The latest market, economy, central-bank, policy and company stories from Kenya, updated every 15 minutes. Last updated 19 October 2026.
| GDP growth (2025) | 4.6% | Fast growth. |
| Inflation (2025) | 4.1% | Above the usual central-bank targets. |
| Unemployment (2025) | 5.4% | Moderate. |
| GDP per person (2025) | $2,363 | Average output per person: a rough measure of how wealthy a country is. |
| Current account (2024) | -1.3% of GDP | Deficit: spends more abroad than it earns, so it relies on foreign money. |
| Exports (2025) | 15.8% of GDP | Driven mostly by its home market. |
Latest official annual figures from World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0). Context, not a forecast or financial advice.
[AI London] Kenyan authorities have increasingly used authoritarian tactics, including arbitrary arrests and detention, abductions, malicious prosecution of protesters, surveillance, and media repression, to crack down on protests against deepening economic hardship and the government's aggressive fiscal policies…
The shift toward smaller systems comes as Kenya seeks to expand the use of AI across its economy.
Le Kenya a dépassé l’Éthiopie pour devenir la première économie d’Afrique de l’Est et d’Afrique centrale, selon les données du Fonds monétaire international (FMI).
[Capital FM] Nairobi -- President William Ruto has signed two tax laws overhauling the financing and governance of the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), changing the taxation of construction materials and allowing the extension of the reduced 8 per cent VAT rate on petroleum products for a further 90 days.
The dispute stems from the distribution of New-KCC products in Kapenguria, Lodwar and areas bordering South Sudan. The matter was referred to arbitration.
The utility says that the expensive nature of its capital projects necessitates abundance of caution.
[Capital FM] Nairobi -- Investments, Trade and Industry Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui has urged Kenyan businesses to increase local production and expand into regional markets to create jobs and reduce reliance on imports.
National employment data show that creating jobs remains a challenge, with most new opportunities concentrated in the informal sector.
[Capital FM] Nairobi -- The integration of the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS) with the Government Human Resource Information System has helped end the practice of borrowing to pay public servants' salaries, Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang'o has said.
The company’s founders will receive net proceeds of Sh14.4 billion after footing the professional and regulatory fees.
[Capital FM] Nairobi -- Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has accused President William Ruto of exploiting fuel price increases to raise money for political bribery ahead of the August 2027 General Election, escalating his attacks on the government's economic management.
KRA issued the demand on February 25, 2026. Premier Foods sought a review, but the authority upheld the assessment on April 21, triggering an appeal to the tribunal.
Sierra Leone Telegraph: 13 October 2026: The Principal Secretary for ICT and the Digital Economy, Eng. John Kipchumba Tanui, CBS, has called for stronger partnerships between industry and academia to equip Kenya’s youth with practical, market-relevant skills that respond to the demands of a rapidly evolving economy.
Kenyan parliamentary leaders have thrown their weight behind the Dangote East Africa Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals project in Lamu and pledged support for the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals initial public offering (IPO), a release by the Dangote Group disclosed on Monday.
Kenya’s central bank wants the power to take control of struggling payment companies and sell their businesses, in a proposed
The disputed tax comprised Sh393.9 million in principal, Sh19 million in penalties and Sh299.4 million in interest.
The dispute covers corporation tax, withholding tax, value-added tax, and pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) for 2019 to 2022.
'In the case of the Dangote IPO, investors in Kenya will acquire the receipts representing the underlying shares approved and listed in the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NGX).'
Interest payments will account for the biggest share of the burden.
Kenya’s shilling has become a curiosity of frontier finance. For sixteen months, it has traded in a band so narrow
The dispute centres on a parcel of land in Syokima registered to Loneview Developers and charged to Co-op Bank for Sh1 billion.
Kenyan investors can now participate in the Dangote Petroleum Refinery Initial Public Offering (IPO) through a KES 39 billion Global Depository Receipt (GDR) offer, but the transaction will only proceed if it meets strict subscription and regulatory conditions.
[Bird Story Agency] At Kirinyaga University, researchers are testing whether Kenya can produce quality Bt cotton seed locally. The trials could help improve supply and lower costs, but taking the research to farmers will require commercial investment and support across the cotton value chain.
Latest CBK disclosures show that penalties rose from Sh59 million a year earlier, although they remained below the Sh191 million recorded in 2024.