A World Bank report on Kenya’s Economic Update for 2026 released last week noted that the country’s GDP could rise by 22.3 per cent in 2035 (in less than 10 years) if it applied stronger measures to tackle corruption. Let that sink in, Kenyans!
The verbatim from the WB report on Kenya’s prospect reads: “By 2035, implementation of moderate anti-graft measures could increase GDP by 8.7 per cent relative to a non-reform scenario, rising to 22.3 per cent with stronger measures.” The current GDP in Kenya is around $150 billion compared to that of the USA at $32 trillion, and that of the UK is around $4.2 trillion. On average, the GDP of the G8 countries (US, Germany, Japan, UK, France, Russia, Italy and Canada) is $6.9 trillion. China’s latest GDP is $16 trillion. A 22.3 per cent GDP growth rate means the world is queuing up outside Kenyan embassies/High Commissions pleading to come to “the land of milk and honey” that is Kenya, rather than Kenyans emigrating due to corruption.
Considering that Kenya is the largest economy in East Africa, its projected GDP is 4.5 per cent, well below that of the major economies such as Singapore, which Kenya aspires to be.
The report also threw up the fact that Kenya is a low-to-middle-income country despite Kenyans being made to believe by politicians that it is a middle-income country. The World Bank did not need to explain to average Kenyans the fake middle incomers. We knew they were our countrymen and women who drive second-hand big cars (on loan) to keep up appearances but dine at “Mama Kimbo” i.e. roadside kiosks where food is sold on tin plates for $1, rather than going to proper restaurants with proper tables, chairs, napkins, knives and forks and pay $10.
I remember talk of Kenyans enjoying high living standards, from friends and family, that was almost at per with that of bigger economies. Nearly every family could afford the basics. The measure of it was based on jeans. Yes, a pair of jeans. The global brands bought on high streets, and not second-hand markets. Second-hand clothes were frowned upon until corruption came knocking.
In post-independence Kenya, free education was guaranteed. Healthcare was a right, not a privilege. It’s not like it is today, when a snakebite can be fatal due to a lack of anti-venom in healthcare facilities. Across the country, many hospitals are still ill-equipped. They lack medication to save lives from curable illnesses and emergencies.
Baringo and Kitui are widely recognised as the major hotspots or leading counties for snakebites in Kenya. A country with a higher GDP could perhaps prioritise treatment centres in areas with high snake populations to save lives, but corruption has meant we can’t reach the higher GDP of 22.3 per cent for better healthcare.
The World Bank report has highlighted how corruption has held Kenya back and stopped it from standing shoulder-to-shoulder with larger economies. It is one thing to dream of becoming like Singapore, but it is another thing to get there. Of note, the World Bank report also states that just “moderate” measures to tackle corruption in Kenya could raise the country’s GDP to 8.7 per cent, which is almost double what is currently predicted.
This means, Kenya is doing very little to combat corruption, an effort that would help significantly to grow the economy. Simply put, the country has neither moderate nor strong measures to stop corruption. The whole anti-corruption campaign has been nothing but lip service. Jailing a couple of politicians when millions of Kenyans are partaking in corruption does not cut it. It’s just an attempt to pull wool over the eyes of taxpayers, donors and international lenders.
The World Bank report has emphasised what Kenyans already knew are the factors that are stagnating the economy. Principal among those is corruption and weak governance; meaning the anti-graft agencies, courts, Parliament and the Executive have not done much to tackle the vice.
High public debt is another issue that is intrinsically linked to corruption. Money borrowed cannot be accounted for. Crucially, the high business costs cited by the World bank such as bribery, red tape and procurement scandals, have undermined economic growth as they put off would-be investors.
The issues raised in the 2026 World Bank Economic Update on Kenya are food for thought that any government worth its salt would take seriously. Essentially, the report has provided solutions that are simple to implement if there was political will.
On the other hand, institutions such as the World Bank and IMF are also to blame.
They continue lending money to countries that are highly corrupt, such as Kenya. It would perhaps be helpful for such institutions to manage the projects that they fund for the benefit of citizens. Funding corrupt governments is tantamount to pouring money into a bottomless pit. Perhaps it is time to heed the notion of making corruption an international crime.
