Counties' Health Facility Cash Lifeline Raises Red Flags for Kenya’s Fiscal Planning
Kenya’s devolved governments are increasingly relying on facility-generated health revenues to plug widening budget gaps, raising concerns among policy makers
Recovery Gap Widens as Kenyans Take Months to Rebuild After Shocks- Tala Report
New data in a report titled Money March 2026: Financial Resilience, by Tala, Pezesha, CIS and TransUnion shows that recovery from a serious financial setback can take anywhere from less than a month to more than six monthsEthiopia Slashes Current Account Deficit 95% to $289 Mn After FX Reform and Export Surge
Ethiopia’s shift to a market-based exchange rate in July 2024 triggered a major external adjustment. The current account deficit narrowed from $6.2 Bn to $289.3 Mn, while export earnings surged 119.2% and private remittances rose 13%. NBE foreign reserves jumped more than 209%, and the gap between official and parallel exchange rates narrowed to within 15%, shifting foreign exchange activity back into the formal banking system.
NCPB to Take Over Maize Seed Subsidy Program After Delays
Parliament has ordered the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) to take over the country’s maize seed subsidy program, removing Kenya Seed Company from its role amid concerns over delayed delivery and financial lossesCBK Raises KSh 18Bn in Bond Switch into 2034 Paper
The Central Bank accepted KSh 18.40Bn in a Treasury bond switch auction after receiving KSh 22.21Bn in bids against a KSh 15Bn offer. Investors exchanged holdings in the FXD1/2021/005 bond, which matures in November 2026, into the longer-dated FXD3/2019/015 bond due July 2034. The operation extends Kenya’s domestic debt maturity profile and eases refinancing pressure ahead of the 2026 redemption cycle.Kenya Raises KSh 61Bn in March Bond Reopening
CBK raised KSh 60.99Bn in its March reopening of the 2039 and 2046 Treasury bonds after receiving KSh 117.43Bn in bids, nearly twice the amount offered. Demand was strongest for the longer 2046 bond, which recorded a 4.15× bid-to-cover ratio, while the 2039 bond saw modest coverage. The auction comes as FY2025/26 bond reopenings reach KSh 807Bn accepted, highlighting continued investor appetite for long-dated government debt.Universities, State Agencies Lead In KSh 468bn Supplier Debt
Kenya’s unpaid government bills are still heavily concentrated in state corporations, with public universities, road authorities, health agencies and energy utilities accounting for much of the supplier debts older than six months.Kenya’s Economy Looks Great, on Paper.
the real question is whether this stabilisation is a genuine recovery runway capable of sustaining 5.5%+ growth, or a fragile equilibrium on a narrowing fiscal base, broken monetary transmission, and a labour market decoupled from GDP.
Africa is Building on Its Trade Momentum But Structural Frictions Remain, Standard Bank's Trade Barometer Shows
The disconnect between macroeconomic performance and the day-to-day realities facing businesses is still a defining feature of the landscape, the latest Standard Bank Africa Trade Barometer (ATB) shows.When It Rains in Nairobi, It Pours on the Economy
Nairobi's deadly and destructive flooding is not a failure of weather. It is a failure of fiscal priorities made years ago, now arriving as water in people’s living rooms.Kenya Ups Special Projects Budget as Floods, Drought Compound Crises
The flooding compounds an already critical situation in drought-affected areas, where more than 3 million people face hunger, which has escalated the need for rapid, large-scale interventionKenya’s Financial System Liquidity Surpasses KSh6 Trillion for the First Time
Kenya’s financial system liquidity surpassed KSh6 trillion for the first time after broad money (M3) reached KSh6.03 trillion in December 2025, according to Central Bank data. The milestone caps five years of rapid expansion from about KSh4 trillion in 2020, driven by growth in bank deposits, domestic credit and foreign currency balances. Transaction deposits, savings and external assets have all expanded as Kenya’s banking system deepened.
