Kenya's Economy
Kenya at a Glance
An overview of Kenya's economy - its role as East Africa's commercial hub, main sectors and development challenges.
Kenya is East Africa’s largest economy and a regional hub.
Basics
- Population around 55 million.
- Lower-middle-income country since 2014, after GDP was rebased.
- Nairobi hosts many regional headquarters and UN offices.
Sectors
- Agriculture: tea, coffee, flowers, horticulture and livestock; employs many people.
- Services: finance, telecom, tourism and transport.
- Manufacturing is relatively small.
Mombasa port
The port of Mombasa serves Kenya and landlocked neighbours like Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan.
Challenges
- Youth unemployment.
- Inequality.
- Public debt.
- Droughts.
Why study Kenya
Kenya is known for innovation like M-Pesa and for landmark development experiments.
The port corridor
Goods for Uganda arrive at Mombasa and travel by rail and truck across Kenya, making Kenya a gateway for the region.
Thinking Kenya's economy is only safaris
Agriculture, finance, telecom and transport are major.
Key takeaways
- Kenya is East Africa's largest economy.
- Nairobi is a regional hub.
- Agriculture and services dominate.
- Mombasa serves landlocked neighbours.
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