The African Development Bank Group has reaffirmed its development priorities for Kenya following a mid-term review of its 2024–2028 Country Strategy Paper, which found that the five-year strategy remains on track. While confirming that the overall direction is still relevant, the review also identified new measures to improve implementation and strengthen results during the remaining period through 2028.
The review was carried out during a country mission in early March and involved consultations with a wide range of stakeholders, including government ministries, departments and agencies, private sector representatives, development partners, civil society organisations, and Bank staff. This broad engagement helped assess progress and determine how the Bank’s support can continue to align with Kenya’s evolving development priorities.
The evaluation confirmed that the strategy’s core priorities remain highly relevant. These include promoting private sector-led growth through infrastructure development and policy reforms, while also investing in human capital development. Stakeholders agreed that these areas continue to reflect Kenya’s most pressing development needs and remain central to efforts aimed at reducing poverty and supporting sustainable growth.
African Development Bank officials noted that the review demonstrates the Bank’s continued alignment with Kenya’s national agenda. They emphasized that the institution will remain responsive to government priorities and continue providing timely support in areas that can generate lasting development impact.
The findings were presented to Kenya’s National Treasury by a Bank team led by the Director General for East Africa. During the discussions, it was noted that Kenya is operating under tight fiscal conditions while also facing growing challenges such as climate pressures, rapid urbanization, and high youth unemployment. These issues were highlighted as reasons for maintaining targeted investments and reforms that can sustain growth and expand economic opportunities.
Kenyan officials also stressed the urgency of ensuring that young people are meaningfully included across all sectors of the economy. They emphasized that every sector should create pathways for youth participation so that young people can contribute directly to national development and benefit from economic progress.
As part of the consultations, stakeholders reviewed the performance of Bank-supported projects in transport, energy, water and sanitation, technical and vocational training, and agricultural value chains. They examined how these interventions have improved connectivity, strengthened food security, expanded access to affordable and reliable energy, and supported the mobilisation of private sector investment through partnerships with other development institutions.
Alongside the mid-term strategy review, the Bank also held a two-day Country Portfolio Performance Review workshop that brought together more than 200 representatives from project implementing units. The workshop focused on the implementation performance of Bank-financed projects and explored ways to improve delivery by addressing operational challenges that affect project outcomes.
The insights from both reviews will be used to refine the implementation of the Country Strategy Paper through 2028. The updated approach will place greater emphasis on high-impact operations, stronger coordination with the government and development partners, and improved delivery of measurable development results across Kenya.
