Kenya

The main gate of the Parliament of Uganda in Kampala, Uganda

Uganda and Kenya protests highlight corruption at the very top, which happens to be the most difficult to fight

Political corruption destroys the incentives of those in power to curb corruption and persists because it keeps the regime afloat, a function that extends beyond mere personal gain

Street art in Dublin against IMF/EU debt, June 2013. The recent Kenyan anti-tax protests are a warning that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is failing. The public does not think it is helping its member countries manage their economic and financial problems, which are being exacerbated by a rapidly changing global political economy. The IMF has provided financial assistance to Kenya; however, the funding comes with strict conditions that suggest debt obligations are more important than the needs of long-suffering citizens. This is despite the IMF's claim that its mandate now includes helping states deal with issues such as climate, digitalisation, gender, governance, and inequality. Unfortunately, Kenya is not an isolated case. Twenty-one African countries are receiving IMF support. In Africa, debt service, on average, exceeds the combined amounts governments are spending on health, education, climate and social services. The tough conditions attached to IMF financing have led the citizens of Kenya and other African countries to conclude that a too powerful IMF is the cause of their problems. However, research into the law, politics and history of the international financial institutions suggests the opposite: the real problem is the IMF’s decline in authority and efficacy.

The IMF is failing countries like Kenya: why, and what can be done to stop it

IMF’s declining resources relative to the size of the global economy has meant less funding than members need, forcing austerity and weakening its bargaining position in crises

A large group of youths protesting against proposed tax increases in Nairobi, June 2025

The roots of the economic turmoil that led Kenyan youth to take to the streets

Corruption, a perennial problem in Kenya, has become a major source of anger; young people, who see corruption everywhere, from the street to offices, feel that it has stolen their future

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and other G20 leaders at the opening ceremony of the 2023 G20 Leaders' Summit in New Delhi, India, on 9 September 2023. The G20 agreed a Common Framework that was supposed to help resolve the sovereign debt crises in low income countries. Four African countries applied to have their debts restructured through the framework. Despite years of negotiations, it has failed to fully resolve the debt crisis in three of them.

Africa’s debt crisis demands a bold new approach

Africa cannot rely on the global community to provide adequate funding or debt relief to address its development needs and crises, such as pandemics or extreme weather events

Storm clouds gathering over Accra, Ghana. Nineteen African countries, including Ghana and Zambia, are already in debt distress (meaning they are unable to meet financial obligations) or at high risk of debt distress. Ghana’s public debt has more than doubled since 2012 and amounts to 85 per cent of GDP. Zambia’s went up much higher and stood at 98 per cent as of 2022. Both Ghana and Zambia, along with Ethiopia, have defaulted on their foreign debt, sparking fears about a broader sovereign debt crisis on the continent if more countries fall into debt distress.

Fixes for Africa’s exploding debt and collapsing currencies

Highly indebted African countries face stark trade-offs between servicing expensive debt, supporting growing development needs, and stabilising domestic currencies

The Dukovany nuclear power station near Dukovany in the Czech Republic. Nuclear power plants are among a number of new energy proposals in four East African countries. Earlier this year, Uganda announced plans to build a 2,000MW nuclear power plant 150km north of Kampala, with the first 1,000MW coming online by 2031. Rwanda also recently signed a deal to build a nuclear reactor, while Kenya and Tanzania have made more or less similar announcements. While it is tempting in many ways for these countries to pursue nuclear power, there are several risks to choosing the nuclear path, the biggest of which is financial.

Why East African countries should rethink their nuclear power ambitions

Costs of building, maintaining, and later decommissioning a nuclear power plant make it one of the most expensive forms of electricity generation

King Charles in Kenya: visit signals strong ties with Britain despite past tensions

King Charles visits Kenya this week, his first visit to a Commonwealth country since his coronation in September 2022

Social media networks in one group on an iPhone

Kenya’s election should ring alarm bells on digital influence campaigns

Online influencers played a significant role in shaping the outcome of Kenya’s 2022 election, partly by amplifying misleading narratives. African countries preparing for elections should be on guard

Mwai Kibaki at a conference in London, in 2012

Mwai Kibaki wasted opportunity to fix Kenya

Kenya's third president initially enjoyed broad goodwill among his own population until he failed to confront the gross excesses he had promised he would reform

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