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AfDB at 60: How Bank has impacted Kenya over the last six decades

A section of the complex Thika Superhighway, one of the flagship infrastructure projects financed by the African Development Bank Group in Kenya.

Photo credit: AfDB/KeNHA

What you need to know:

AfDB’s support to Kenya has been concentrated in the following sectors:

  • Transport – 33%
  • Water supply and sanitation – 15%
  • Power – 17%
  • Finance – 14%
  • Agriculture and the rural economy – 6%
  • Multisector projects including budget support – 8%
  • Social and human development – 5%

By Nnenna Nwabufo

Kenya became a member of the African Development Bank Group in 1964, the same year it had been declared a republic. It would nonetheless take three years of preparations for the Bank Group to commence its operations in the country.

Thus, since 1967, the African Development Bank has contributed to Kenya’s progress with financing that has kept growing. As of October 2024, the Bank’s cumulative commitments to Kenya amounted to approximately $7.4 billion, covering the financing of 164 projects.

In the last 10 years in particular (2015-2024), the Bank’s financing to Kenya has significantly increased, thanks to Kenya’s reclassification as a blend country since 2015. Notably, the Bank’s extended presence on the ground over the years, and the government’s well-articulated development plans, have been key factors in the timely delivery of quality lending programmes.

The Bank’s support to Kenya has been concentrated in transport (33 percent); water supply and sanitation (15 percent); power (17 percent); finance (14 percent); agriculture and the rural economy (six percent); multisector projects including budget support (eight percent); and social and human development (five percent). Other commitments have covered industry, environment, and communication at two percent.

The Bank’s operations in Kenya have been largely financed from the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the African Development Fund (AfDF) windows.

The AfDB has so far financed 90 operations with a total commitment of $4.1 billion, and the AfDF has financed 74 operations, with to total commitment of $3 billion. Fifteen projects valued at about $300 million were co-financed by the AfDB and AfDF windows.

In the last 10 years alone (2015-2024), the Bank has approved 54 projects with a total commitment of $4 billion, mainly in transport (36 percent), water and sanitation (17 percent), power (15 percent), finance (15 percent), multisector including budget support (nine percent), agriculture (four percent), social (three percent) and environment (one percent).

The Bank’s strategies in Kenya have over the last 10 years focused on infrastructure development, which has also been the priority of successive Governments.

Consistent with the growth of the portfolio, AfDB’s support to Kenya has for the last six decades achieved notable incremental results in different sectors of the economy, as summarised in this downloadable PDF. Read on for quick insights.

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Nnenna Nwabufo is the African Development Bank Group Vice President for Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery, and former Director General, East Africa


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