AfDB Reaffirms Kenya Strategy After Mid-Term Review: Focus on Jobs, Climate, and Private Sector Growth

New assessment highlights strong alignment with national priorities while introducing targeted measures to accelerate results through 2028.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group has reaffirmed its development strategy for Kenya following a comprehensive mid-term review, concluding that its 2024–2028 Country Strategy Paper (CSP) remains firmly on track while outlining new measures to accelerate impact in the remaining years.

The review, conducted during a country mission in early March, brought together a broad coalition of stakeholders—including government ministries, private sector leaders, development partners, civil society organisations, and Bank staff—signaling a collaborative, data-driven approach to refining Kenya’s development trajectory.

Strategy Holds Firm Amid Evolving Challenges

The evaluation confirmed that the CSP’s two core pillars remain highly relevant:

• Driving private sector-led growth through infrastructure investment and policy reforms

• Strengthening human capital development, particularly in skills, education, and social services

“These priorities are not only intact but increasingly critical as Kenya navigates a complex economic landscape,” said Caroline Ntumwa, AfDB’s Country Economist for Kenya and task manager for the review.

“This mid-term review confirms that our engagement in Kenya is fully aligned with national priorities aimed at lifting people out of poverty. The keyword is relevance,” she noted, emphasizing that the Bank’s interventions continue to match Kenya’s evolving development needs.

Fiscal Pressure, Climate Risks, and Youth Unemployment in Focus

The review comes at a time when Kenya faces tight fiscal constraints, rising climate vulnerabilities, rapid urbanization, and persistently high youth unemployment—factors that are reshaping the country’s development priorities.

Presenting the findings to Kenya’s National Treasury, AfDB’s Director General for East Africa, Alex Mubiru, highlighted the urgency of targeted investments and structural reforms to sustain growth and expand economic opportunity.

Kenyan officials echoed these concerns, placing particular emphasis on youth inclusion. Amos Cheptoo, Director of Resource Mobilisation at the National Treasury, underscored the need for a cross-sectoral approach:

“All sectors need to speak to the youth and create opportunities that enable them to participate meaningfully in economic development.”

Sectoral Impact: Infrastructure, Energy, and Skills Development

The review assessed progress across key sectors supported by AfDB financing, revealing tangible gains in:

• Transport infrastructure, improving connectivity and trade efficiency

• Energy access, expanding reliable and affordable electricity

• Water and sanitation systems, enhancing public health outcomes

• Technical and vocational education and training (TVET), boosting workforce readiness

• Agricultural value chains, strengthening food security and rural incomes

Stakeholders also examined how these interventions have helped mobilize private sector investment and leverage partnerships with other development institutions—an increasingly important strategy given fiscal limitations.

Strengthening Delivery: Portfolio Review Identifies Bottlenecks

Running parallel to the strategy review, AfDB convened a two-day Country Portfolio Performance Review workshop, bringing together more than 200 project implementation stakeholders.

Led by Sam Kamara, Regional Programme Officer for East Africa, the workshop focused on:

• Assessing the performance of ongoing Bank-financed projects

• Identifying implementation bottlenecks, including procurement delays and coordination gaps

• Developing practical solutions to improve project delivery and outcomes

This dual-review approach reflects a growing emphasis on execution efficiency and measurable results, rather than strategy alone.

A Shift Toward High-Impact, Results-Oriented Programming

Insights from both reviews will now feed into an updated implementation framework for the CSP through 2028. Key adjustments include:

• Prioritizing high-impact operations with clear, measurable outcomes

• Strengthening coordination between government agencies and development partners

• Enhancing monitoring and evaluation systems to track progress in real time

• Deepening private sector engagement to unlock investment and job creation

This recalibration signals AfDB’s intent to move beyond broad strategic alignment toward precision development—targeting interventions that deliver faster, scalable, and inclusive results.

A Critical Window for Kenya’s Development Path

As Kenya approaches the midpoint of its five-year development strategy, the stakes are high. With economic pressures mounting and demographic dynamics shifting, the next phase of implementation will be crucial in determining whether growth translates into broad-based prosperity and job creation.

AfDB’s reaffirmed commitment—and its sharpened focus on delivery—positions the partnership with Kenya at a pivotal juncture.

If effectively executed, the revised strategy could help unlock sustainable growth, climate resilience, and inclusive economic opportunities, particularly for the country’s rapidly expanding youth population.