 billion (US$400 million) in emergency financing from the World Bank to address risks posed by El Niño, accessed through the Rapid Response Option to support response to El Niño-related disruptions, an Ebola outbreak in the region, and high energy prices. The article argues that while the financing is necessary, it raises questions about why Kenya must borrow to respond to predictable disasters rather than investing in long-term resilience.
Kenya is set to receive approximately Sh51.8 billion (US$400 million) in emergency financing from the World Bank to address risks posed by El Niño, accessed through the Rapid Response Option to support response to El Niño-related disruptions, an Ebola outbreak in the region, and high energy prices. The article argues that while the financing is necessary, it raises questions about why Kenya must borrow to respond to predictable disasters rather than investing in long-term resilience.
A swine flu outbreak reported in seven counties over the last couple of months has killed tens of pigs, with Kiambu most affected. Pig farmers say the disease has wiped out their stocks and, combined with rising feed costs and low market prices, is making the venture loss-making.
CapitalPay International, led by Garang Malek, is positioning itself around payment systems linked to trade, logistics, customs, agriculture, and institutional transactions across East Africa and South Sudan. The company focuses on reconciliation and settlement systems for organizations handling high-volume or regulated transactions, with Kenya emerging as a prominent market through its partnership with the Kenya International Freight and Warehousing Association.
An opinion piece examines France's shifting engagement in the Sahel following its military withdrawal from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, citing unverified allegations of a "Phoenix operation" that allegedly sought to weaken Niger's military and leadership after France was expelled from the country in 2023.
An opinion piece argues that Africa must prioritize agriculture and trade to escape poverty and overcome aid dependency, citing former AfDB president Donald Kaberuka's view that the continent should "farm and trade" its way out of poverty rather than rely on external assistance.
Kenya is expected to receive about Ksh.51.8 billion (equivalent to $400 million) in emergency financing from the World Bank through its Rapid Response Option, with funds aimed at addressing El Niño, an Ebola outbreak in the region, and high energy prices. The financing is expected to be made available within six weeks.
Kenya's housing challenge stems primarily from affordability constraints rather than lack of supply, with high interest rates (14.9% average), short repayment tenors (about 11 years), and limited long-term funding excluding most Kenyans from formal home ownership. With only 30,000 active mortgages and a loan book of Sh279.3 billion, systemic issues including high land costs, costly titling processes, and regulatory frictions compound the problem.
An opinion piece argues that Kenya's debt service burden—roughly three times the World Bank and IMF's prudent upper range of 15–20 per cent of government revenue—demands fiscal continuity rather than political experimentation.
President Ruto's directive restricting foreign nationals from low-capital businesses has sparked debate over whether Kenya's Pan-African agenda—which emphasizes open borders and freer movement of people—is being undermined by domestic protectionism.
Discoveries of rare earths and critical minerals worth potentially tens of billions of dollars could transform Malawi's economy, but experts warn that without stronger institutions, local participation, and domestic processing, the country risks repeating Africa's pattern of exporting valuable resources while reaping few benefits at home.
The Ministry of Labour and Social Protection will certify 3,727 informal sector workers under the Recognition of Prior Learning initiative on September 7, 2026, marking the largest single RPL graduating cohort to date. The World Bank-backed scheme seeks to formally integrate unaccredited artisans and technicians into the mainstream economy by verifying skills acquired through workplace experience.
Cooperatives Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya has urged Kenyans to embrace saccos as a reliable way to improve livelihoods, citing their success globally and noting low uptake in Kenya. He told Members of Shirikiana Saccos that the cooperative movement encourages saving culture and offers more affordable lending conditions than financial institutions.
An opinion piece argues that Kenya's borrowing from China must be assessed not only by the debt amount but also by the infrastructure built—citing the Standard Gauge Railway as a major national transport asset that creates long-term value.
An opinion piece reflecting on Kenya's 1997–98 El Niño rains, which affected more than 1.5 million people and caused damage equivalent to 11 per cent of GDP, argues that forecasts alone are insufficient without systematic mechanisms to translate warnings into preparedness and early action at community and institutional levels.
A baseline study found 84 per cent of women traders in Nairobi's markets rely on self-care arrangements for their children because formal childcare is too expensive or unavailable near their workplaces. The opinion piece argues Nairobi County should move from pilot programmes to permanent policy to address this "gap in market design."
An opinion piece examines how "negotiated democracy"—a locally driven political arrangement in which councils of elders, clan leaders and religious leaders seek consensus on preferred candidates before elections—has emerged as a factor shaping governance outcomes in northern Kenya since devolution under the 2010 Constitution.
Kenya's outstanding debt to China has fallen 19 per cent from its 2021 peak to Sh616.8 billion following a currency conversion agreement, while the World Bank's exposure has surged to nearly triple that amount. China now accounts for 10.8 per cent of Kenya's Sh5.685 trillion total external debt.
Kenyan schools risk producing graduates with strong academic credentials but lacking practical workplace skills needed as technology changes job demands. About 15.2 per cent of Kenyan youth aged 15 to 24 were unemployed in 2025, and employers increasingly need workers who can adapt, communicate, and apply learning to real-world problems.
Bomet Governor Hillary Barchok announced completion of the 300-bed Dr Joyce Laboso Memorial Mother and Child wellness centre, a level-five facility built at a cost of Sh300 million. The centre will provide referral medical services to Bomet residents and patients from surrounding counties, with commissioning by President William Ruto expected in coming weeks.
Kirinyaga County has allocated Ksh.200 million to scale up water access, with Governor Anne Waiguru hosting a World Bank and Mozambique delegation to benchmark the county's eWater model, which combines community participation, affordable tariffs, conservation, and technology. The county is implementing 38 water projects this financial year as part of a broader portfolio spanning over 70 projects.
The World Bank has published a decision sanctioning James Ayugi's Webmasters Kenya Ltd, the company behind Kenya's eCitizen platform, for what investigators described as a pattern of deception extending beyond Kenya's borders, including fraud and audit obstruction.
The World Bank has sanctioned eCitizen founder James Ayugi and his firm Webmasters Kenya Ltd for fraudulent practices in a Somalia tender involving Sh12.7 million. Both have been debarred from World Bank-financed projects for five years after misrepresenting expert availability and using consultants' CVs without authorization.
The World Bank has barred Webmasters Kenya Ltd and its director James Ayugi from participating in World Bank-financed projects for a minimum of five years over fraudulent and obstructive practices, after findings that they misrepresented the availability of two key experts for a contract under a World Bank-financed project.
The World Bank projects Lebanon's economy will contract by 6.4 percent in 2026 due to the Israel-Hezbollah war, citing collapse in tourism, weaker consumption, disrupted supply chains, and displacement. Inflation is expected to rise to 17.5 percent this year.
A delegation from the World Bank and Mozambique's water sector visited Kirinyaga County to examine the eWATER project, which expands access to treated water in rural communities through smart water systems with community participation and affordable tariffs. Kirinyaga has worked with eWATER since 2019, installing 177 community smart taps, 83 household connections and six institutional connections in Gathigiriri Ward.
Kenya's Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe announced that the government will import 25 million 90kg bags of maize to address an anticipated food deficit. Reduced harvests in major maize-producing regions are expected to create a shortfall of nearly 25 million bags against Kenya's annual consumption of approximately 75 million bags.
The government will import 2.3 billion kilogrammes of maize (25 million bags of 90 kilogrammes each) to address food shortages caused by drought-driven crop failures across the country. Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe cited the need to cushion against looming food shortage and said the country will also encourage irrigated agriculture investment to boost production.
Campaigning kicked off in Nigeria on Wednesday, five months before elections dominated by inflation and President Bola Tinubu's economic reforms. The country faces a cost-of-living crisis from subsidy-ending reforms, with headline inflation at 15.4 percent in July and more than 60 percent of Nigerians living below the poverty line according to the World Bank, while the nation also grapples with multiple security crises.
Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema won re-election with 60 percent of votes cast, the electoral commission announced Tuesday. The election was largely peaceful but critics said the race was tightly managed by the government and the run-up was marked by opposition claims of intimidation, arrests, violence and irregularities.
Kenya's paint consumption is growing at a double-digit rate, faster than GDP growth, driven by new construction and maintenance of existing properties. The construction sector grew 6.6 per cent in the first quarter of 2026, with manufacturers facing increased regional and imported competition.