Government Spokesman Isaac Mwaura …Photo /courtesy
By IP Reporter
NAIROBI, Kenya (IP)
Kenya’s government says reforms implemented since 2023 have begun delivering measurable gains in agriculture, jobs, credit access and housing.
This has marked a shift from the previous administration’s focus on large-scale infrastructure and flagship industrial projects.
According to government data, the current administration has centered its economic strategy on household-level production, access to credit and cost-of-living interventions, particularly in agriculture and micro-enterprise financing.
In farming, officials say more than 21 million bags of subsidized fertilizer have been distributed through a digital registration system that eliminated brokers, reducing prices from about 7,500 shillings to roughly 2,500 shillings per bag.
Maize production has risen from 44 million bags to projections of 70 million bags in 2025, helping stabilize food reserves and cut grain imports.
Under the previous government, agricultural spending largely emphasized irrigation schemes, mechanization and export crops, with mixed success in lowering input costs or shielding farmers from cartels.
The government also reports strong export earnings, with tea revenues rising to 215 billion shillings, coffee exports climbing 73% by early 2025, and expanded acreage under sugar, cotton and edible oils.
These sectors have generated direct rural jobs, including more than 23,000 positions linked to cotton farming, ginning and textile activity.
In contrast, the previous administration prioritized the “Big Four Agenda,” targeting manufacturing growth through industrial parks and special economic zones, but job creation remained uneven and concentrated in urban areas.
On financial inclusion, the Hustler Fund has disbursed over 80 billion shillings to 26 million Kenyans, many without access to formal credit.
Government figures show more than 7 million borrowers have cleared negative credit records, with 3 million transitioning into formal banking.
Savings mobilized through the fund now exceed 5 billion shillings.
Previously, state-backed credit programs were largely channeled through banks and SACCOs, limiting access for informal traders and youth entrepreneurs.
Housing has emerged as another key pillar. Officials say 240,000 affordable housing units are under development, supporting 480,000 direct and indirect jobs, with employment projected to reach one million workers.
The sector has also injected 4.4 billion shillings into Jua Kali artisans supplying construction materials.
While the earlier government invested heavily in transport, energy and mega infrastructure projects, the current administration argues its approach is broader-based, targeting livelihoods, small enterprises and household resilience.
Government officials say the reforms are still unfolding but maintain that early indicators point to a structural shift toward inclusive growth.
