Kenya

Republic of Kenya

English, Swahili Kenyan Shilling (KES) Mixed: English common law, Islamic law (personal status), customary law
AU, EAC, COMESA, AfCFTA, Commonwealth, WTO
Kenya is East Africa's largest economy and the region's financial and innovation hub. Nairobi serves as the regional headquarters for dozens of international organizations, multinational corporations, and is Africa's leading technology and startup ecosystem.

The economy is diversified across agriculture (tea, flowers, coffee), financial services, ICT, tourism, and manufacturing. Kenya is the world's leading exporter of cut flowers and black tea. The country pioneered mobile money with M-Pesa, which has transformed financial inclusion and spawned a vibrant fintech ecosystem.

Kenya benefits from a well-educated workforce, strategic location on the Indian Ocean, modern port facilities at Mombasa, and the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) connecting the coast to Nairobi and beyond. The Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) is East Africa's most active bourse.
Snapshot Focus Sectors Trade Regulations & Taxes Talent Resources Businesses (459) People (37) Deals (70)

Snapshot

Population~53.4 MWorld Bank WDI
GDP (current USD)$136.0 BIMF WEO
GDP per Capita$2,550IMF WEO
GDP Growth5.00%IMF WEO
Inflation (y/y)~6.30%Central Bank / IMF
Policy Rate (CBR (Central Bank Rate))12.00%Central Bank
Unemployment5.70%ILO / National Stats
Internet Use~40.00%World Bank WDI
Electrification~76.50%World Bank WDI
CPI Score (Rank)31.0/100 (#126)Transparency Intl
HDI (Rank)0.601 (#152)UNDP HDR
Credit RatingB (S&P) / B3 (Moody's) / B (Fitch)S&P / Moody's / Fitch
MarketNairobi Securities Exchange (NSE)

Focus Sectors

Agriculture (tea
flowers
coffee)
Financial Services
ICT & Innovation
Tourism
Manufacturing
Real Estate
Energy (geothermal)
Transport & Logistics
Healthcare
Education

Trade

Top Export Partners (2023)

Uganda
10%
Netherlands
9%
United States
8%
Pakistan
7%
United Kingdom
6%

Top Export Goods

TeaCut flowersCoffeeVegetablesTitanium ores

Top Import Partners (2023)

China
21%
India
10%
UAE
8%
Saudi Arabia
7%
Japan
4%

Top Import Goods

Refined petroleumMachineryIron and steelVehiclesPalm oil

Regulations & Taxes

Corporate Income Tax30% (15% for EPZ enterprises first 10 years)
VAT / Sales Tax16% standard
Withholding Tax15% dividends, 15% interest, 20% royalties (non-residents)

Talent

Median Age20.0 yrsUN Population
Adult Literacy82.60%World Bank UIS
Youth (<25)60.00%
LanguagesEnglish, Swahili

Business Directory (459)

View All
CO

Comcraft Group / Safal Group Kenya

Corporate

Industrial excellence from Kenya to the world

Nairobi
JU

Jubilee Holdings Limited

Corporate

East Africa's leading insurer since 1937

Nairobi
NA

Naivas Limited

Corporate

Saves you money

Nairobi
NA

Nation Media Group

Corporate

The media of record for East Africa

Nairobi
QU

Quickmart Limited

Corporate

Everyday value for every Kenyan

Nairobi
SA

Sarova Hotels & Resorts

Corporate

Refreshing African hospitality since 1972

Nairobi
ST

Standard Group PLC

Corporate

Kenya's oldest newspaper since 1902

Nairobi
TP

TPS Eastern Africa PLC (Serena Hotels)

Corporate

Refreshingly Serena

Nairobi
4D

4DX Ventures

Investor

Partnering with African founders

Boston
98

98.4 Capital FM

Corporate
Nairobi
AB

ABC Bank

Corporate
Nairobi
AB

Absa Bank Kenya

Corporate

Empowering Africa tomorrow

NairobiPublic
View all 459 businesses

Tenders

View All

Supply Installation and Configuration of a Scalable Network Attached Storage (NAS) Solution

African Economic Research Consortium

Farmer Trainer on Entrepreneurship in Agribusiness - Kenya

African Economic Research Consortium

Cloud-Based Payroll Solution for East and Southern Africa Region

International Union for Conservation of Nature - ESARO

Provision of Travel Management Services - IUCN ESARO

International Union for Conservation of Nature - ESARO

Data Notes: Population, GDP, and GDP per capita are latest IMF WEO / World Bank estimates. Inflation is year-over-year. Trade data from UN Comtrade/OEC (2023). Tax rates from PwC/KPMG country guides. CPI from Transparency International. HDI from UNDP Human Development Report.
Narrative last updated: April 8, 2026.