COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC CREATING MARKETS IN KENYA Unleashing Private Sector Dynamism to Achieve Full Potential COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC CREATING MARKETS IN KENYA Unleashing Private Sector Dynamism to Achieve Full Potential About IFC IFC—a sister organization of the World Bank and member of the World Bank Group—is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. We work with more than 2,000 businesses worldwide, using our capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities in the toughest areas of the world. In fiscal year 2018, we delivered more than $23 billion in long-term financing for developing countries, leveraging the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity. For more information, visit www.ifc.org © International Finance Corporation 2019. All rights reserved. 2121 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20433 www.ifc.org The material in this report was prepared in consultation with government officials and private sector in Kenya and is copyrighted. Copying and/or transmitting portions or all of this work without permission may be a violation of applicable law.  IFC does not guarantee the accuracy, reliability or completeness of the content included in this work, or for the conclusions or judgments described herein, and accepts no responsibility or  liability for any omissions or errors (including, without limitation, typographical errors and technical errors) in the content whatsoever or for reliance thereon. The findings, interpretations, views, and conclusions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Executive Directors of the International Finance Corporation or of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (the World Bank) or the governments they represent. This publication uses U.S. spelling. All mentions of dollars refer to U.S. dollars, unless otherwise indicated. Photos: Cover, Dasan Bobo/World Bank; pp. 3 and 19, Peter Kapuscinski/World Bank; p. 14, shujaa_777/Adobe Stock; p. 27, Georgina Goodwin/World Bank; p. 42, kyslynskyy/Adobe Stock; p. 48, Dominic Chavez/IFC; pp. 52– 53, Anna Koblanck/IFC; p. 56, Sudha Bala Krishnan/IFC. CONTENTS Acknowledgments vi Abbreviations vii OVERVIEW 2 01 COUNTRY CONTEXT 15 02 STATE OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR 18 Although the Macroeconomic Environment Is Stable, Challenges to Private Investment Remain 18 Innovation and Entrepreneurship 21 Investment Performance 22 Trade Performance 24 03 CROSS-CUTTING CONSTRAINTS TO PRIVATE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT 26 Business Environment 26 Competition Policy and Barriers to Market Entry 30 Informality 34 04 ENABLING SECTORS 36 Finance and Insurance 37 Energy 42 Transport 45 Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) 48 Health 51 05 DEEP DIVES 57 Agribusiness 58 Affordable Housing 70 Manufacturing 82 06 CONCLUSION 101 Notes 103 References 104 APPENDIXES A STATE-OWNED ENTERPRISES 108 B PHARMACEUTICALS DEEP DIVE 110 Notes 129 References 130 iv contents BOXES 4.4 ICT in Kenya and Sub-Saharan 2.1 Firm-level innovation and its impact Africa: Selected performance indicators 49 on productivity 21 5.1 Agricultural exports, 2013 58 3.1 Variation in productivity among 5.2 Key trade indicators for the informal businesses and major agriprocessing sector, Kenya and obstacles for its improvement 35 comparators, 2013 61 4.1 Developments on interest rate B6.3.1 Twiga Foods’ Distribution controls in Kenya 40 infrastructure62 5.1 The Better Life Farming Alliance 60 5.3 Maize and sugar dominate an 5.2 Cold chain investment opportunities 60 otherwise widely diverse range of 5.4 Sunny Processors 65 crop production in Kenya 64 5.5 Olivado 65 5.4 Kenya’s affordable housing strategy 5.6 Avoiding the fate of Isiolo abattoir 68 and the targeted beneficiaries 70 5.7 Affordable housing under the Big 5.5 Housing sector supply: “Inverted” Four agenda 71 pyramid72 5.8 Potential entry strategies in the 5.6 Kenya household income, tenure automotive industry 100 distribution, and housing 73 6.3 Twiga Foods  62 5.7 Benchmarked housing costs, B.1 Mexico’s COFEPRIS: Establishing Nairobi, Kenya, Johannesburg, regional leadership in regulatory South Africa, and Kigali, Rwanda, 2018 76 excellence120 5.8 Contribution of the top five B.2 Scale matters: lessons from India materials categories in Kenyan and Bangladesh 123 housing typologies 77 B.3 Industry-oriented skills for 5.9 Fastest-growing manufacturing pharmacists: lessons from South Asia 125 subsectors, exhibiting double-digit growth, 2009–1682 FIGURES 5.10 Top-three importers to Kenya by 1.1 Selected Growth indicators, Kenya product, 2009–1684 and EAC peers, 2010–1716 5.12 Performance of selected Kenyan 2.1 Kenya’s fiscal policy has been exports compared to global growth 84 expansionary20 5.13 Manufacturing value added, Kenya 2.2 With interest caps, banks and comparator countries 85 reallocated their portfolios in favor 5.14 Regional export comparison, Kenya of the public sector 20 and EAC comparators 86 2.3 Private investment’s contribution to 5.15 Exports of Kenyan leather growth decelerated 20 handbags, travelware, and 2.4 Foreign direct investment inflows ($) 22 corporate items 96 2.5 Net FDI in perspective, Kenya and 5.16 Total export value of Kenya’s East African peers 23 leather products 96 2.6 Kenya's Exports, 2016 24 5.17 Output performance of leather 97 3.1 Overall Doing Business ranking, A.1 Share of SOEs in subsectors, Kenya Kenya and Sub-Saharan Africa and average for 71 countries, 2019 108 comparators, 2019 28 B. 1 Pharmaceutical sector’s 3.2 Global Competitiveness Index contribution to Kenya’s Vision 2030 110 ranking, Kenya and Sub-Saharan B.2 Size of national pharmaceutical Africa comparators 29 markets in the EAC 111 3.3 Economywide PMR score 31 B. 3 Decomposition of procured 3.4 Business risks related to weak essential medicines by country of competition, 2018 31 origin, 2012–13 112 4.1 Growth in private sector credit 38 B. 4 Labor productivity in the 4.2 NPLs in the EAC 39 pharmaceutical sector by country, 2014 112 4.3 Peak demand and customer B. 5 Kenya’s Economic Complexity for consumption trend 43 Pharmaceuticals113 KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC v B. 6 Value chain of the Kenyan pharmaceutical sector 114 B. 7 Distribution of costs for local manufacturing of medicines in Kenya 114 B. 8 Why Kenya has a low supply of high-quality affordable medicines? 116 B. 9 Overview of compliance of participating companies to key quality elements of GMP 116 B. 10 Average postmanufacturing price markups of medicines in emerging markets at each stage of the supply chain118 B. 11 Proposed actions to increase supply of high-quality affordable medicines in Kenya 119 ILLUSTRATION B. 1 A spectrometer being used for API testing at a Kenyan manufacturer during an IFC-led field visit, May 2018 121 MAPS 4.1 Kenya’s transport infrastructure 45 5.1 Agricultural zones in Kenya 69 TABLES O. 1 Selected recommendations for addressing key cross-cutting constraints 6 O. 2 Recommendations for addressing enabling sectors’ policy issues 10 3.1 Sector-specific competition restrictions 32 4.2 Pathways forward in reforming the ICT sector 50 5.1 Market opportunities, impact, and investment potential across key Kenyan value chains 66 5.2 Indicative housing costs and household affordability assuming 74 full land and infrastructure subsidy, 2018  5.4 Kenya ranked against benchmark countries87 5.5 National industrialization policy and development time frame  92 6.1 Sector Deep Dives: Recommendations for addressing policy issues 102 A.1 SOE participation and presence of top business groups 109 B.1 Incentives package for local production of medicines in Kenya, Ethiopia, China, and India 122 B. 2  Proposed Action Plan for Kenya’s Pharmaceuticals Sector 128 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The Kenya Country Private Sector Diagnostic was and Anouk Violette Pechevy (Operations Analyst); prepared by a World Bank Group core team led by enabling sectors included Ana Maria Torres (Senior Karen Grigorian (Senior Private Sector Specialist, Operations Officer), Aleksandra Liaplina (Consultant), Finance, Competitiveness, and Innovation Global Mahjabeen N. Haji (Consultant); and affordable Practice) and Stephan Dreyhaupt (Principal Economist, housing led by the Centre for Affordable Housing International Finance Corporation) and included Asta Finance and included Mbui Wagacha (Consultant). Bareisaite (Private Sector Specialist), Steven Farji Weiss The deep dives also benefitted from the substantial (Economist), and Tigere Muzenda (Investment Officer). inputs of the extended team members and colleagues, The team would like to thank Mona Haddad including: Tania Priscilla Begazo Gomez (Senior (Director), Felipe Jaramillo (Country Director), Economist), Lev Freinkman (Consultant), Maria Paulina Jumoke Jagun-Dokunmu (Regional Director), Mary Mogollon (Senior Sector Economist), William Britt Hallward-Driemeier (Senior Economic Adviser), Manuel Gwinner (Principal Operations Officer), Cecilia Maria Moses (Country Manager), Lisa Kaestner (Practice Paradi Guilford (Private Sector Specialist), Caroline Manager), Niraj Verma (Practice Manager), Catherine Cerruti (Senior Financial Sector Specialist), Sarah Masinde (Practice Manager), Johan A. Mistiaen Ochieng (Senior Private Sector Specialist), Frank (Program Leader), Helene Monika Carlsson Rex Twagira (Senior Private Sector Specialist), Aref (Program Leader), Gandham N. V. Ramana (Program Adamali (Senior Private Sector Specialist), Peter Leader), and Vincent Palmade (Lead Economist) for Farup Ladegaard (Lead Private Sector Specialist), their continued support and strategic guidance. The Lars Grava (Senior Private Sector Specialist), Tania team would also like to thank the peer reviewers Ghossein (Senior Private Sector Specialist), Hadija Martha Licetti (Practice Manager), Gokhan Akinci Kamayo (Financial Sector Specialist), Thierno Habib (Lead Private Sector Specialist), and Gabi George Hann (Senior Housing Finance Specialist), Godfrey Afram (Lead Financial Sector Economist). The team Danisa Tapela (Senior Investment Officer), and Paul is also grateful to Leah Okoth (Program Assistant) Levy (Consultant). and Lydia Waribo (Executive Assistant) for unfailing The team is also grateful to all IFC investment administrative support. officers, World Bank experts, and leading government The following team members contributed to the and private sector representatives who generously sectoral deep dives: agribusiness led by Hans Schrader shared their time and insights. (Senior Private Sector Specialist) and William Llewelyn Davies (Senior Operations Officer); manufacturing led by Etienne Raffi Kechichian (Senior Private Sector Specialist) and Sumit Manchanda (Senior Private Sector Specialist) and included Anzetse Were (Consultant) and Karibu Nyaggah (Consultant); pharmaceuticals led by Sudha Bala Krishnan (Operations Officer) ABBREVIATIONS ABTs alternative building technologies KNBS Kenya National Bureau of Statistics AfCFTA African Continental Free Trade Area KPLC Kenya Power and Lighting Company AGOA Africa Growth and Opportunity Act KMRC Kenya Mortgage Refinance Company API active pharmaceutical ingredient KVM Kenya Vehicle Manufacturers ASAL arid and semiarid land kWh kilowatt hour AVA Associated Vehicle Assemblers LPI Logistics Performance Index CAGR compound annual growth rate MEDS Mission for Essential Drugs and CAHF Centre for Affordable Housing Finance Supplies in Africa MSEs micro and small enterprises CAK Competitive Authority of Kenya MSMEs micro, small, and medium enterprises CBK Central Bank of Kenya MT metric ton CESS inter-country transport charges MTP-III Third Medium-Term Plan CMA Capital Markets Authority MVA market value added CMAW Creating Markets Advisory Window NAFDAC Nigeria, National Agency for Food COMESA Common Market for Eastern and and Drug Administration and Control Southern Africa NER net enrollment rate CPSD Country Private Sector Diagnostic NGO nongovernmental organization EAC East African Community NHIF National Health Insurance Fund EPZ export processing zone NMRA National Medicines Regulatory ERC Energy Regulatory Commission Authority EU European Union NPL nonperforming loan FBO faith-based organization NQCL National Quality Control Laboratory FDI foreign direct investment NSE Nairobi Stock Exchange GCI Global Competitiveness Index NTB nontariff barrier GDP gross domestic product NTF National Toll Fund GMP Good Manufacturing Practices OECD Organisation for Economic GPP Good Pharmacy Practice Co-operation and Development HDI Human Development Index OOP out-of-pocket ICT information and communication PPA power purchase agreement technology PMR Product Market Regulation IDA-PSW International Development PPB Pharmacy and Poisons Board Association–Private Sector Window PPP public-private partnership IFC International Finance Corporation QMS quality management system IMS information management systems R&D research and development IRA Insurance Regulatory Authority SACCO savings and credit cooperative JICA Japan International Cooperation SEZ special economic zone Agency SME small and medium enterprise KEMSA Kenya Medical Supply Authority SOEs state-owned enterprises KEPSA Kenya Private Sector Alliance STI science, technology, and innovation KETRACO Kenya Electricity Transmission TVET technical and vocational education and Company training KITP Kenya Industrial Transformation UCL Universal Corporation Limited Program UHC universal health coverage viii abbreviations UN United Nations UNIDO United Nations Industrial Development Organization USAID United States Agency for International Development USP U.S. Pharmacopeia VAT value added tax OVERVIEW Kenya has the opportunities and resources to stimulate To that end, the country has undertaken significant sustainable economic growth and development, but political, structural, and economic reforms that have its potential has been constrained by underinvest- driven economic growth, social development, and ment and low firm-level productivity. Altogether, its political gains over the past decade. development has not been sufficiently sustainable or To fast track its economic development, the equitable to transform the lives of ordinary citizens. Kenyan government launched the Big Four agenda Poverty remains high, with 36 percent of Kenyans in 2017. It focuses on four pillars — food security, living under the national poverty line, whereas the affordable housing, manufacturing, and universal richest 10 percent of the population receive 40 percent health coverage — and aims to enable and accelerate of the nation’s income. This Country Private Sector job creation, economic growth, and social safety Diagnostic (CPSD) sheds light on how the private nets. In manufacturing, the administration intends sector can more effectively contribute to advancing to boost four subsectors: the so-called blue economy,1 the country’s developmental goals. Applying a sectoral agriprocessing, leather, and textiles. lens, it puts forward operational recommendations highlighting strategic entry points for diversification and growth and addresses key constraints to private A Potential to Become an African sector engagement. It also seeks to inform World Success Story Bank and IFC strategies, paving the way for joint programming to create markets and unlock private To achieve its ambitious development goals, Kenya sector potential. can build on strong fundamentals. First, its economy is already the largest in East and Central Africa. It enjoys many opportunities for trade, facilitated by Kenya’s Development Goal: the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Create a Globally Competitive of the U.S. and the upcoming African Continental and Prosperous Country Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Second, the country’s labor force is strong, English-speaking, and rooted The government of Kenya has high aspirations to in a youthful and growing population. Third, Kenya build a better future for all Kenyans. Kenya needs has good infrastructure and is a major communica- to boost economic growth sustainably, create more tions and logistics hub. Fourth, its 2010 Constitution jobs for young people, and build vital infrastructure laid out the groundwork for effective political and to tackle extreme poverty and boost shared pros- economic governance, with stronger accountability perity. Vision 2030 is the government’s long-term and public service delivery at the local level. Finally, development plan. It aims to transform Kenya into it has a diverse and dynamic private sector — the focus an industrialized, middle-income country that pro- of this report — backed by solid financial markets vides a high quality of life to all its citizens by 2030. that has largely driven Kenya’s broad-based growth 4 overview and could yield significant development dividends Overcoming Critical Constraints to if the main barriers to private sector expansion are Building a Competitive, Inclusive, and eliminated. Dynamic Private Sector Kenya has a large and diverse private sector that is well-positioned to drive economic growth. The To realize these opportunities, there is an urgent need vitality and resilience of its private sector had tradi- to address critical constraints to private sector develop- tionally been one of the country’s strengths, enabling ment and investment. To unleash the dynamism of the it to develop a diversified economy. It contributes private sector, the government must take decisive steps over 80 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), to address structural obstacles to economic growth, for 70 percent of total employment, and the bulk of example, infrastructure deficiencies, skills shortages, export earnings. Indeed, the Kenyan economy is well supply chain issues, as well as key cross-cutting con- diversified, boasting a major regional financial center straints — especially those pertaining to the enabling in Nairobi, the fourth-largest stock market on the environment to market entry and competition and the continent by trade volumes, a large manufacturing formal-informal duality of the economy. Specifically, sector, a dynamic tourism market, and Africa’s largest this CPSD suggests the following cross-cutting reform exporter of agricultural products such as tea and areas to help build a more competitive, inclusive, and horticulture. dynamic private sector: Moreover, the Kenyan private sector has shown immense resilience through times of considerable 1. Enhancing the business enabling environment political uncertainty and security constraints. Although Despite improvements to the business environment 2017 is characterized by a prolonged and uncertain and reforms on doing business — most notably in the electoral period, which slowed overall economic areas of starting a business and construction per- performance, the Kenyan private sector nonethe- mits — the overall regulatory business environment less posted sustained growth across key sectors. For remains complex, costly, and unpredictable. Kenya instance, output in information and communication inched up in the World Bank’s Doing Business survey, technology (ICT) increased by 10.9 percent, transport moving from 80th in 2018 to 61st in 2019 (out of 190 and storage by 8.8 percent, and construction and countries) and was in third place in Sub-Saharan Africa. real estate by 8.6 percent. Such stellar performance However, obstacles remain that could erode Kenya’s in the presence of adverse shocks demonstrates the economic performance. One indicator is Kenya’s small strength and competitiveness of the Kenyan private inflows of foreign direct investment (FDI) relative to sector, which is, to some extent, unparalleled in the the size of its economy, which, according to investor East African region. surveys, are a function of infrastructure bottlenecks, Greater regional and global opportunities provide skills shortages, political uncertainty, and high levels a favorable backdrop to boost the Kenyan economy of crime and corruption. Combined, these factors and help it deliver on the Big Four objectives. The create a high-cost business environment. AfCFTA provides a significant opportunity to boost Corruption is one of the most significant problems trade, competitiveness, and welfare. The agreement facing businesses in Kenya. The World Economic aspires to liberalize trade among African countries Forum Global Competitiveness Report 2017 – 18 and, by doing so, stimulate exports, competitiveness, ranked Kenya 94th for irregular payments and bribes. and innovation, as well as foster regional value chains Moreover, according to the Worldwide Governance that can facilitate integration into the global economy. Indicators, Kenya has experienced a steady decline Kenya is expected to reap substantial benefits from on regulatory quality over the last decade, falling the agreement in terms of welfare gains (1 percent from a percentile rank of 48.5 in 2006 to 41.8 in of GDP) and additional growth of GDP (2 percent) 2016. This decline is mirrored in challenges related and exports (5.7 percent), though incurring in small to competition policy, and more broadly, in new rules revenue losses (-0.3 percent). Other market opportu- and regulations being promulgated without sufficient nities include the United States, under the AGOA, and grounding in evidence or consideration of alterna- China. However, complementary policies, including tives to traditional command-and-control regulation. trade facilitation, reduction of nontariff measures, and The Statutory Instruments Act of 2013 constituted improved regulatory transparency, remain necessary progress in establishing a more systemic approach to to maximize the gains from trade agreements. regulatory quality, but the lack of a more complete KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 5 institutional and procedural framework for regulatory investors), further limiting opportunities for socially impact assessments severely hampers implementation. impactful market creation. Macroeconomic imbalances and subsequent policy Kenya has a broad presence of SOEs including in choices are hampering private investment. The rapid sectors where private participation is viable. Kenya scores expansion in government spending in recent years higher than Organisation for Economic Co-operation has kept yields on benchmark government securities and Development (OECD) and other middle-income elevated. Monetary policy also remains compromised countries on the degree of state intervention.3 The with the cap on interest rates tied to the policy rate.2 country registers SOEs4 in at least 17 sectors com- Over the past year, the policy rate has been reduced pared with an average of 15.4 in OECD countries, by some 100 basis points. Although this has helped including in sectors where there is active private sector “blue-chip” Kenyan borrowers (such as government participation such as retail, accommodation, manu- and large corporates), small and medium enterprises facturing, banking, insurance, and agriprocessing. In (SMEs) — the backbone of the Kenyan economy — con- enabling sectors that provide essential inputs to the tinue to suffer given the higher risk premium attached rest of the economy (electricity, transport, finance, to them. Consequently, there has been a growing shift telecommunications, and educations) and where in lending from the private sector to the government natural monopolies and SOEs are important, the with an increase from an average of 9.2 percent in 2016 effectiveness in achieving policy goals in terms of to 19.9 percent in 2017, whereas average growth in affordability and access to quality services is limited, credit to the private sector declined from 9.1 percent affecting the costs for enterprises in traded sectors. to 2.3 percent over the same horizon. As a result, SOEs also generate a significant burden on fiscal the contribution from private investment has been accounts, running deficits particularly in agriculture, negative in recent years, declining from 1.3 percent- health and communications, and debt — particularly age points of GDP in the four years leading to 2013 on railways and electricity — amounting to 7 percent to -0.3 percentage points in the four years leading of GDP in 2016. to 2017 (a swing of 1.6 percentage points of GDP). Based on sectoral growth performance (assuming 3. Linking the formal and informal sectors constant growth in labor supply and technology), Kenya’s private sector dynamism is held back by the sectors that have contributed to the weak private a pronounced formal-informal dualism. In Kenya, sector growth are agriculture, manufacturing, and larger formal businesses produce the bulk of eco- trading activities. Private investment appears to have nomic output, but micro and small enterprises in been expanding more rapidly in the real estate and the informal sector employ most working Kenyans. transportation sectors. Informal firms in Kenya make up most businesses and entrepreneurs (95 percent) and are the largest 2. Strengthening competition policy and removing source of employment, employing nearly 70 percent of barriers to market entry workers outside farming. However, they are generally Kenyan markets are facing relatively high levels of engaged in lower value-added activities, with poor government intervention in areas where the pri- access to capital and technology, limited connectivity vate sector already has a significant presence and to global supply chains, and slow utilization of market is burdened by immense regulatory requirements opportunities. As a result, there has been a significant for entering new markets. Kenya lags comparator productivity gap with the formal sector. Any private countries on reducing barriers to market entry and sector development strategy for Kenya must address effective operations. The country lacks effective rules the importance of the informal sector and the need to facilitate entry, contestability, and effective domestic to strengthen its links with to formal sector. competition, which has dampened investment. Direct Table O.1 is a summary of the main recommenda- competition from state-owned enterprises (SOEs), links tions for addressing these cross-cutting constraints. between competing firms through partial government Chapter 3 provides a full list of constraints and shareholding, and a lack of competitive neutrality recommendations. given limited de facto separation of regulatory and commercial activities in sectors such as electricity, air transport, telecommunications, and agriculture can crowd out the private sector (particularly new 6 overview TABLE O. 1 SELECTED RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ADDRESSING KEY CROSS-CUTTING CONSTRAINTS Constraints Recommendations Enabling environment for business • Conduct a detailed assessment of the quality infrastructure and national standards needs in selected sectors • Increase transparency in public procurement by fully digitizing the public procurement process, allowing online payments and electronic signatures in the procurement contracts portal • Assess recent efforts to improve regulatory management systems (public consultation, regulatory analysis, access to laws and regulations) Competition policy and barriers to market entry • Remove regulatory barriers and government interventions that restrict entry and competition in various key sectors including agriculture, electronic communications, electricity generation, professional services, insurance, and transport logistics • Enhance competition law enforcement to fight cartels and abusive behavior of dominant firms, including technical instruments to increase compliance and deterrence as well as stakeholder engagement to support the implementation of competition policy in Kenya Informality • Undertake detailed assessment of the informal sector (drivers of informality, output, impact, barriers) • Develop new policies and design targeted programs to increase links among small and medium enterprises and larger companies • Eliminate selected barriers to formality (taxation, access to finance, skills) Enabling Sectors Critical for 2030 program. Electricity generation already shows a Kenya’s Growth strong upward trend, underpinned by new investments from both the state and private investors. In the past, To overcome structural deficiencies related to input Kenya has attracted significant private participation factors, support infrastructure, pressing social issues, in power generation. There are 10 IPPs that generate growth, and employment, Kenya’s enabling sectors power across 15 plants — three small-scale hydro plants, play a critical role. This CPSD identified the following one geothermal plant, one biomass plant, and 10 fuel- pathways to stimulate Kenya’s development agenda: oil plants —  which account for about 30 percent of installed generation capacity (over 658 megawatts) in Increasing Reliability of Electricity Supply the country. The remaining 70 percent of capacity is through Private Provision owned and operated by KenGen. Demand for energy The energy sector is a critical enabler of the economy, is strong, helped by the expansion of the electricity with the cost and reliability of electricity serving as key grid, including into rural areas. Power available for input to all other sectors of the economy, directly and distribution increased by 5.8 percent per year on average indirectly impacting growth and job creation across the in the 2010 – 17 period — and quickened to 8.1 percent country. Kenya already has an advanced energy sector year-on-year in the first half of 2018 — outpacing growth structure, with a significant and growing presence of in the wider economy. independent power producers (IPPs), unbundling and However, blackouts are frequent and affordability partial privatization of national utilities, and cost-re- remains a concern. Firms pay high energy costs at flective tariffs. At the same time, the government is $0.21 per kilowatt hour (kWh) (versus $0.18/kWh in focused on new electricity generation infrastructure Nigeria, $0.10/kWh in South Africa, and $0.08/kWh and new generation capacity to support the Vision in China and India), with the electricity bill account- KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 7 ing for a disproportionate amount of total operating Long-term finance for infrastructure and hous- expense — in some cases over 50 percent according ing is critically needed and cannot be met through to the World Bank Enterprise Survey. Similarly, fre- budgetary resources alone. Addressing Kenya’s infra- quent power outages, which affect up to 90 percent structure deficit would require sustained investment of firms, undermine productivity and increase the of almost $4 billion per year in the medium term, costs of doing business, with many businesses and which is about 6.1 to 7 percent of Kenya’s GDP. The residential complexes opting for secondary, local cost of the Affordable Housing Strategy alone has power generation capacity. been estimated by the State Department for Urban Beyond the optimization of the planning process, and Housing Development at $21 billion, which is financial resources will be needed to meet the govern- close to the annual budget. Kenya has made prog- ment’s objective of doubling the electrification rate ress in developing its local currency domestic capital over the next four years. If private participation and markets and is ready for demonstration projects in market competition are to be bolstered, new primary long-term financing. An important priority going and secondary legislation will likely be required, as forward is to strengthen the management of public well as capacity building for the Energy Regulation debt, to lower yields on government securities, and Commission and the Ministry of Energy. This will achieve a reliable yield curve. However, long-term help ensure that market mechanisms are designed to institutional investors are reluctant to engage into new promote rational, fair, and transparent competition investment areas while they are making comfortable among the market players. returns on government securities. Specific reforms to improve the financial architecture Enabling Access to Finance for Small that is being addressed through public and private Businesses, Infrastructure, and Housing investments include: (1) consolidating all nonbanking The financial sector is a crucial backbone that drives regulators into a single financial services authority, the Kenyan economy. However, it is struggling to fulfil (2) modernizing market conduct supervision, (3) its function primarily because of two constraints: (1) improving credit reporting by enhancing transpar- low availability of “affordable” credit to businesses, ency in the process, (4) strengthening the regime for especially SMEs, and (2) scarcity of long-term finance. moveable collateral, (5) expanding the availability of Significant gaps in access to finance for micro, alternative savings instruments, (6) developing and small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) hinder firms’ expanding initiatives aimed at improving liquidity growth and productivity in Kenya. Private credit in the housing credit markets, and (7) introducing growth has slowed significantly, falling from its peak new instruments to channel financing. of about 25.0 percent in mid-2014 to its lowest level in over a decade of 1.6 percent by mid-2017. However, Providing Access to Health Care and Quality in the first half of 2018, it improved, going up to 4.3 Medical Services percent. This growth is attributed to an improving Health care is a critical enabling sector and is at the economy, with the country’s GDP increasing to 5.7 top of the country’s development priorities as part of percent in the first quarter of 2018 from 4.9 percent the Big Four program, announced in December 2017. in the first quarter of 2017, and a stable political The size of Kenya’s health sector is estimated to be climate. Limited credit availability can hinder robust around $3.5 billion, of which around $600 million economic expansion, as has been observed in several came from public funds in 2017. According to a health economies in Europe and elsewhere after the global sector public expenditure review (World Bank 2014), financial crisis. This slowdown in credit growth is about 42 percent of health care was provided privately explained by the introduction of a lending interest in 2012, with the rest split among the public sector and rate cap that has proved detrimental to private credit donor support and nongovernmental organizations. growth. In 2018, the government acknowledged this Out-of-pocket spending remains high, causing many negative effect and proposed repealing the relevant to fall into poverty and posing a barrier to health section in the Banking Amendment Act of 2016 in care access. Many Kenyans do not save or prepay addition to downgrading the banking sector’s rating for health care or are not able to do so. to “satisfactory” in 2017, from “strong” in 2016. Under the Big Four agenda and Vision 2030, a In March 2019, a high court in Kenya ruled that key deliverable is to achieve universal health cov- the law capping interest rates was unconstitutional erage (UHC) by 2022. UHC refers to a situation and suspended the ruling for 12 months to allow where all people receive quality services when needed lawmakers to reexamine the law. (promotive, preventive, curative, and rehabilitative 8 overview health services) without being exposed to financial Enabling Broad-Based Growth through ICTs hardship. It has two main goals: access to quality and Telecommunications care as needed and financial risk protection. Implicit The strong growth of Kenya’s ICT sector is facilitating are objectives related to equity in access, quality of growth in other sectors of the economy by acceler- services, and broader social protection. The govern- ating the flow of information and resources (using ment also looks to reform the governance of private mobile money). The sector has changed dramatically insurance companies and increase the number of over the past decade, transitioning to a burgeoning community health facilities. market that has become one of the most vibrant The high-level political commitment presents in Africa. Nairobi is recognized as one of Africa’s an opportunity for Kenya to fast-track its progress technology hub cities (along with Lagos, Cape Town, towards UHC. But key design features of the UHC and Accra), with the potential to foster and scale model are still under development. For example, the digital ecosystems. The iHub, Kenya’s first technology Kenyan government has not yet decided on the best and innovation lab, was established in March 2010 financing model to achieve UHC and the appropriate and has since become the centerpiece of a growing level of health insurance subsidies for the informal tech community with over 16,500 members. iHub sector. It is also not yet clear to what extent can has several initiatives that catalyze growth in the the health system cope with the rapid increase in technology community. Kenya now has 27 active demand for health services and the roles of the dif- technology hubs.5 ferent stakeholders in the implementation process. Vision 2030 recognizes ICT as a foundation of To realize the goal of achieving UHC, the govern- economic development. The government acknowl- ment has requested the World Bank to support UHC edges that inclusive growth at rapid sustained rates implementation in four counties as a first phase of would require strong support for innovation, entre- implementing its vision. preneurship, ICT, and digital solutions. To this end, The commitment to UHC and the shift of the the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Cooperatives government’s role from being a provider of care to has developed the Kenya Industrial Transformation a financer would open new opportunities for private Program to promote the ICT sector by strengthen- sector development and market creation. Over the last ing incubators, accelerators, rapid technology skills six years —  through direct intervention and support training, SMEs, and startups. of initiatives such as Health in Africa  —  the country Despite its dynamism, the sector still faces numer- has seen increased commitment by the government ous challenges. First, the absence of clear regulatory in engaging and partnering with the private sector framework to promote infrastructure sharing limits for delivery of services towards UHC under Vision efficiency and entry in the telecommunications market. 2030. The Kenyan private health sector continues to Second, the weak enforcement of necessary policies grow, commanding 50 percent of all goods, services, has failed to reduce the dominance of some operators products, and technologies. At the same time, public in the mobile and fixed broadband markets. Third, investment is held back by fiscal constraints, leaving despite hosting the most advanced ICT sector in scope for greater private sector involvement. Smart East Africa, innovation is held back by institutional implementation of the national insurance plan can weaknesses and public sector capacity constraints, reap numerous benefits such as equity in health care especially in higher education, which is aggravating outcomes irrespective of ability to pay, more risk skills shortages. Kenya is also vulnerable to cybercrime, pooling, and increased ability to leverage private especially given the proliferation of new services and capital to build the much-needed health care delivery users, the large sums of money being transferred digi- infrastructure. It also has the potential to lower overall tally, and the reactive rather than proactive approach health care system costs. Moreover, Kenya also seeks toward security. to become a medical tourism destination, opening a Addressing competition policy constraints in the ICT new range of business opportunities. Prospects for sector is critical to further its growth. An important public-private partnerships (PPPs) are favorable in aspect to look at is the facilitation of infrastructure equipment supply, e-health, training and education, sharing to improve coverage and use of capital. This health insurance, and the establishment of new private can only be achieved through the development and hospitals. Cumbersome regulations, limited health implementation of regulations to drive infrastructure insurance, and a shortage of skilled health workers sharing, in particular, of cell towers and fiber-optic are challenges, but reforms are expected given the lines. Similarly, it is critical to improve competition greater urgency now attached to health care. in the mobile and payment system markets. To this KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 9 end, a World Bank Group (2015) report suggested that improving corporate governance of SOEs), guaran- in the wireless telecommunications subsector there tee access to key infrastructure by private providers was scope for improvement by reducing the switch- of downstream services, and prevent uncompetitive ing cost and the porting fee imposed on consumers. practices that raise the cost of transport and logistics In addition, operators seeking to compete in the services. Performance on the World Bank’s Logistics telecommunications market require access to radio Performance Index deteriorated sharply in the 2016 – 18 spectrum. However, Kenya lacks a pro-competi- period, when Kenya’s ranking dropped from 42nd tive process for spectrum assignment. Policies are to 68th out of 160 countries. Most trading, customs, needed to efficiently allocate spectrum in a manner and border-crossing procedures are still essentially that does not limit competition in the provision of manual and relatively complex, negatively affecting communication services., To facilitate competition in the cost of doing business in the country. mobile payment systems for the benefit of consumers, Engaging the private sector in the financing and it is advisable to monitor the effective elimination of management of transport infrastructure. As the exclusive contracts between mobile payment providers transport network expands in the coming years, it and merchants (agents). It is also worthwhile to con- is important to secure private participation in the sider mechanisms for facilitating full interoperability design, construction, and operation phases as a among the different mobile payment providers and spate of multibillion-dollar projects break ground. increasing the transparency of the fees charged for Similarly, government’s divestiture of port and air- their service. In the mobile telecommunications sector, port infrastructure financing and management, and automating the procedure for number portability divestiture of rail freight services operations and should also be a priority. airlines operations, would ease fiscal pressure and improve operational and financial performance of Connecting Kenya through Transportation key infrastructure services. Passage of the PPP Act of Infrastructure 2013 provides the legal framework for engaging the The transport sector is critical to achieving the govern- private sector on several airport, seaport, highway, ment’s Vision 2030, which is calling for $2.1 billion and railroad projects considered as priority PPPs. to be spent annually to interconnect the nation’s roads, railways, ports, airports, water and sanita- tion facilities, and telecommunications networks. Deep Dives for Market Creation Kenya has been making considerable headway over the past few years on a development agenda designed The core of this CPSD’s analysis is the identifica- to strengthen its position as the leading regional tion of short-term opportunities for market creation, transport and logistics center in East Africa. This as well as potential for development impact. Based is evidenced by the country’s improved ranking in on a careful and analytic process focused on four the quality of transport infrastructure, which went parameters — development impact, feasibility, current from 72nd to 56th in the World Economic Forum’s performance, and value addition — three sectors were Global Competitiveness Index. selected that have great potential for private sector Nevertheless, Kenya’s infrastructure needs are job creation in the next three to five years in both vast and high transport costs are putting pressure urban and rural settings. These are agribusiness, on businesses. The main transport corridor serving affordable housing, and manufacturing. The three Kenya and most of East Africa, the Mombasa-Nairobi sectors are also of crucial importance for the econ- Corridor as well as the Mombasa Port, are both omy as a whole — together, they account for almost still constrained and congested, negatively affecting half of Kenya’s GDP. the movement of freight to and from the country. Complementarities exist if all three sectors were to Constrained mobility within the major cities also takeoff simultaneously. Enhancing the productivity of imposes significant economic inefficiencies on city agriculture would support structural transformation, economies. According to the World Bank Group’s 2013 adding pressure on cities and the need for housing, Enterprise Survey, Kenyan businesses are particularly particularly affordable housing. The need for new affected by the lack of infrastructure, identified as a building materials and skills in the housing sector top constraint for doing business. PPPs for transport could support the manufacturing sector and boost infrastructure are yet to be tested. Furthermore, reg- further enterprise and job creation, in addition to the ulatory frameworks need to be updated and properly extra local development capacity and labor that will enforced to ensure efficiency of sole operators (including be needed to drive the affordable housing segment. 10 overview TABLE O. 2 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ADDRESSING ENABLING SECTORS’ POLICY ISSUES Sectoral themes Recommendations Energy • Encourage private participation through PPPs, particularly in transmission • Build capacity of the Energy Regulatory Commission and the Ministry of Energy • Implement a wholesale electricity market Finance and Insurance • Consolidate all nonbanking regulators into a single financial services authority • Modernize market conduct supervision; improve credit reporting by enhancing transparency in the process • Strengthen the regime for moveable collateral • Expand the availability of alternative savings instruments • Introduce new instruments to channel financing • Following the high court’s suspended ruling for 12 months, work closely with lawmakers to reexamine the law on interest rate caps • Strengthen institutional investors • Improve credit liquidity and products for long-term house- hold investment (housing) • Enhance connection between SACCOs and formal financial system Health • Reform the National Hospital Insurance Fund by addressing structural, financial, policy, and resource constraints to enhance its efficiency and financial stability • Capitalize on ICT and e-Health technologies to expand offering of health solutions • Incentivize training among private health care provid- ers — encourage e-learning • Support investments in the pharmaceuticals subsector to promote high-quality manufacturers, retail chains, consoli- dation in distribution, and logistics ICT • Establish market-based rules to assign spectrum and prevent distortions in the competitive environment • In the mobile telecommunications sector, automate the procedure for number portability Transport • Mobilize private financing for expanding transport networks and managing ports and airports, by prioritizing the most commercially viable in the PPP pipeline • Set freight and passenger tariffs at sustainable market rates to ensure financial equilibrium • Introduce sensible road-pricing strategies in key transport corridors where freight movements are highest Note: PPPs = public-private partnerships; SACCOs = savings and credit cooperatives; ICT = information and communication technology. KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 11 Kenya’s pathway to transformation also requires improve access to good farming practices and addressing the cross-cutting issues that challenge new technology. the overall competitiveness of the private sector and 3. Developing public and/or private sector – driven also tackling sector-specific constraints that exist in agriaggregation centers that provide value-added these three sectors that offer short-term opportunities. services to farmers and processors. 4. Upgrading quality infrastructure for agribusiness, Agribusiness which includes continued access to and support for Agribusiness, including agriculture and downstream international certifications, especially organic, to processing activities, is the largest sector in Kenya’s help build value and open markets, and investment economy, generating 26 percent of the country’s in small-scale irrigation schemes. GDP. The sector has been consistently recognized 5. Developing export promotion strategies and build- as a key pillar of the economy, and food security is ing awareness of brand Kenya. one of the government’s Big Four priorities. It has significant development impact given high employ- Affordable Housing ment and growth multipliers, inclusive job-creation Kenya’s construction sector is on the rise, driven by opportunities, and importance for economic resil- demographics and expanding middle- and upper-income ience and stability. However, value added relative to groups. In 2017, Kenya’s population was estimated to agricultural production is low in Kenya. Numerous be 48.5 million and is growing at annual rate of 2.6 opportunities exist — including ICT adoption — that percent. According to the United Nations, Kenya’s could help unlock productivity and increase regional population will grow by about 1 million each year and global competitiveness of the most promising to reach 85 million by 2050. About 32 percent of the agribusiness value chains. population lives in urban areas, which is lower than Kenya’s land structure, infrastructure, trading posi- the rate in other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. tion, and capacity for innovation are the strengths The high-end housing and commercial real estate of its agribusiness sector. The land structure lends subsectors have seen strong growth in recent years. itself well to productive commercial farming with The construction sector is an important driver of more developed market systems in comparison to economic and employment growth in Kenya. The other countries in the region. With a major port in sector is now set for a further surge with the announce- Mombasa, established trade routes, improving rail ment of affordable housing as one of the Big Four networks, and reasonable road infrastructure, Kenya priorities, creating opportunities for significant pri- is a major logistics and trading hub for East Africa. vate participation. The affordable housing segment Furthermore, Kenya’s strong financial and ICT ser- is facing severe supply shortages and addressing it vices sector are driving innovations in agribusiness. is the top priority. Unleashing the potential of the The review included key subsectors to reinforce affordable housing segment will have a high develop- the sectorwide analysis and better understand specific ment impact in terms of economic expansion, skills market needs and constraints. Three subsectors were and employment growth, backward and forward selected as case studies to represent the potential for links, and inclusion. Reforms aimed at enhancing investment: (1) avocado, (2) mango, and (3) livestock affordable housing production will also have positive (specifically meat). These provide more nuanced insights externalities across the large and increasing small- into competitive advantages and constraints in the scale and household-level housing construction sector. country. Processing investment, smallholder links, The deep dive highlights the main constraints that and export promotion provide reform and investment discourage more private participation in the affordable opportunities in the sector. housing segment. The high cost of land, high taxes and As Kenya seeks to drive its agricultural transfor- burdensome regulation (for example, building codes, mation, attention will need to focus on improving professional fees, construction permitting systems), competitiveness. In particular, this will require: limited access to construction finance, compliance costs, high professional fees, and an underdeveloped 1. Supporting improved extension services, including housing finance market that is inaccessible to middle- building the skills of service providers and shifting and lower-income households, all limit expansion input subsidy programs towards subsistence farmers. in the segment. The deep dive further explores the 2. Supporting farmer aggregation models that pro- inefficiencies of the formal construction value chain, mote smallholder links to offtakers, which can arguably the largest supply-side constraint, finding 12 overview that the costs of developable land and construction encourage growth of local skills, development materials are significantly higher in absolute terms capacity, and manufactured products. than those in other African cities. High construction 5. Strengthening the authorizing environment around costs and supply-demand mismatches in turn stim- affordable housing by creating a national, mul- ulate informal housing construction, with cheaper tisectoral coordinating committee to negotiate, but substandard building materials. develop, implement, and monitor required housing Kenyans who cannot access long-term housing reforms through which key housing interests can finance are the main beneficiaries of the government’s engage on common themes. affordable housing strategy. The government is tar- 6. Further developing capacity of local manufac- geting households with monthly incomes below K tured inputs into housing, as well as the local Sh 100,000 ($1,000), as they are creditworthy but construction industry for increased local value cannot access mortgages. This segment of the housing addition in housing production, stimulating other market represents about 95 percent of the formally value-added activities such as augmented cement employed population. and fabricated steel products, among others, The deep dive provides an insight into the current 7. Strengthening institutional and legislative mecha- status of affordable housing in Kenya. It identifies nisms, for example, by passing a new, comprehensive, constraints that contribute to the high-cost and low-af- and supportive Housing Act to increase certainty fordability dynamic in the housing value chain. It across the housing and construction sectors and further quantifies the costs of constructing different to stimulate FDI in housing. types and sizes of housing units in Kenya and assesses their affordability based on current household income distributions and mortgage finance rates. Manufacturing Several actions can be undertaken over the next Kenya’s manufacturing sector is a major employer three to five years to unleash the potential of the with the potential to capitalize on the country’s labor affordable housing segment. Recommendations include force for future growth. In 2017, the sector employed the following: 303,000 people and accounted for 11.4 percent of formal employment. Formal employment growth since 1. Strengthening the enabling environment by improving 2013 has matched the sector’s overall growth at 2.2 urban planning frameworks and the availability of percent annually. The sector had a male-to-female land, enacting better foreclosure and mortgage laws, employment ratio of 5.2 in 2016. In 2017, this ratio improving access to nonmortgage housing finance, improved to 3.9 but still lagged the national average and providing practical supply- and demand-side of 1.9. The informal sector employed 2.8 million tax incentives and equity investments for housing. workers in the manufacturing sector in 2017, repre- 2. Refining Kenya’s PPP framework, providing alter- senting almost 10 times the number of formal sector native contracting approaches suitable for urban manufacturing employees. Kenya’s manufacturing land, infrastructure, and housing projects that are sector also reveals a diversified base with fast-grow- accessible to smaller, local companies to provide ing subsectors, particularly pharmaceuticals, textiles, a foil to PPPs, which can be legislatively labori- and apparel. ous, expensive to implement, and cumbersome Although Kenya has the largest manufacturing base to manage. in East Africa, regional neighbors are outpacing its 3. Making data and information on the sector more growth by wide margins — the sector has been stagnant robust and widely available; for example, better despite efforts to increase its share of Kenya’s GDP. recording and monitoring of land transactions Manufacturing has been identified as a priority in the and registrations will improve transparency and Big Four agenda, and the government has set ambi- investment certainty in the sector — this should be tious targets to grow it to 15 percent of GDP by 2022 complemented by an emphasis on the government’s (currently 9.8 percent). These include key subsectors role as facilitator rather than direct involvement the government has been prioritizing, including tex- in the construction of housing units through sub- tiles, apparel, and pharmaceuticals. Manufacturing contracting of private developers. is also a nexus pillar of other components in the Big 4. Addressing barriers to entry for local developers by Four agenda in terms of affordable housing (con- improving program design, tendering procedures struction materials) and universal health coverage and specified plans, standards, and materials that (pharmaceuticals). This interest is further indicated KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 13 by the development of special economic zones, which the enabling factors that can facilitate growth and benefit from several incentives and have a focus on competitiveness of the sector. manufacturing. The core of the recommendations for this sector This CPSD specifically highlights the potential of rests upon improving markets for local goods and inte- the pharmaceutical subsector to improve access to grating Kenya as a regional player for more advanced essential medicines within the domestic and regional manufactured products. They include the following: markets. The main performance issues in the sector are limited regulatory capacity, quality infrastructure, 1. Improving privately run skills and training facil- market distortionary incentives, and an inadequate ities to address high unemployment and unmet skills base to support quality upgrading. The most demand for skilled workers. Improving the relevance significant opportunity for safer and more affordable of technical and vocational education training products in the market is improving the regulatory programs will be critical in meeting the Kenyan capacity for quality assurance and enforcement of government’s Vision 2030. locally produced and imported medicines. A coor- 2. Supporting innovation and technology adoption dinated approach will be needed through a package to improve product complexity. Areas such as of interventions to support Kenya’s and the region’s product innovation and operational innovation efforts to increase the role of the private sector in tend to be fairly low, but firms displayed high supplying high-quality, affordable medicines. Appendix scores on market innovation. B provides a comprehensive deep dive of the phar- 3. Financing for product research and development maceutical subsector and includes an action plan (R&D) and technology services could improve the with specific recommendations. innovation ecosystem and help firms access vital Overcoming sectoral constraints will be critical information to realize organizational, managerial, to deliver on results. A recent benchmarking analysis and technological changes. Policies could also that compared Kenya with potential competitors iden- focus on providing gradual partial subsidies for tified several key constraints such as (1) inadequate or R&D to high-impact projects could help provide insufficient privately run skills and training facilities, vital financing. (2) insufficient activities at the firm-level to leverage 4. Strengthening framework and investment in indus- science, technology, and innovation, (3) barriers to trial infrastructure, such as special economic zones, entry and competition in key manufacturing sec- industrial parks, and transformation of the Kenya tors, (4) insufficient FDI to support base industries, Industrial Research and Development Institute (5) failure to comply with some environmental and into a world-class research institution. social standards, which affect the sustainability of 5. Reducing barriers to entry and competition in key the sector, and (6) high cost of doing business, which manufacturing sectors, particularly where there compromises productivity and competitiveness. Given is high state participation. Stronger market and the prominent role that manufacturing occupies in competition policies, such as improved gover- the government’s agenda, future actions will have to nance of SOEs and more effective competition be well executed and coordinated to help accelerate law enforcement, are also necessary. 01 COUNTRY CONTEXT Kenya has experienced buoyant growth in recent years, driven by public investment in infrastructure, strong consumer demand, and prudent macroeco- nomic policies. Gross domestic product (GDP) growth averaged 5.8 percent in 2010 – 17, exceeding the regional average of 3.7 percent. Factors underpinning the recent economic performance include a surge in public investment in infrastructure, renewed interest among foreign investors, lower transaction costs from improvements in information technology, and prudent monetary policy. Real GDP growth slowed to 4.9 percent in 2017, primarily owing to the impact of political instability caused by disputed presidential elections and the lingering effects of severe drought. Economic conditions improved in late 2017 and early 2018, helped by the completion of the election cycle and a process of political reconciliation between the main presidential rivals, as well as the return of more favorable weather conditions. Annual consumer price inflation has eased considerably since early 2017 (when it peaked at 12 percent) and has been contained within the central bank’s target range of 5 percent ±2.5 percent) since August 2017, allowing for some modest monetary policy loosening. Meanwhile, the government is implementing fiscal policy that aims to trim the budget deficit, boost revenues, and maintain investment levels in projects that support infrastructure development and job creation. 16 country context FIGURE 1.1 SELECTED GROWTH INDICATORS, KENYA AND EAC PEERS, 2010–17 c. Exports of goods and d. Imports of goods and a. GDP (%) b. GDP per capita (%) services (%) services (%) e. Population Ethiopia Kenya Rwanda Tanzania Uganda 0 3 6 9 12 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 -6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 0 1 2 3 4 Source: World Development Indicators. Note: EAC = East African Community; GDP = gross domestic product; data are averages across indicators. With GDP per capita of $1,507, Kenya is second poor. Kenya’s Gini coefficient of 0.39 is above that only to Sudan in the East African subregional rank- of neighboring comparators, including Ethiopia and ing. The rebasing of Kenya’s national accounts in Tanzania. The richest 10 percent of the population 2014 resulted in an upward revision of GDP and the garner 40 percent of the nation’s income, whereas reclassification of Kenya as a lower-middle-income the poorest 10 percent receive only 2 percent. country. Although remarkable by Kenyan standards, Kenya has been experiencing rapid population Kenya’s economic growth is still below some of its growth and high rate of urbanization, which presents neighbors, notably Ethiopia (10.1 percent), Rwanda challenges as well as opportunities. With population (7.2 percent), and Tanzania (6.7 percent) (figure 1.1). growth averaging 2.6 percent a year and with close Kenya’s annual growth rate declined to 4.8 percent to 2 million people unemployed, and nearly 1 million in 2017, below its long-term average. young people entering the labor force each year, it Despite strong economic performance in some is critical to generate enough new jobs. In addition, respects, poverty reduction has not kept up with the the urban population has been growing rapidly and pace of economic growth. Although economic growth accounted for about 30 percent of the total in the has created a growing middle class, poverty rates latest census (2009). This share is forecast to rise to 40 remain high. As shown in the 17th Kenyan Economic percent in 2020 and to 50 percent by 2030, imposing Update, the transmission of GDP growth to private additional requirements on the supply and quality consumption is very low. This means that general of new jobs outside of agriculture. On the positive GDP growth contributes not as much to poverty side, there is potentially a huge demographic dividend reduction as it does in other comparable countries whereby some 26 million Kenyans — more than half (World Bank 2018). The poverty rate declined from the population — are now below the age of 25, and 47 percent in 2006 to an estimated 36 percent in this ratio will rise to almost two-thirds by 2030. 2016. This means that an estimated 17.5 million out Consumption stands out as the main driver of GDP of Kenya’s population of nearly 50 million remain growth. Rising private consumption has been the poor. Because of Kenya’s relatively low urbanization main contributor to growth in recent years, propelled rate of 26.5 percent, most of the poor population live by the growing middle class, booming formality in in rural areas (44 percent of the rural population services, increased lending to households, and higher is poor). Persistently high-income inequality also remittances. Increased investment has also made a poses challenges to the productive inclusion of the positive, although less significant, contribution, fueled KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 17 by a shift in public spending from recurrent to “devel- tial of specific sectors and geographic locations (for opment spending,” largely on infrastructure. However, example, north and northeast Kenya) and accelerat- low national savings and investment rates continue ing financing sector and capital market development. to hold back overall economic growth prospects and Implementation of the Big Four Plan, which builds on the export sector has been a relative underperformer, the gains of the past, could become a game changer leading to a large and persistent merchandise trade in Kenya. The administration faces high expectations deficit. Exports of goods have consistently fallen short on the part of ordinary Kenyans to deliver on this of goods imports, creating a large merchandise trade ambitious economic development agenda. deficit (estimated at $10.2 billion in 2017) and driving The government’s longer-term strategy, Vision the current account deficit (estimated at $5.0 billion 2030, sets a goal for Kenya to join the ranks of in 2017, or 6.7 percent of GDP). upper-middle-income countries. This entails a more The current administration has prioritized devel- than four-fold increase in Kenya’s current GDP per opment of four sectors to advance the economic and capita. Vision 2030 is operationalized in the MTP-III social agenda. Upon being reelected in 2017, President covering the 2018 – 22 period, which rests on three Uhuru Kenyatta unveiled the Big Four Action Plan, pillars: social, political, and economic. The social which aims to accelerate economic growth and achieve pillar focuses on human capital development, labor the targets set out in the Third Medium-Term Plan market placement of vulnerable populations, improved (MTP-III). It prioritizes food security, affordable access to affordable housing and habitat conditions, housing, manufacturing, and affordable health care and integration of marginalized youth. The political as the key enablers for job creation, economic growth, pillar envisages a democratic political system that and social safety. In the case of manufacturing, the is issue based, people centered, result oriented, and administration also expressed a further willingness to accountable to the public. Finally, the economic pillar boost four manufacturing subsectors, namely the “blue prioritizes moving up the value chain in key sectors, economy,” agriprocessing, leather, and textiles. The including agriculture, manufacturing, and financial targets of the Big Four Plan include 500,000 low-cost services, to achieve the goal of 10 percent annual GDP houses, universal health coverage, a ten-fold increase growth on a sustainable basis. The private sector in exports, irrigation of an additional 1.2 million acres helped devise Vision 2030 and its role is central in of land, millions of new jobs, the establishment of meeting the targets. The recent political accommoda- new industrial zones, and improved access to energy. tion between the two main political parties provides According to the MTP-III, important mechanisms hope for improved political stability that will be for achieving these objectives include improvements crucial for the enactment of the proposed reforms. in the business environment,6 unleashing the poten- 02 STATE OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR The vitality and resilience of Kenya’s private sector by 8.1 percent to nearly 1.5 million in the same year. had traditionally been one of the country’s strengths, Such stellar performance in the presence of adverse enabling it to develop a diversified economy. The shocks demonstrates the strength and competitiveness private sector contributes over 80 percent of gross of the Kenyan private sector, which is to some extent domestic product (GDP), 70 percent of total employ- unparalleled in the East African region. ment, and the bulk of export earnings. Indeed, the Kenyan economy is well diversified, boasting a major regional financial center in Nairobi, the fourth-larg- Macroeconomic Environment est stock market on the African continent by trade volumes, a large manufacturing sector, a dynamic Kenya’s robust growth in recent years has been supported tourism market (albeit dampened by recent political by a stable macroeconomic environment. Despite a developments), and the largest exports in Africa of hike in 2017 caused by a drought-induced increase agricultural products such as tea and horticulture. in food prices, Kenya’s inflation has been within the The Kenyan private sector has shown immense target band (5 ± 2.5 percent) in recent years. Inflation resilience, even in the presence of considerable political averaged 6.6 percent in 2014 – 16 and increased to 7.7 uncertainty and security constraints. Although a pro- percent in 2017; thus far in 2018, inflationary pres- longed and uncertain electoral period in 2017 slowed sures remain broadly muted (4.2 percent in the first overall economic performance, the Kenyan private half of 2018). Further, the stability of the exchange sector nonetheless posted sustained growth across rate serves as nominal anchor to inflation expecta- key sectors. For instance, output in ICT increased by tions. Supported by stronger diaspora remittance 10.9 percent, transport and storage by 8.8 percent, inflows and a recovery in tourism receipts, Kenya’s and construction and real estate by 8.6 percent. Even current account narrowed to 6.7 percent of GDP in the tourism sector recorded improvements, despite 2017, from 10.4 percent of GDP in 2014. Reflecting negative travel advisories issued by some countries in continued foreign investor confidence in the Kenyan 2017. Tourism earnings increased by 20.3 percent and economy, inflows to the financial account (mainly to the number of international visitor arrivals increased the government sector) remained strong, helping to 20 state of the private sector finance the deficit as well maintain healthy reserves FIGURE 2.1 KENYA’S FISCAL POLICY HAS BEEN (average of 5 months import cover in 2017). EXPANSIONARY Nonetheless, fiscal, monetary, and financial sector Fiscal deficit (% of GDP) challenges undermined Kenya’s private investment growth. First on the fiscal front, the expansionary 0 fiscal stance in recent years contributed to elevated -2 fiscal deficit levels (figure 2.1). The rapid expansion in government spending (thereby leading to increased -4 domestic financing requirement) in recent years has kept yields on benchmark government securities ele- -6 vated. With the interest rate cap tied to the policy -8 rate, the effectiveness of monetary policy in sup- porting growth is compromised. Over the past year -10 the policy rate has been reduced by some 100 basis 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18* points. Although this serves to benefit “blue-chip” Source: Data from the National Treasury of Kenya. Kenyan borrowers (government and large corporates), *Preliminary results. small and medium enterprises — the backbone of the Kenyan economy — continue to be priced out given the higher-risk premium attached to them. Further, earlier bank liquidations, elevated nonperforming FIGURE 2.2 WITH INTEREST CAPS, BANKS REALLOCATED loans, and the coming implementation of more strin- THEIR PORTFOLIOS IN FAVOR OF THE PUBLIC SECTOR Year-on-year credit growth (%) gent accounting standards (such as the International Financial Reporting Standard 9) have coalesced to 50 increase risk-averse behavior among banks. However, 40 with still strong appetite for debt to finance the large fiscal deficit, there has been a growing shift in lending 30 from the private sector to the government (figure 2.2). 20 Indeed, growth in government credit increased from 10 an average of 9.2 percent in 2016 to 19.9 percent 0 in 2017, whereas the average for the private sector -10 declined from 9.1 percent to 2.3 percent over the -20 2015 2016 2017 2018 same horizon. The expansionary fiscal stance and challenges in Public Private the banking sector have contributed to the weaker Source: Data from the Kenya National Bureau Statistics. contribution of private investment to growth. Unlike the solid contribution from the public sector (because of expansionary fiscal policy), private investment has been negative in recent years, declining from FIGURE 2.3 PRIVATE INVESTMENT’S CONTRIBUTION TO 1.3 percentage points of GDP in the four years GROWTH DECELERATED leading to 2013 to -0.3 percentage points in the 4-year moving average (percentage point of GDP) four years leading to 2017 (figure 2.3) — a swing of 1.6 percentage points of GDP. In other words, 1.6 had the private sector sustained its contribution to 1.2 GDP growth throughout the 2013 – 17 period, GDP 0.8 growth would have been much higher. Based on 0.4 sectoral growth performance (assuming growth in 0.0 labor supply and technology constant), the sectors that have contributed to the weakness in private -0.4 sector growth are agriculture, manufacturing, and -0.8 trading activities, whereas private investment is likely 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 to have been expanding more rapidly in the real Public Private estate and transportation sectors. Source: Data from the Central Bank of Kenya. KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 21 Innovation and Entrepreneurship BOX 2.1 FIRM-LEVEL INNOVATION AND ITS IMPACT ON PRODUCTIVITY Kenya is leading a technological revolution in East Africa. The country’s strong technology-led innova- Firm-level innovation rates are relatively high in Kenya tion and entrepreneurial “ecosystem” and growing compared with international standards. However, these internet connectivity provide a fertile environment for innovations are largely incremental, meaning that the degree developing a digital economy. According to the World of innovativeness is low and their outcomes have a limited Bank Group’s (2013) Enterprise Survey, Kenyan firms impact on productivity. This weak link between innovation and have been relatively innovative and entrepreneurial. productivity could be explained by a number of factors, “Innovation in Technology” became trademarks of including limited knowledge capital investments underlying Kenya, with a major potential to transform the private innovation activities and inadequate educational level of the sector. The country launched its Open Data Initiative labor force that hampers the ability of firms to transform their in July 2011 — the first in Sub-Saharan Africa and an innovation outcomes into productivity gains. inspiration to other countries in the region. However, These conclusions derive from the results of the most levels of innovation are still low compared with other recent World Bank Group Enterprise Survey (2013) and the countries and do not appear to have had a significant linked 2014 innovation module. Some highlights of the survey impact on productivity (box 2.1). results are as follows: Although Kenya is a pioneer in mobile-banking solutions and ICT, innovation levels remain low com- • In Kenya, 53 percent of firms are product and/or process innovators, 40 percent of firms introduced product pared with other countries and do not appear to have innovations, and 38 percent introduced process had a significant impact on productivity. Investments innovations. in innovation inputs are highly concentrated in just • Innovation rates are even higher when it comes to a few firms (one firm has about 80 percent of all marketing innovation — 69 percent of firms performed research and development), and their intensity is marketing improvements. similar to those in countries with the same income • However, only 11 percent of product innovators and 18 levels (Cirera 2015). The share of firms investing in percent of process innovators introduced innovations that innovation activities is similar to the average found are new to the national market and a mere 2 percent of in other emerging markets and developing countries. firms are international innovators. Innovation activities do have a positive impact on • Medium and large firms are more innovative than small employment creation, but this increase in employment firms. is biased toward skilled labor. Nonetheless, the great • Firms that do not participate in international markets are success of mobile money in Kenya became a source less innovative. of national pride and helped improve the country’s • There is little knowledge appropriation by firms in terms of global profile. registering patents and other instruments — only 5.5 percent Disruptive technologies, such as the internet of of firms apply for a patent. things, artificial intelligence , and 3D printing, have been heralded as the future of the global manufac- The survey results point to a need for a systematic upgrade in the government’s innovation policy. In particular, technology turing sector. However, in Kenya these technologies extension and advisory services can address some identified could hinder industrialization and result in fewer market failures and help improve the quality of innovation. The entry points into global supply chains. Although it government of Kenya needs to expand its support for research may be possible for Kenya to “leapfrog” directly to and development financing and employ new policy instruments newer technologies, it is more likely that develop- to encourage cooperation among firms and academic ing the relevant worker know-how, infrastructure, institutions. and corporate capabilities necessary to leverage the potential value of these newer technologies will be Source: Cirera 2015. a very gradual process. To improve efficiency in the manufacturing sector, the government has allocated additional resources toward improvements in power generation and distribution, easing barriers for doing business, improving security, and reviving strategic industries under its Big Four Plan. The digital economy as key enabler for enhanced business and human development outcomes. By leap- 22 state of the private sector frogging directly to cutting-edge technologies, Africa, to become a regional hub for global professional ser- and Kenya in particular, can bypass the industrial vices sector firms and make the country the leading phase in which developed countries invested in now services exporter in East Africa. cumbersome technological infrastructure and bypass the cost of revamping it as well. This is of particular importance when it comes to addressing deficiencies Investment Performance in basic needs. Exponential technologies can accel- erate access to water, food, energy, health care, and Kenya remains an attractive destination for FDI. From education. And a whole new wave of entrepreneurs 2011 to 2015, annual FDI volume fluctuated from a and innovators in Africa are doing just that. low of $1 billion in 2012 to a high of $3.5 billion in In the past decade, Kenya has seen unprecedented 2013, before dropping significantly to $0.4 billion in growth in the information and communication 2016 (figure 2.4). The latest World Investment Report technology (ICT) sector, which has spurred major (UNCTAD 2018) cites a rebound of FDI inflows at transformation in many business processes and oper- $0.6 billion, with a stock of inward FDI at $11.9 ations. For example, a 2016 study by academics from billion (15.9 percent of GDP) in 2017. The recently the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that improved FDI performance was due mainly to buoyant by gaining access to M-Pesa, a mobile money service, domestic demand and inflows into ICT industries. 2 percent of Kenyan households were lifted out of The Kenyan government also provided additional tax poverty between 2008 and 2014 (Suri and Jack 2016). incentives to foreign investors (UNCTAD 2018). The In agriculture too, technologies from sensors to FDI outlook for the near terms also looks positive, mobile to predictive analytics are driving new models mainly driven by current and upcoming infrastructure and outcomes. Gro Intelligence figures any form of projects that are likely to boost economic growth and agricultural information to its classification system, generate additional FDI flows in 2018 and beyond. enabling comparable sets of data. Already more than FDI inflows are relatively small given the size 70 percent of African farmers have used ICT, with of Kenya’s economy. Foreign investors are drawn 90 percent seeing increased overall output as a result. by Kenya’s solid growth prospects and diversified Similarly, exponential technologies are helping health economy, its status as a key regional hub, and a care to leapfrog over constraints in communication, lack of barriers to repatriating profits and capital. transportation, and affordability. Platforms that use However, FDI falls short of that received by some mobile technology, such as Clinic Communicator, other countries in East Africa, namely Tanzania and ensure that patients and doctors can communicate Uganda (figure 2.5, panel a). This is partly because even when meeting face-to-face is a challenge. This the local extractive sector remains underdeveloped, innovative and entrepreneurial drive is key to Kenya’s although oil-related activity will rise if developers future success — and clearly exponential technologies make a final decision (due in 2019) to commercialize can accelerate that success. Kenya has a modern services sector which has been at the core of the country’s recent economic FIGURE 2.4 FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT INFLOWS ($) growth. Services accounted for 49 percent of Kenya’s GDP in 2017, with distribution, transport, and retail 800 721 playing the central role. In addition, several knowl- 671 edge-intensive services, such as telecommunications, 621 576 finance, and business services, have been growing 600 strongly over the past decade. For example, Kenya’s 426 ICT industry — very small in 2004 — has developed 379 400 348 into a leading economic sector. Its contribution to Kenya’s GDP was nearly 3 percent in 2012, exceed- ing the ICT share in most Sub-Saharan African and 200 many other developing countries.7 Kenya also has become a global leader in mobile banking — t wo- thirds of the adult population have access to financial 0 services through the mobile banking service M-Pesa. 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 The comparative advantage developed by Kenya in Source: Data from the International Monetary Fund. knowledge-intensive services has enabled the country KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 23 FIGURE 2.5 NET FDI IN PERSPECTIVE, KENYA AND EAST AFRICAN PEERS a. FDI inflows, 2017 ($ million) Ethiopia Tanzania Uganda Kenya 3,586 1,180 700 672 Madagascar Somalia Mauritius Seychelles Djibouti Eritrea Comoros 389 384 293 192 165 55 9 b. Net FDI (% of GDP) Source: UNCTAD 2018. Note: FDI = foreign direct investment; EAC = East African Community. Kenya’s oil finds in the far north. Also, investors are from the World Bank Group’s Multilateral Investment deterred by infrastructure bottlenecks, skills short- Guarantee Agency guarantees in the energy sector ages, political uncertainty and high levels of crime against breach of contract, war, and civil disturbance. and corruption, which combine to create a high-cost Kenya hopes to attract export-focused investment business environment. in new special economic zones (SEZs), which offer FDI has targeted selected sectors in Kenya. Foreign tax concessions and other incentives, following the investors have shown interest in ICT, real estate, bank- passage of enabling legislation in 2015. A first SEZ, ing, retailing, power generation, oil exploration, and located in Eldoret, may open in 2018, and several mining in recent years. Just over half of FDI is in the others are planned, including in Mombasa. SEZs will capital, Nairobi, followed by Mombasa, although eventually replace existing export processing zones, investments in the tourism, agriculture, and mining which have a narrower range of permitted activities. sectors have a wider geographical spread. The main Several foreign firms are prominent in their field sources of FDI are the United Kingdom and the United and others play a strategic role. These include Barclays States, followed by Germany, France, the Netherlands, in banking, Coca-Cola in soft drinks, and Vodafone and other European states, although investment from and Safaricom in mobile phones. Other companies South Africa and Asia (especially India and China) play a strategic role, such as the Dutch airline KLM is catching up, the former in particular benefiting with its investment in Kenya Airways. Horticulture, 24 state of the private sector especially cut flowers, has attracted many smaller its share as a proportion of GDP, from 10.6 percent private sector investors, although the sector is now in 2013 to 8.1 percent in 2017. While the import bill consolidating. Kenya’s export processing zones have increased from $14.2 billion to $17.1 billion during been successful in attracting some manufacturing the same period, the share of merchandise imports investment, especially from Asia. This is geared to decreased from 29.7 percent to 20 percent of GDP. garment sales in the United States under the African Overall, merchandise trade dropped from 40 per- Growth and Opportunity Act, which has been extended cent to 31.4 percent. The merchandise trade deficit by 10 years to 2025. Spanish, U.K., and U.S. firms averaged $10.4 billion, reaching an all-time high of are engaged as independent power producers. South $12.2 billion in 2014 (20 percent of GDP) to then Africa’s Shoprite and France’s Carrefour are increas- drop to $10.9 billion in 2017 or 15 percent of GDP. ing their presence in retailing, India’s Airtel is the At the same time, the current account widened by second-largest telecommunications operator, and $1.2 billion and reached 6.3 percent in 2017 up from Australia’s Base Resources is driving mineral sands 5.2 percent in 2016 but has nonetheless improved extraction near the coast. Some consumer goods substantially since 2014 when Kenya recorded a manufacturers, such as Colgate Palmolive, have current account deficit of 10.3 percent. downscaled their presence, hit by rising costs and In terms exports destination, Kenya has a well-di- competition from imports. Others, including Coca- versified base of customers, with about 25 percent Cola, PepsiCo, Nestlé, and Unilever, are expanding of exports to Africa, with Uganda (9.7 percent) and to take advantage of urbanization, higher consumer Tanzania (5.7 percent) being the largest regional con- spending, and regional integration. sumers of Kenyan goods. Outside of Africa, Kenya’s largest markets are the United States (11.53 percent), the Netherlands (9.53 percent), Pakistan (8.58 percent), Trade Performance and the United Kingdom (8.06 percent) (figure 2.6, panel a). Despite this diversification, Kenya shows Kenya’s exports have historically lagged imports and significant trade imbalances with its African and the trade to GDP ratio has fallen sharply in the since Asian trading partners. For instance, exports to Sub- 2013. Despite experiencing broad-based growth in Saharan Africa account for about one third of total 2013 – 17, Kenya’s exports of merchandised goods have merchandise exports. On the other hand, imports remained stagnant in absolute terms, thereby losing from Asia and accounted for 64 percent of total mer- FIGURE 2.6 KENYA'S EXPORTS, 2017 a. By destination (%) b. By Industry (%) Others United States Machinery Other 42 12 2 4 Transport vehicles 2 Netherlands Metals 10 4 Minerals 6 United Chemicals Kingdom and 9 plastics 7 Uganda Egypt, Arab Rep. 9 5 Textiles and Vegetables, food Tanzania Pakistan furniture stuff, and wood 6 9 10 65 Source: Data from United Nations Comtrade database. KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 25 chandise imports in 2017, but less than 10 percent Partnership Agreement between the EAC and the of total exports. European Union (EU) in 2016 which allowed it to Agricultural products dominate Kenya’s export retain its duty-free and quota-free access to the EU profile, followed by manufactured products. Kenya’s market. Reciprocal preferences between Kenya and the agricultural products typically account for over 50 EU are subject to ratification by other EAC members percent of exports by value (figure 2.6, panel b). Tea and have not yet taken place.8 Kenya also benefits from comprised 21.2 percent of total goods exports in 2017, trade preferences under the United States’ African followed by horticulture at 12.8 percent and coffee at Growth and Opportunity Act. 3.5 percent. The growth in the tea, cut flowers, and The African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement green beans value chains, which together account (AfCFTA) provides a significant opportunity to boost for over 65 percent of agricultural exports, represent trade, competitiveness, and welfare. The AfCFTA major success stories for the country, which other aspires to liberalize trade between African countries, countries in the region are eagerly attempting to and, by doing so, boost exports, competitiveness, and replicate. The main growers are a mixture of private innovation, as well as foster regional value chains and foreign-owned firms, with, in the flower indus- that can facilitate integration into the global economy. try, the three largest multinational producers being The ambitious scope of AfCFTA goes beyond tradi- Oserian, Karuturi, and Falmingo or Homegrown tional trade agreements and covers trade in goods (all based around Lake Naivasha). Manufactured and services, investment, intellectual property rights, goods account for 12 of Kenya’s top 20 exports and and competition policy. Kenya is expected to reap average about one-third of their total value. substantial benefits from the agreement in terms Imports are highly diversified and mainly come of welfare gains (1 percent of GDP) and additional from Asia. Kenya’s large import bill is driven by strong growth of GDP (2 percent) and exports (5.7 percent) demand (and in some cases import dependence) for while incurring small revenue losses (-0.3 percent).9 industrial supplies, plant and machinery, transport Kenya is one of the few African countries that can equipment, energy products, and many consumer take advantage of an existing industrial base and goods. India and China are the leading suppliers of duty-free access to an enlarged regional market to goods imports to Kenya, providing 23.6 percent and advance its industrialization goals. 14.4 percent of all goods imports in 2017 (respec- Complementary policies are necessary to maximize tively), followed by the United Arab Emirates (6.4 the gains from trade agreements. Measures considered percent) and Japan (4.8 percent). Consumer goods important to maximize the impact of trade agreements are dominated by low-cost imports from Asia (par- include trade facilitation and the reduction of nontariff ticularly China), whereas formal trade is threatened measures, such as those associated with improved by the prevalence of fake and counterfeit products. regulatory transparency, harmonization of sanitary Kenya’s Trade Agreements. Kenya is a member of and phytosanitary regulations, the accreditation and the East African Community (EAC), the Common mutual recognition procedures for technical barri- Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), ers to trade, among others. Reductions in nontariff the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, measures would significantly increase the welfare and the Indian Ocean Rim Association. Tariffs on gains from AfCFTA in Kenya from 1 percent to 1.7 most intraregional trade with EAC and COMESA percent GDP by 2025.10 partners are liberalized. Kenya ratified the Economic 03 CROSS-CUTTING CONSTRAINTS TO PRIVATE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT Although Kenya has made progress with its economy and reforms, it still faces several cross-cutting constraints that hamper its ability to deliver on the Big Four goals. Key among these are (1) the overall business enabling environment, (2) competition policy, and (3) informality. Business Environment globally in only one area, “getting credit.” However, it is brought down by indicators that relate to admin- The environment for private sector – led growth in istrative procedures, such as trading across borders Kenya has been improving, but only slowly in most (112th), registering property (122nd), dealing with respects. Kenya fares somewhat better than most of construction permits (128th), and starting a busi- its neighbors, gradually inching closer to better-per- ness (126th). Meaningful improvements will require forming economies in the World Bank’s (2019) Doing a much bolder approach to reforms than what Kenya Business report, moving from 80th in 2018 to 61st has exhibited to date. (out of 190 countries) and third in Sub-Saharan Africa Firms in Kenya report slightly lower administrative (figure 3.1). barriers than the average for Sub-Saharan Africa in Similarly, in 2017 Kenya improved its ranking in the World Bank Group’s Enterprise Survey, including the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness the number of days required to obtain an import Index (GCI), moving up three places in the ranking license, construction permit, or operating license. to 91st out of 144 countries, well ahead of Ethiopia They report that an average of just over 7 percent (108th), Nigeria (127th), and Tanzania (113th) (figure of their senior management time is spent in dealing 3.2). Although there were notable improvements in with the requirements of government regulations, technological readiness and innovation pillars, the which is better than the 9 percent average for the fact remains that the country is still only in the middle rest of Africa. Businesses in Kenya face roughly half tier of global rankings and has not yet made nearly the number of “visits or required meetings with tax enough progress with investment climate reforms. officials” compared with the rest of the continent According to the GCI, corruption, taxes, and ineffi- (World Bank Group 2013). cient bureaucracy continue to be the top problematic Although Kenya has been making reforms, it has factors for doing business. In the World Bank Doing not made significantly more progress than the average Business report, Kenya is in the top quarter of countries country and therefore has not distinguished itself. In 28 cross-cutting constraints to private sector development FIGURE 3.1 OVERALL DOING BUSINESS RANKING, KENYA AND SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA COMPARATORS, 2019 Overall ease of Starting a Dealing with Getting Registering doing business business construction permits electricity property Rwanda 29 Kenya 61 South Africa 82 Tanzania 144 Ethiopia 159 Source: Data from the World Bank Doing Business database. FIGURE 3.2 GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS INDEX RANKING, KENYA AND SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA COMPARATORS Macroeconomic Health and Higher education Overall GCI Institutions Infrastructure environment primary education and training Rwanda 58 South Africa 61 Kenya 91 Ethiopia 108 Tanzania 113 Source: Data from WEF 2017. the headline indicator of “Starting a Business,” Kenya to improve the business climate in the country, is a has recently removed stamp-duty fees, eliminated reduction in the cost of obtaining a construction permit requirements to sign compliance declarations, and and digitalization of part of the trading across borders merged certain procedures to save time and effort. process. Overall, the regulatory business environment Another improvement appears to be associated with remains complex, costly, and unpredictable despite the introduction of new Huduma service centers that recent efforts on Doing Business reforms. If unattended, facilitate government services, including company name these will continue to erode Kenya’s productivity and reservations and stamp-duty assessments for property economic performance. transfer. However, it is still ranked 117 globally, indicat- Several regulatory areas emerge as candidates for ing that there is still substantial room for improvement. reform. Such improvements will not only benefit firms Amongst other notable reforms undertaken in 2018 by reducing transaction costs and promoting their KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 29 Getting Protecting Paying Trading across Enforcing Resolving credit minority investors taxes borders contracts insolvency Rank Rwanda 1 Kenya 20 40 Tanzania 60 South Africa 80 100 120 140 160 Ethiopia 180 190 Goods market Labor market Financial market Technological Business efficiency efficiency development readiness Market size sophistication Innovation Rank 1 10 20 30 Rwanda 40 50 South Africa 60 Kenya 70 80 90 100 Tanzania 110 Ethiopia 120 130 137 growth but also help address some of the structural still lacks specific provisions safeguarding women’s flaws in the country such as a large informal sector, rights to access credit or prohibiting discrimination identified as the biggest obstacle for firms according based on gender or marital status. to the World Bank Enterprise Surveys (2013) fol- According to the Worldwide Governance Indicators, lowed by corruption. Corruption is one of the most Kenya has experienced a steady decline in regulatory significant problems businesses in Kenya are facing, quality over the last decade. Indicators capturing as also noted in the World Economic Forum’s Global perceptions of the ability of the government to for- Competitiveness Report (second most problematic mulate and implement sound policies and regulations factor for businesses after access to financing) which that permit and promote private sector development also ranks Kenya in 94th place for irregular payments has declined from a percentile rank of 48.5 in 2006 and bribes. For example, the regulatory framework to 41.8 in 2016. 30 cross-cutting constraints to private sector development Policy Recommendations Competition Policy and Barriers to To address business environment challenges, and Market Entry enhance competitiveness of the Kenyan economy, the following reform actions have been identified: Kenya lags behind other comparator countries in terms of the extent to which rules facilitate entry, • Conduct a detailed assessment of the quality contestability, and effective domestic competition. infrastructure and national standards needs in According to the PMR methodology designed by selected sectors to establish a robust quality eco- the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and system and improve competitiveness. Development (OECD), Kenya’s economy has been found • Increase transparency in public procurement by to be highly influenced by high state participation in fully digitizing the public procurement process, economic activities and the prevalence of restrictive allowing electronic signature in the procurement regulations that create barriers to entry and rivalry contracts portal and allowing online payments. for both domestic competitors and foreign entrants. • Conduct an assessment of recent efforts to improve These restrictions that affect key enabling sectors regulatory management systems (public consul- such as energy, transport, telecommunications, and tation, regulatory analysis, access to laws and reg- professional services are significantly higher than in ulation, and so on) and consider how they can be OECD and other middle-income countries (figure 3.3). better targeted, implemented, and improved to In addition, there are concentrated market structures deliver tangible improvements for business, citi- in several sectors such as manufacturing where monop- zens, and civil society. olies, duopolies, and oligopolies are more prevalent • To reduce the number of procedures, time and than in other countries in the region, such as Uganda, cost to register a company, combine the busi- Tanzania, Senegal, and Ghana, indicating that there ness name registration and actual incorpora- could be barriers to entry in some subsectors (World tion of a company. Bank Group 2016, 3). Investors perceive significant • To make the process of obtaining a construction operational risks associated with weak competi- permit faster and cheaper, continue roll-out of tion in Kenya, such as unfair competitive practices, e-construction permit systems to more counties. vested interests, and discrimination, according to the Establish a risk-based system for environmental Economist Intelligence Unit (figure 3.4). Lastly, the approvals. Also, assess the feasibility of lower- country trails behind other middle-income countries ing building permit and preconstruction clear- in terms of antimonopoly policy and rules that enable ance costs further. Accelerate efforts to establish a market-based economy (it ranks 72nd out of 129 an automated system for administering land use countries in the market economy status according applications, occupation certificates and build- to the Bertelsmann-Stiftung Transformation index). ing inspections. • To allow for more efficient and less costly trans- Key Challenges Preventing Effective fer and registration of property titles, establish Competition in Kenya efficient mechanisms to conduct valuations of Restrictive government policies and regulations in land and real estate and to file and resolve com- key markets and gaps in the market regulation system plaints related to problems that occurred at the reduce the affordability of services and products for agency in charge of immovable property regis- firms along value chains and limit opportunities tration, or the cadaster. Also, consider assessing for market creation. Table 3.1 is a summary of the the feasibility of further reducing or exempting competition restrictions that have been identified in the stamp duty on property transactions. Ensure several key markets in Kenya and are particularly that all privately held land plots in the economy detrimental to the private sector. Besides sectoral as well as the largest business city are formally reforms to address regulatory restrictions, there is mapped and registered at the immovable property need to enhance regulatory quality by incorporating registry. Consider digitization of Kenya’s cadas- competition principles in the design of regulations and ter to improve transparency and speed of prop- government interventions in markets. Although the erty transfer. Statutory Instruments Act of 2013 makes progress in this direction, the lack of an institutional and procedural framework for regulatory impact assess- ments severely hampers implementation. Increased regulatory and technical independence of sectoral KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 31 FIGURE 3.3 ECONOMYWIDE PMR SCORE Chile Bulgaria Peru Romania Colombia Mexico Nicaragua El Salvador Israel South Africa Russian Federation Dominican Republic Costa Rica Jamaica Turkey Brazil Kenya China Honduras India Top 5 average OECD average 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 Overall PMR State control Barriers to entrepreneurship Barriers to trade and investment Source: Adapted from World Bank Group 2015b. Note: PMR = product market regulation; scale is 0 to 6, from least to most restrictive of competition. FIGURE 3.4 BUSINESS RISKS RELATED TO WEAK regulators, particularly in sectors where companies COMPETITION, 2018 with state shareholdings operate, is also essential. Tackling these restrictions will have a positive impact on growth and consumer welfare. Simply Kenya removing regulatory barriers in the services sector could result in an increase of GDP growth by at least High income 0.39 percentage points (equivalent to $218 million in the first year) (World Bank Group 2015b). Boosting competition in markets could also enhance consumer welfare and help increase family disposable income of Upper-middle income the poor. For example, elimination of trade restrictions and allowing healthy competition in maize and sugar could help reduce poverty by 3.6 percentage points. Lower-middle income The government, through public procurement, could also support private sector development, but several weaknesses related to lack of transparency, 0 1 2 3 4 governance, and rules that limit participation bias Risk scores (4= highest) the government’s selection of providers. In Kenya, Vested interests/cronyism Discrimination against foreign companies public procurement accounts for at least 7 percent Unfair competitive practices Price controls of GDP.11 Therefore, a lack of effective competition Source: Data from the Economist’s Intelligence Unit Risk Tracker. in these markets could lead to substantial losses for Note: Scale is 0 to 4 (4 being the highest). the government and reduced opportunities for busi- 32 cross-cutting constraints to private sector development TABLE 3.1 SECTOR-SPECIFIC COMPETITION RESTRICTIONS Sector Subsector Competition Restrictions Agriculture Staple grains Burdensome and ineffective government intervention preventing a level playing field for all players, for example, import licenses, quotas and tariffs, influence through the National Cereal and Produce Board in the maize sector, and information exchange among competitors distort the value chain, making it less efficient and expensive. Pyrethrum Incomplete regulatory framework that prevents effective entry of private processors and protection of the state-managed Pyrethrum Processing Company of Kenya, previously a monopoly and monopsony for the sale of pyrethrum extracts and purchase of dry flowers. Tea Unreasonably high regulatory requirements that affect entry and level playing field, for example, minimum hectarage requirements for factories, restrictions on ability of factories to source leaves, and involvement of counties in licensing. Sugar Barriers that restrict open entry, such as nontariff barriers, that is, quotas and mandatory import permits and inefficient SOEs. Fertilizers Reliance on the National Cereals and Produce Board for the purchase and distribution of subsidized fertilizers that affects input markets and potential anticompetitive practices that increase the cost of fertilizers. Seeds Government involvement and intervention affecting entry and level playing field between SOEs and private companies. Artificial insemination Government involvement and intervention affecting entry and altering the level playing field and a lack of transparency of quality standards of semen and of clearing imports. Electronic Telecommunications Lack of transparent regulatory framework for pro-competitive spectrum communications allocation which affects entry and the level playing field for all potential providers of broadband services. Weak regulatory framework on dominant operator that reduces investment opportunities for other players and increases regulatory risks. Mobile payment systems Limited interoperability between mobile payment operators and neutral access to clearinghouses affects the ability of smaller players to grow. Electricity Generation Concerns about regulatory neutrality given government participation and delays in the implementation of an open market for large electricity consumers Professional services Legal and architectural Mandatory minimum prices and restrictions on (1) participation by services in particular foreigners, (2) advertising, and (3) partnerships across professions limit entry and business strategy options and increase the costs of services for businesses, including legal, architectural, engineering, and surveying services for affordable housing. Insurance Insurance and brokerage Restrictions on foreign equity participation, regulation of insurance services premiums, and information-sharing practices that can facilitate collusion and increase costs for business. Air transport Passenger transportation Regulatory issues related to licensing of new players, ownership restrictions even within the EAC common market, and underdeveloped framework of slot allocation. Construction Inputs Restrictive trade rules (tariffs, quotas, and permits) on inputs such as steel and wood products resulting in high prices for developers. Source: Adapted from World Bank Group (2015b, 78 – 81). Note: SOEs = state-owned enterprises; EAC = East African Community. KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 33 nesses. Improving public procurement rules and their configuration of business relationships increase the implementation through more use of digital systems, risk of price-fixing practices in chemicals and fertil- monitoring of preference schemes, and anti-cartel izers, cement and construction materials, transport enforcement would create a more open market for logistics, and food products, and abuse of dominance government tenders at both the national and county is more common in network industries. Therefore, levels. Conservative estimates show that ensuring competition law enforcement, in particular, against competition in public procurement in Kenya, con- cartels and abuse of dominance, is key to facilitate sidering only products that have been subject to bid private sector development. Merger control is also rigging in other jurisdictions,12 could free up K Sh important to prevent economic consolidation that 28 billion per year.13 can reduce competition, but inefficient regulatory Kenya has adopted an enabling environment for procedures for merger review and excessive condi- public-private partnerships (PPPs). Acknowledging tions on public interest can prevent efficient mergers tight fiscal space, the Kenyan government has been and acquisitions, including transactions by private looking at alternatives to public procurement for equity and venture capital funds. More coordination prioritizing infrastructure investments and has made between the CAK and competition authorities in infrastructure development through PPPs a priority. regional economic communities (the East African The government enacted the PPP Act in 2013 and Community and the Common Market for Eastern subsequently developed PPP regulations for national and Southern Africa), as well as reduced red tape, and subnational governments. A PPP Unit was also is needed on this front. established under the National Treasury to promote and oversee the implementation of the PPP program. State Control and Involvement in SOE However, there is a gap in the public procurement Commercial Activities and PPP laws that allows for direct contracting using State control and direct participation in commercial joint ventures and government-to-government memo- activities through state-owned enterprises (SOEs) randa of understanding without competitive selection and business associates can limit the development to develop and operate government infrastructure. of competitive and open markets. Kenya scores higher Furthermore, the framework for unsolicited proposals than the OECD average and other middle-income (section 61 of the PPP law) does not provide for the countries in the state control PMR indicator, reflect- possibility of competition for PPPs that have been ing a higher degree of state intervention. Kenya has developed through private initiative. All these gaps a broader presence of SOEs, registering SOEs in at distort the level playing field and limit entry of new least 17 sectors compared with an average of 15.4 investors particularly in enabling sectors. in OECD countries. Public ownership exists in capi- Although Kenya has a competition framework, its tal-intensive sectors where government involvement is implementation could be deepened to prevent and common, and sometimes necessary, such as electricity stop anticompetitive practices that increase costs for transmission and transport and road infrastructure. businesses, prevent entry of new players, or create However, there is also significant government presence an environment harmful to consumers. Price-fixing in other sectors where there is active private sector among competitors can increase prices by 45 per- participation such as retail, accommodation, man- cent on average,14 affecting intermediate and final ufacturing, banking, insurance, and agriprocessing goods. These agreements are sometimes facilitated (see appendix A). The Kenyan government is involved by business and professional associations, as there is in retail trade (supermarkets), wholesale trade of a general lack of awareness of their illegality — more agriculture products, accommodation, and manu- than 24 percent of officers working in institutions facturing of food products and beverages (such as that regulate markets and 45 percent of large and sugar or wine), subsectors where internationally the medium businesses in key sectors in Kenya agree that probability of having a SOE is less than 40 percent. it is fine to discuss prices and levels of production The government also invests together with the main with competitors (CAK and World Bank Group 2017). business groups, for example, through the Industrial Furthermore, multimarket contact by the six main and Commercial Development Corporation (Centum’s business groups across sectors, such as banking, elec- shareholder) and the Development Bank of Kenya tricity generation, agriprocessing, and manufacturing (shareholder together with Transcentury) or holds of intermediate inputs, can create an environment minority shareholdings in firms that operate in other that facilitates coordination. The economic features of sectors. In addition, minority government sharehold- industries, the way they are regulated, and the usual ings in firms that compete with SOEs, or in more 34 cross-cutting constraints to private sector development than one firm in the same subsector, persist in at least • Improved governance and market discipline seven subsectors (for example, sugar milling, bank- mechanisms toward SOEs to increase their effi- ing, cement, hotels, and telecommunications). Direct ciency and to refocus direct participation through competition from SOEs, links between competing majority or minority shareholding toward mar- firms through partial government shareholding, and kets where private participation is not feasible or a lack of competitive neutrality given weak de facto desirable, to ensure competitive neutrality and separation of regulatory and commercial activities help crowd in the private sector. in sectors such as electricity, air transport, telecom- • Additional efforts for effective and strong compe- munications, and agriculture might render entry and tition law enforcement to fight cartels and abusive expansion of new players burdensome, thus limiting behavior of dominant firms, including technical opportunities for socially impactful market creation. instruments to increase compliance and deterrence, This can also create an environment in which firms as well as stakeholder engagement to support the do not have incentives to compete or increase their implementation of competition policy in Kenya. productivity, affecting their capacity to innovate and become competitive, generating negative spillover The Kenyan government should also consider refo- effects in downstream markets. Furthermore, SOE cusing government direct participation in markets can access government resources that can masks their where private sector operation is not feasible, subject inefficiencies and distort the level playing field. In SOE to market discipline and evaluate the government 2016, debt by parastatals — mostly by SOEs in railways strategy of investment corporations and funds so and electricity — amounted to 7 percent of GDP, and that government investments minimize market dis- SOE in agriculture, health and communications that tortions and address market failures in a cost-effective carry out a mix of commercial and noncommercial manner. Increased governance and transparency of activities generated deficits. SOE operations and government investments in pri- vate operators, together with regulations that allow Policy Recommendations for contestability (particularly in enabling sectors), Opportunities for market creation in Kenya and their will create a better enabling environment for entry impact on the economy could be enhanced through and expansion of investments and creation of more stronger market and competition policies, including competitive markets. through the following: • Removal of regulatory barriers and government Informality interventions that restrict entry and competition in various key sectors, including agriculture (tea, In Kenya, similarly to many low- and most middle-in- sugar, seeds); electronic communications (spectrum come countries, informal firms make up the majority allocation, mobile payment systems); electricity of all enterprises. According to the Kenya National generation; professional services (legal, architec- Bureau of Statistics, in 2014, about 95 percent of ture, quantity surveying); insurance, and trans- the country’s businesses remained in the informal port logistics. sector. About 83 percent of total Kenya’s employment • Improvement of systems and practices for the is informal, with more than two-thirds of informal design of government rules and interventions. sector jobs are concentrated in trade, restaurants, Regulatory management systems must be enhanced and hotels. Employment in the informal sector is to better consider expected impacts, including on associated with significantly lower levels of poverty competition and market outcomes, and to reduce than those experienced in farming. discretion in enforcement and inspection practices. Kenya’s informal sector is quite dynamic. According While also factoring in other policy priorities, to the KNBS (2015b), of the 800,000 new jobs cre- these improvements should address an uncontrolled ated in the economy in 2014, 700,000 were created system of market regulations at national and sub- by informal enterprises. However, consistent with national levels, as well as rules that allow for par- experiences of other countries, there has been a ticipation of incumbents in government decisions, significant productivity gap with the formal sector. differential treatment of foreigners, government In Kenya, the mean value of labor productivity for commercial activities in markets, and trade barri- formal micro firms is about 8.4 times that of infor- ers that create distortions to the level playing field. mal firms surveyed. The corresponding gap for the KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 35 median level of labor productivity is 3.8 times. But compliance, and recognize that each party can take there has been considerable variation in productivity actions aimed at improving mutual circumstances. among informal businesses (box 3.1). Through effective public-private dialogue, policy Given that a large proportion of informal workers makers could design measures focused on the spe- belong to the low-income category, higher formalization cific informal groups. as well as enhanced labor productivity in the informal Policy recommendations between large and small sector would be essential for reducing poverty and informal firms are likely to be different. For large improving the living conditions of relatively poorer and sophisticated medium enterprises, the goal for sections of society. The barriers for formalization policy makers should be to bring them under formal remain significant, however. The informality survey tax regime. For small informal firms, the policy inter- conducted in Kenya in 2013 asked firm owners if they ventions could form programs to help them through would like their firms to be registered. Only close training, improved access to microcredit and business to 53 percent of the respondents replied positively to development services. the question. The desire to register is more common In the context of Kenya, it is essential to acknowledge among firms that are larger and more dynamic, and the heterogeneity of informal economy. The appro- firms that face water, electricity, crime, access to land, priate policy response to various situations could be access to finance, and corruption constraints. The dramatically different. To improve the understanding costs associated with registering and taxes that reg- of the breadth and depth of the informal segment, istered businesses have to pay are the most common the authorities could: reasons for surveyed firms not registering, but there are sharp differences by region, firm productivity, • Conduct a detailed assessment of the informal and education level of the manager. sector output and employment. • Develop new policies to help businesses move Policy Recommendations from the informal to the formal sector and gen- Public intervention through policy improvements erate better jobs. could effectively address the informal economy if • Promote stronger links with the formal sector businesses and government could find a way to join through development of programs to increase links forces on a shared effort to continuously improve the between small and medium enterprises and larger overall business environment and strengthening tax companies. BOX 3.1 VARIATION IN PRODUCTIVITY AMONG INFORMAL BUSINESSES AND MAJOR OBSTACLES FOR ITS IMPROVEMENT Variation in labor productivity in the sample of surveyed About 27 percent of the informal firms surveyed informal businesses is significant. Labor productivity is expended their activities reported over the last three much higher in the manufacturing sector compared with years. Data on economic expansion, measured by an the services sector. Labor productivity is also higher increase in employees, machines, and space used, sug- among relatively older firms and firms with more educated gest that firms that are older, those with more educated managers. For example, labor productivity for firms with managers, and those located in the Central and Nairobi managers that have no education or only primary regions are more dynamic. education is only 72 percent of that of firms with managers Access to finance is consistently identified as the that have vocational training or a university degree. largest development obstacle for informal firms surveyed It is worth noting that gender disparity is less substan- in Kenya, with over 60 percent ranking it as the number tial among informal firms compared to firms in the formal one obstacle. Other key constraints include electricity, sector. That is, although labor productivity is significantly access to land, and corruption. lower for firms with female managers among informal and formal micro firms surveyed, this gender-based gap is significantly smaller among informal businesses. Source: World Bank Group 2013; 2016d. 04 ENABLING SECTORS Finance and insurance Information and communication Energy technology Health Transport KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 37 Finance and Insurance Sector Background Sub-Saharan Africa, after South Africa and Nigeria. Kenya’s relatively large and diversified financial The capital market is dominated by equities and sector is multiregulated and comprises the banking, government bonds. An automated bond-trading insurance, pensions, financial markets infrastruc- platform has been introduced linking the Nairobi ture, and capital markets subsectors. The country Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Central Bank of is known worldwide as a leader in mobile payments Kenya (CBK), which has contributed to an increase and financial access is relatively broad. For example, in government-bond trading. However, volumes are over 80 percent of the adult population has access to well below their potential and a reliable government an account at a financial institution, compared with bond yield curve still needs to be developed. Market 59 percent in Uganda and 47 percent in Tanzania. capitalization for listed companies on the NSE grew Kenya also enjoys one of the highest penetrations by 31 percent in 2017, rising to K Sh 2.5 trillion as in digital finance, with 72 percent of adults having of December 2017. The NSE remains concentrated used mobile banking in 2017. With about 93 percent as the top 10 companies accounted for 80 percent of of Kenyans conducting everyday transactions online, the market capitalization as of December 2017. To mobile payments dominate. Indeed, the expansion of address the issue of low number of listings as well the sector’s leading company, M-Pesa, is considered an as slow uptake of the capital markets products in unparalleled case by which a company originally set up Kenya, the Capital Markets Authority (CMA) has to manage microloans through mobile phones ended embarked on offering incentives to attract compa- up dominating a significant amount of transactions.15 nies with the potential to list to the bourse, which Progress made in expanding financial inclusion in include lower corporate taxes, reduced listing fees, Kenya is attributed to rapid innovation by the private and tax amnesties. sector in collaboration with the public sector. The The Kenyan insurance sector, although considered expansion of retail banks into lower-income markets one of Africa’s most mature markets, it remains under- and the regulation of credit-only microfinance insti- developed and comprises a relatively large number of tutions has led to an expansion in deposit accounts, companies. The industry has 45 insurance companies, branches, and agents. Financial institutions have also two reinsurance companies, 154 insurance brokers, introduced agency banking, lowering the costs of and 4,205 insurance agents. The primary business line providing financial services. for insurance companies in Kenya is motor insurance, The financial sector is dominated by the banking a frequent phenomenon in developing markets given sector. Banking assets currently stand at about 60 that motor third-party liability is often mandatory. percent of gross domestic product (GDP). Kenya’s According to the Insurance Regulatory Authority’s banking sector has undergone rapid structural change 2016 annual report, insurance penetration in Kenya over the past decade. The banking sector has been stands at 2.73 percent, which is considered low com- fraught by two main challenges: (1) the deteriorating pared with a world average of 6.28 percent. In 2017, asset quality brought about by spillover effects of a the insurance industry recorded a nominal growth challenging operating environment experienced in of 6.3 percent. Despite marginal nominal growth, 2017 due to elections and (2) the capping of interest the general insurance business still dominated the rates, which has led to subdued growth in the credit industry by a premium of 60.4 percent. The industry extended to the private sector. Cross-industry and asset base increased by 11.8 percent in 2017, which cross-border integration has contributed to greater was largely composed of investments at 81.9 percent. interconnectedness of financial systems, both nationally Insurance penetration, which is the ratio of Gross and internationally. Financial innovation is creating a Direct Insurance Premiums to GDP, remained relatively more complex financial system in terms of the intricacy stable at 2.7 percent compared to a world average of of financial instruments, the diversity of activities, 6.1 percent and 3.0 percent for Africa. and the concomitant mobility of risks.16 Kenya is one Kenya’s pensions system manages assets valued at of the most densely served African countries, with 42 about 17 percent of GDP. The pension sector grew banks for a population of just over 45 million people. its assets under management by 13.6 percent, from It is therefore expected that the banking sector will K Sh 831.8 billion in June 2016 to K Sh 963.1 in consolidate over the next few years. June 2017, driven mainly by growth in investments The Kenyan capital market is the largest in East quoted equities and immovable property.17 Pension Africa and third largest in terms of capitalization in coverage among employed Kenyans hit 20 percent 38 enabling sectors in fiscal 2017, going up from 16.7 percent in fiscal slowed significantly from its peak of about 25 percent 2015, with over 80 percent of the workforce in the per year in mid-2014 to just 1.6 percent in August informal sector having no social security or pension 2017, the lowest level in over a decade (figure 4.1). coverage. Growth in assets is attributed to improved The implementation of interest rate caps, beginning compliance, gradual recovery in the stock market in the last quarter of 2016, is a key factor making it after the bank crisis in 2016 and modest recovery difficult for credit growth to recover (see box 4.1).18 in property market. The banking sector has also experienced higher credit risk than usual, as evidenced by the deteri- Sector Performance and Key Challenges oration of asset quality following increased share of nonperforming loans (NPLs), reflecting some BANKING SECTOR common subregional trends (figure 4.2). The ratio Despite its success, which is unparalleled in Sub- of NPLs to gross loans increased from 10.8 percent Saharan Africa, Kenya’s financial sector faces several (K Sh 259.2 billion) in end of fourth quarter 2017 to challenges. Credit growth has slowed significantly 11.8 percent (K Sh 287.2 billion) by the end of first since 2015, reflecting a series of shocks, including quarter 2018. In addition, falling profitability and/ the enactment of interest rate caps by the Banking or extended losses inhibit banks’ ability to build up (Amendment) Act 2016 in September 2016. Since sufficient reserves and capital buffers through retained 2015, the CBK has also stepped up oversight of the earnings. Nonetheless, the adoption of new prudential banking sector, underscoring the need for higher and risk-management guidelines and the opening loan-loss provisioning (after three smaller players of three private credit bureaus (over 2010 – 15) are folded in fiscal 2016, namely Dubai Bank, Imperial helping strengthen banking sector resilience. Bank, and Chase Bank). The stock of private sector credit-to-GDP fell to 29 percent in 2017, from a high CAPITAL MARKET of 36.2 percent in 2015. In June 2018, the Cabinet Although Kenya boasts one of the most sophisticated Secretary for Finance announced that the interest rate capital markets on the African continent, it is none- cap would be repealed. As banks’ operations adopted theless faced with challenges. The financial sector is more technology, threat to cybersecurity became real inordinately skewed toward banking institutions that in 2017, prompting the CBK to issue a Guidance are unable to provide long-term capital on an adequate Note to banks on cybersecurity in August 2017, as basis. Furthermore, Kenyan banks are struggling to a preemptive measure to mitigate the growing threat. become active players in the equity and bond mar- kets. Several key gaps and market weaknesses exist, ACCESS TO FINANCE including a limited number and small size of new In the 2019 Doing Business report, Kenya improved equity and debt issuances, and limited diversity of by 19 positions to rank 61 globally with notable capital-market products and services amid increasing improvements on protecting minority investors, getting credit, and resolving insolvency scores. Kenya’s best indicator is “Getting Credit,” in which the country FIGURE 4.1 GROWTH IN PRIVATE SECTOR CREDIT ranks at 8 globally, an improvement from 29 globally in the 2018 Doing Business report. Kenya improved on access to credit by implementing a functional secured transactions system. The new law regulates functional equivalents to loans secured with mov- able property, such as financial leases and fiduciary transfer of title. Firms participating in the World 1.4% Bank Group’s Enterprise Survey (2013) reported 25.8% better-than-average access to most forms of formal finance than elsewhere in Sub-Saharan Africa, with a markedly lower reliance on internal finance for investment. Over one-third of firms reported that they had a bank loan or a line of credit, compared with roughly one-quarter in the rest of Sub-Saharan 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Africa. Over 90 percent of Kenyan firms had a bank Source: Data from the Central Bank of Kenya. account. However, in recent years, credit growth has KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 39 FIGURE 4.2 NPLS RATIO TRENDS appetite for investment, especially among institutional Kenya and EAC peers (% of total) and foreign investors. Risks in the capital markets include high concentration by counters and inves- a. Tanzania tor category, low liquidity, low product uptake, and 10.9 political and economic risks. Although the NSE is 10 the fourth-largest stock exchange on the continent in terms of trading volumes, only a small propor- 8 tion of the 56 companies listed attract significant trading volumes. As of December 2017, the market 6 concentration risk exposure of the top five companies by market capitalization was 64.83 percent. Despite 4 active efforts by the government to attract capital 2 investments, the NSE continues to have a low turnover ratio, low market capitalization-to-GDP ratio, and 0 low value of stock traded-to-GDP ratio. The CMA has raised concerns that Kenya has been unable to b. Kenya achieve its projected listings targets as articulated in 9.5 its Capital Markets Master Plan, which envisions at least four listings on the NSE every year. The NSE 8 has struggled to attract new listings, having only 6 raised K Sh 4.2 billion in two initial public offers in the last 5 years. The bourse has 64 listed stocks with 4 a total market capitalization of K Sh 2.16 trillion, of which Safaricom controls 44.0 percent market share. 2 The CMA has been engaging stakeholders includ- 0 ing the NSE, National Treasury, Central Depository and Settlement Corporation, and Fund Managers c. Rwanda Association. The NSE’s remedy strategy includes intro- ducing an incubator board designed to accelerate the 8 8.1 growth and success of entrepreneurial companies, through an array of business support resources and 6 services to nurture firms that are not ready to list but have promising prospects. This is geared toward 4 helping develop a pipeline of successful businesses for 2 possible listing on the exchange A strengthened policy and regulatory environment and improved market 0 infrastructure are required to support the market’s development, efficiency, and integrity. There is also d. Uganda a clear need to focus on corporate governance and strengthening supervision. 10 HOUSING CREDIT MARKET 8 Kenya has a very limited yet developing mortgage 6.3 6 portfolio. There are only an estimated 24,085 mort- gages across the country, most in excess of $50,000. 4 Limited mortgage lending can be attributed to more attractive, lower-risk investments (including Treasury 2 bonds), limited bank liquidity (now being addressed 0 through the creation of a mortgage liquidity facility), 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 constrained development of mortgageable units, and Source: Data from the Bank of Tanzania, Bank of Uganda, Central Bank of Kenya, and the limited affordability as well as increasing indebtedness National Bank of Rwanda. of households. There is a need to deepen housing Note: NPLs = nonperforming loans; EAC = East African Community. lending, increase liquidity in the sector, improve credit 40 enabling sectors BOX 4.1 DEVELOPMENTS ON INTEREST RATE CONTROLS IN KENYA The regressive nature of the interest rate cap is a downside (SMEs) — with the proportion of new borrowers falling risk to the macroeconomic outlook. The interest rate cap by more than half from a peak of 13 percent in March was intended to reduce the cost of credit, thereby making 2016 to roughly 6 percent after the caps, likely credit accessible to a wider range of borrowers. However, impacting entrepreneurship and new job creation; after years of implementation, the decline in credit growth • Resulted in a reallocation of credit from the private to the private sector has continued with several sector to the public. Private sector credit growth unintended negative consequences to the economy. remains very weak, with impacts on access to credit by Furthermore, interest rate controls could adversely small borrowers including small-scale farmers and impact efforts to raise longer-term financing instruments low-income households; and to boost the demand for affordable housing. The Executive • Impaired monetary policy transmission and arm of government is cognizant of the importance of implementation. allowing banks to appropriately price risks and has made efforts to modify or remove the interest rate caps. However, quantifying the impact of the interest rate caps on overall lending to SMEs is challenging given the Background lack of definitive figures on the growth of loans from A law capping interest rates became effective in Septe­ financial technologies, savings and credit cooperatives, mber 2016. The Banking (Amendment) Act No. 3. of 2016 trade credit, and other potential sources of credit that are introduced Section 33B and put a ceiling on lending rates not subject to the caps. by banks and financial institutions at 4 percentage points above the Central Bank Rate (CBR), with a floor on term Efforts to repeal deposit rates equal to 70 percent of the CBR. This new The Executive’s proposal to remove interest caps legislation was in response to the public view that lending contained in Finance Bill 2018 was unsuccessful, as it rates in Kenya were too high and that banks were engaging faced political backlash from Parliament. Given the in predatory lending behavior. The floor on deposit rates political economy issues, reforms to the cap are likely to was removed through an amendment in 2018. take time. However, more recently, on March 14, 2019, a Kenyan High Court ruled that interest rate controls as Impact stipulated in Section 33B of the Banking Act is unconstitu- Interest rate controls had the following unintended tional for being vague, ambiguous, imprecise, and negative consequences in Kenya, according to Safavian indefinite. The court has provided lawmakers a window of and Zia (2018): 12 months to make appropriate amendments. This innovative and entrepreneurial drive is key to • Negatively affected bank lending to small borrowers, Kenya’s future success — and, clearly, exponential technol- households, and small and medium enterprises ogies can accelerate that success. reporting information, and bridge the gap between Authority (IRA). The IRA should focus on solvency wholesale and retail lending for housing through and risk-based regulation rather than fixing the pre- microfinance and SACCOs. mium for each insurance product. The IRA’s proposed move toward risk-based supervision is encouraging INSURANCE AND PENSION SUBSECTORS but there is a need to expedite the planned reforms. Low per capita incomes, instances of fraud, and The insurance and pension industries are expected weak supervision are deterrents to the development to perform better in 2018 and 2019 as the Kenyan of Kenya’s insurance market. Although various economy picks up and political tensions disappear. insurance companies operate in Kenya, the current regulatory framework creates little incentive for firms Pathway Forward to compete. The main regulatory obstacles identified To facilitate growth in other sectors of the Kenyan are the limitation on foreign equity in insurance economy and address Kenya’s development needs, companies and brokers and the need for approval of efforts should be focused on addressing the key con- product-specific premiums by the Insurance Regulatory straints in the financial sector, which includes: (1) KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 41 the availability of “affordable” credit to businesses, money transfers to unlocking savings, loans, invest- especially SMEs and households and (2) the scarcity ments, and insurance opportunities. However, 17.4 of long-term finance. Some of the specific reforms percent of the population remains excluded from that are being supported by the World Bank Group both formal and informal financial services. In include the following: addition, the adoption rate of mobile financial ser- vices in the underserved groups, such as women, • Reforming financial architecture. (1) Consolidation rural residents, farmers, and the youth, is low. of all the nonbanking regulators into a single finan- Furthermore, whereas about 88 percent of the cial services authority, (2) reforms necessary to population have mobile phones, only 71.4 percent create an investor-friendly environment, (3) an are users of mobile financial services, highlighting improved interface for the public to access public an untapped opportunity to expand mobile finan- services through the digitization of the payments cial services among mobile-phone users. for these services, and (4) strengthening of market • Liquidity and development of SACCOs. Kenya’s conduct supervision. vibrant SACCO sector continues to pilot mech- • Modernizing supervision. New challenges have anisms for land purchase, development, and the confronted nonbanking regulators as markets provision of household-related finance. Assistance have reached out to new clients with new prod- to strengthen the corporate governance and finan- ucts. Keeping up with these developments involves cial systems and ability to mobilize capital and filling regulatory gaps and supporting adoption disburse retail loans by SACCOs offer a signifi- of best practices related to consolidating super- cant opportunity to improve access to land, hous- vision, and so on. ing, and housing finance. • Improving credit reporting by enhancing trans- • Demand is strong for investment products. A parency in the process. This will allow financial mobile-based government bond, M-Akiba, was service providers to participate in credit infor- launched in April 2017 to enhance the savings and mation sharing. investment culture in Kenya in a bid to enhance • Strengthening the regime for moveable collateral. financial inclusion for economic development while This will facilitate increased lending to SMEs at raising finance for the government that will be affordable rates by supporting the necessary legal dedicated to infrastructural development proj- and regulatory reforms for secured transactions, ects. High retail investor appetite for the M-Akiba followed by the optimization of the already exist- bond shows that leveraging digital channels can ing electronic moveable-assets registry. open new financial opportunities for the security • Expanding the availability of alternative sav- issuer as well as tap into a new segment of retail ings instruments. The focus here is on facilitat- bond consumers. ing additional savings mobilization by developing • Potential for innovations in insurance products. alternatives to bank deposits, such as purchases Insurance providers can explore the use of index- of government bonds by retail investors using the based insurance products to reach into high-risk, mobile platform. underserved areas. Insurers can more accurately • Introducing new instruments to channel financ- price insurance products and thus reduce the risk ing. Such instruments could include infrastruc- of insurance cover in drought-prone regions. ture project bonds and funds, Shariah-compliant instruments, and housing finance products. Other These products include weather-index, area-yield instruments that could be improved to support index, and satellite-based rainfall index insurance, infrastructure, as well as other long-term financ- among others. To reduce the costs of offering financial ing needs (for example, housing and SME financ- services in rural areas, that is, those mostly affected by ing), include securitization and equity markets. weather-related shocks, providers are also increasingly leveraging mobile technology. Service providers could Other possible private investment opportunities: distribute their products among rural populations and deploy mobile-based products to enable users • Investing in innovation funds for creative pri- to open accounts, save money, and pay for health vate sector – led products to enhance access to care services, all via their mobile devices (CMA and finance for underserved populations, particu- others 2018). larly through mobile financial services. Digital platforms have transformed from simple mobile- 42 enabling sectors Energy Sector Background Vision 2030 program. Most of the new generation will come from renewable energy sources. The role ENERGY SECTOR POLICY of the private sector is expected to grow in financing The Energy Act of 2006 provides the regulatory frame- investments, especially in renewables. work in Kenya, with a fairly advanced structure, significant and growing presence of independent power POWER TRANSMISSION producers (IPPs), unbundling and partial privatiza- Kenya has 4,149 kilometers of transmission lines, tion of national utilities, and cost-reflective tariffs all of which are either 132 or 200 kilovolts. Kenya (Power Africa 2015). The Ministry of Energy and Electricity Transmission Company (KETRACO) is in Petroleum articulates policies in the sector and the the process of constructing about 4,500 kilometers Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) regulates bulk of new lines, more than doubling the transmission tariffs for electricity generation and distribution and network and introducing Kenya’s first high-voltage transmission charges. The Energy Act requires the 400 kilovolt and 500 kilovolt DC transmission lines, regulator to ensure that the rates and tariffs established as well as three major regional interconnectors to in electricity sale contracts, transmission, and distri- Ethiopia, Uganda, and Tanzania. Beyond these lines bution are just and reasonable although, as discussed that are under construction, KETRACO is planning in previous sections, high electricity costs remain a a further 4,200 kilometers of lines to expand and key constraint to private sector development. strengthen the grid. POWER GENERATION POWER DISTRIBUTION Since 1997, Kenya has attracted significant private sector The Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC), a participation in power generation. Currently, there are state-owned monopoly, is the sole distribution company, 10 IPPs that generate power across 15 plants — three operating Kenya’s interconnected grid and several small-scale hydro plants, one geothermal plant, one off-grid stations. As the single off-taker, the KPLC biomass plant, and 10 fuel-oil plants. They account for negotiated power purchase agreements (PPAs) with about 30 percent of installed generation capacity (over generation providers and provided energy to 3.6 mil- 658 megawatts), with $2.4 billion in private equity and commercial loans mobilized to finance privately owned power plants. The remaining 70 percent of capacity is owned and operated by KenGen. Their sustainability — the first two privately owned generation operations were commissioned in 1997 — has been underpinned by stable sector investment conditions. The private sector plays a key role in power gen- eration, particularly in the operation of diesel-fired plants, together with geothermal and wind genera- tion, whereas the state-owned KenGen dominates in hydropower. Financing of private sector investment in power generation has benefited from the World Bank Group’s Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency political risk insurance. Kenya has 2,295 megawatts of installed on-grid capacity across 42 plants, plus an additional 11.5 megawatts in 19 off-grid stations in remote parts of the country. Installed capacity consists of 70 percent renewable sources, with potential to produce 10,000 megawatts of geothermal power from the Rift Valley Basin. Kenya is one of the lowest-cost developers of geothermal power in the world. The government is already focused on delivering new electricity generation infrastructure while also providing new generation capacity to support the KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 43 lion customers. The KPLC nearly doubled access in (kWh) (versus $0.18/kWh in Nigeria, $0.10/kWh in Kenya over the 4 years from 2011, from 26 percent South Africa, and $0.08/kWh in China and India), of households in 2011 to 46 percent in 2015, with with the electricity bill accounting for a dispropor- the assistance of the Rural Electrification Authority. tionate amount of total operating expense — in some cases over 50 percent according to the Enterprise Sector Performance and Challenges Survey. Similarly, frequent power outages, which The national power supply is increasing to meet growing affect up to 90 percent of firms, undermine produc- demand. Electricity generation continues to show a tivity and increase the costs of doing business, with strong upward trend, underpinned by new investment many businesses and residential complexes opting from both the state and private investors. Demand for secondary, local power generation capacity. is similarly strong, helped by the expansion of the Total energy losses within the electricity network electricity grid, including into rural areas. Power operated by the KPLC have increased and are likely available for distribution increased by 5.8 percent to be about 20.53 percent in 2018, up from 18.8 per year on average in the 2010 – 17 period — and percent in 2017, an increase of about 1.7 percent, quickened to 8.1 percent year-on-year in the first half representing a significant financial and operational of 2018 — outpacing growth in the wider economy. burden on the utility. This contributes to high cost of Rural electrification still needs to be improved electricity which is a major obstacle to private sector further. Kenya has also aggressively pursued connec- development. Electricity tariff is already viewed as tions, having nearly doubled electricity access from being high from the industrialization perspective, and 25 to 46 percent of households in four years (Power commercial losses are the main driver. To address Africa 2015). Figure 4.3 shows the peak demand and this widespread business concert, in July 2018, the customer consumption trends. Yet, in some cases ERC and Kenya Power announced an 8 percent drop electrification rates are low, for example, in Western in electricity costs to make electricity more accessible Kenya, at 5 percent for rural households and 22 per- particularly for SMEs. cent for rural businesses, even in areas of good grid Other challenges: coverage (Lee and others 2015). Blackouts, however, are frequent and affordability • High government financial exposure to the energy remains a concern. The Doing Business report gives sector. If the Kenyan government delivers on trans- Kenya credit for having improved the reliability of mission and distribution targets, the sector may electricity and streamlined the process of connecting exceed 20 percent of the total government debt to the electricity grid. Despite this, however, from the burden. PPAs may also sit as contingent liabili- private sector’s perspective, reliability and high costs ties on the sovereign balance sheet. associated with power supply remain major issues. • Inconsistent processes that make securing financing Firms pay high energy costs at $0.21 per kilowatt hour difficult. An unclear approach to project selection FIGURE 4.3 PEAK DEMAND AND CUSTOMER CONSUMPTION TREND a. Peak demand (megawatts) b. Sales (gigawatts per hour) 2,000 9,000 7,500 1,500 6,000 1,000 4,500 3,000 500 1,500 0 0 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Source: Data from ERC 2018. Note: Sales for 2018 is a projection. 44 enabling sectors at the expression of interest stage, the inconsistent This will help ensure that the design of the market application of the PPA negotiation process, chal- mechanisms promotes rational, fair, and transparent lenges in securing land, and lack of a standard competition among the market players. approach to the government’s Letters of Support make securing financing challenging and also lead TRANSMISSION to cost overruns due to delays, particularly for IPPs. The current financing model for KETRACO needs • KETRACO does not have a cost-reflective com- to be reviewed from the perspective of moving it mercial model. The state-owned enterprise (SOE) toward a commercial model and to shift the burden relies on the government for financing through from the government. The Kenyan government should grants rather than its own balance sheet. Electricity consider allowing private participation. An example tariff is not fully cost reflective, but raising it rep- could be a build-operate-transfer contract, similar resents a challenge, given that it is already viewed to what has been done in Peru and Brazil. These as being high from the industrialization perspective. structures can be later interconnected to the grid. • KenGen’s balance sheet indicates that it cannot There are discussions on conducting a pilot: a $200 take on significantly more debt to fund expan- million project, which would consider a PPP structure. sion, whereas the Geothermal Development This pilot may potentially include IFC acting in an Company’s revenue model is not sufficient to advisory capacity. cover its true costs due to an implicit government subsidy. Furthermore, there are no safeguards to DISTRIBUTION guarantee competitive neutrality between private Reducing losses is a key priority. The KPLC’s policies operators and SOEs in generation, for example, in on metering need to be reviewed and a more in-depth terms of access to state support measures, access separate independent analysis may be required for to primary sources of energy, and participation handling both new and existing residential and com- in energy planning. mercial consumers. • Lack of affordable financing for private off-grid developers. Due to smaller-scale financing needs MINI-GRIDS and more innovative technologies, private play- Regulatory framework on mini-grids need to be ers have difficulty securing affordable financing finalized and the energy bill needs to be enacted. An tailored to their needs. alternative could be a concessions model, for exam- ple, giving the private sector vertically integrated mini-grid concessions with three clearly identified Pathway Forward regulatory periods of five years each. Given techno- Doubling the electrification rate over the next four logical advances, the off-grid concessions should be years will require a careful planning process to opti- for electricity (solar, wind, batteries), communica- mize the use of available resources, a high degree of tions (cellular and internet), and banking (fintech). coordination at the institutional level, a clear and The concession would not be only vertically but also transparent mechanism to involve the private sector horizontally integrated to attract the private sector in the process, and the availability of resources to to the isolated areas. If successful, the pilot could make the investments happen. then be scaled up. Beyond the optimization of the planning process, financial resources will need to be available to imple- WHOLESALE MARKET ment the universal access programs — either through Kenya’s system is large enough to implement a whole- grid extension or a set of off-grid alternatives. A sale electricity market that could be instrumental in share of these resources can come from existing users helping with the penetration and balancing of inter- through levies on electricity consumption or similar mittent renewables and price discovery. It has the measures, but a significant share will most probably potential to be the first country in Africa to implement have to be financed by a combination of national a wholesale electricity market where generators can treasury resources and international development sell their surplus or buy their deficit generation to partners, for example, using output-based aid schemes. settle their PPA commitments. If private participation and market competition are to be bolstered, new primary and secondary leg- islation will likely be required, as well as capacity building for the ERC and the Ministry of Energy. KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 45 Transport Sector Background including railways, airports, and road rehabilitation Vision 2030, the government’s long-term development and expansion. Road-based transport is the dominant plan, calls for the removal of bottlenecks for growth mode carrying 93 percent of all freight and passenger through necessary reforms to transform Kenya from traffic in Kenya, with the remaining share spread a low to a middle-income country by 2030. To this between other lower-cost and lower-emissions modes, end, Vision 2030 is calling for up to $2.1 billion to such as railways and inland waterways, accounting be spent annually to interconnect the nation’s roads, for a minimum share. railways, ports, airports, water and sanitation facil- ities, and telecommunications networks. Sector Performance and Key Challenges Kenya has comparatively better transport infrastruc- Although Kenya has witnessed major transport devel- ture and services than other countries in the region. The opment over the past 5 years, as evidenced by several country has improved its ranking on quality of overall investments in expansion, development, and modern- transport infrastructure from 72nd in 2015 to 56th ization of roads, railways, and ports, the country’s in 2017 (out of 138 countries) in the World Economic infrastructure needs are vast and high transport costs Forum’s Global Competitiveness Index (GCI). It ranks put pressure on businesses. Kenya is ranked 69th in behind Namibia (52), and South Africa (29), but is the GCI on transport infrastructure, behind Rwanda ahead of most other Sub-Saharan African countries. (68th), Namibia (52nd), and South Africa (29th), but Kenya’s transport infrastructure network consists still above most other Sub-Saharan Africa countries. of a single commercial seaport in Mombasa, which However, the main transport corridor serving Kenya handles most of the cargo that enters the country and most of eastern Africa, the Mombasa-Nairobi and the region, a single narrow gauge-track inter- Corridor, as well as the Mombasa Port, are still con- national rail network consisting of a mainline and a strained and congested, negatively affecting freight few branch lines which is being gradually replaced movements to and from the country. Constrained by a new standard gauge railway, and a classified mobility within the major cities also imposes significant road network of about 160,000 kilometers (map 4.1). economic inefficiencies on city economies. According The sector contributed 9.7 percent of GDP growth to the World Bank Group’s 2013 Enterprise Survey, in 2016, fueled by major projects in several subsectors, Kenyan businesses are particularly affected by the lack MAP 4.1 KENYA’S TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE Airports (1,000 passenger per year) <750 750–5,000 >5,000 Ports Direct Direct and transhipment Railroad (million traffic per year) Not operating <0.5 0.5–1.0 1.0–2.0 >2.0 Road traffic (average annual daily traffic) Unknown <100 100–300 300–1,000 >1,000 Road type and condition Good Fair Poor Unknown Paved Unpaved Source: Adapted from Briceño-Garmendia and Shkaratan 2011. 46 enabling sectors of infrastructure, identified as a top constraint for and Rwanda (57th) in the region. Judged by this doing business. PPPs for transport infrastructure are index, however, the country’s logistics performance yet to be tested. Furthermore, regulatory frameworks deteriorated sharply since 2016 in absolute and rela- need to be updated and properly enforced to ensure tive terms, when Kenya ranked 42nd (a score of 3.33). efficiency of sole operators (including improving cor- In only two years, all components that measure the porate governance of SOEs), guarantee access to key LPI deteriorated, particularly customs (from 39th infrastructure by private providers of downstream to 67th), infrastructure (from 42nd to 79th), and services, and prevent uncompetitive practices that timeliness (from 46th to 79th). raise the cost of transport and logistics services. Although improvements in logistics capacity are gradually making it easier and cheaper to conduct FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILIT Y OF THE NETWORK business and helping cement Kenya’s role as a regional Arguably the most pressing issue the transport sector hub, progress is uneven and moving freight through- faces is the public capture of key infrastructure out the country is still far from seamless. There are assets — from ports to airports and railways — which reports that in the first month that the Mombasa- has led to suboptimal financial and operational per- Nairobi line opened, only 1,600 containers out of formance. The economic efficiency of Kenya’s logistics roughly 80,000 processed in Mombasa chose the network is suffering because of excess capacity in railway option mostly because of delays in loading and combined road and rail infrastructure on the northern unloading trains at the existing multimodal facilities. corridor, as well as price distortion linked to unsustain- Similarly, customs and border-crossing procedures able public policies. Projects under way (for example, are still essentially manual and relatively complex Lamu port) or planned (that is, reconstruction and procedures. Any attempt to increase Kenya’s com- expansion of the Mombasa to Nairobi highway and petitiveness in global markets will need to address Nakuru-Nairobi highway) may further lower the inefficiencies in transport and trade-related logistics economic efficiency of Kenya’s logistics network as services as a means of promoting efficiency, innovation, excess long-haul infrastructure transport capacity will and transparency in cross-border trade, increasing increase the risk that the overall network becomes capacity and range of services and reducing the cost financially unsustainable and, hence, ill-maintained. of doing business in the country. INSUFFICIENT SPENDING IN URBAN TRANSPORT PROJECT REVENUE COLLECTION TO FUND MAINTENANCE AND The sizeable public sum of money spent on selected ENSURE SUSTAINABILIT Y mega projects is constraining much needed public Several road corridors in the country are expected investment in urban corridors that are key to promot- to be tolled, yet, the regulatory and institutional ing urban mobility and ultimately economic growth. framework needs to be finalized. A tolling policy has For instance, Nairobi is among the most congested been approved by Cabinet, but Kenya does not have cities in the world with estimates suggesting that the recent experience in implementing road tolling and city loses $600,000 to congestion each day. free alternatives will not be available for all the toll roads. Local investors have raised concerns on the ROAD SAFET Y enforcement of toll collections and enquired about The World Health Organization estimated Kenya’s the possibility of credit enhancement to backstop the death rate at 31 per 100,000 people for 2013, which government’s obligations to pay availability payments landed it on the top-20 worst countries worldwide should the toll revenues be insufficient. for road-related deaths. This means that over 3,000 people die through road accidents every year, most Pathway Forward of them young males between the ages of 15 and Engaging the private sector as a financier and oper- 44. The cost to the economy from these accidents ator of transport infrastructure. As the transport exceeds $50 million, exclusive of the actual loss of network expands in the coming years, it will be life (Manyara 2013). important to secure private participation in the Kenya outperforms its peers on logistics but there design, construction, and operation phases, as a are signs that the quality and competence is deteri- spate of multibillion-dollar projects break ground. orating. It is also ahead of most of its neighbors in Government borrowing (externally and internally, the World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index (LPI), including through infrastructure bonds), concessional ranking 68th (a score of 2.81) out of 160 countries development partner lending, and private funding surveyed and only surpassed by South Africa (33rd) will jointly finance infrastructure developments. The KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 47 passage of the 2013 PPP Act provides the legal frame- • Air transport. Restructuring of Kenya Airways by work for engaging the private sector, with several rebalancing the costs structure to control better projects in airports, seaports, highways, and railways operating, in particular, personnel expenses. The considered priority PPP projects. Efforts to structure government’s divestment from airport infrastruc- the very first PPP transaction in the road sector are ture financing and management and from airlines already under way, and the World Bank is providing operations (as opposed to merging both into a large operational and financial support with a guarantee. state-dominated entity as planned). Review of pre- Indeed, the Nairobi-Nakuru Toll Road which will vailing airport fee structure to achieve a higher span 175 kilometers in one of Kenya’s densest corridors level of cost recovery, for instance, by adjusting will promote capital market solutions to crowd-in the domestic flight passenger tax. local financiers into infrastructure PPP projects to create a fiscally sustainable way to finance PPPs. Applying this approach in the Nairobi-Nakuru Toll Road project will have a demonstration effect for all the PPP projects in the pipeline. It is made possible by the size of local institutional investors in Kenya and the well-developed capital markets. The private sector is hence well positioned to har- ness investments in the sector, but some prior policy actions need to be taken to enable its active partic- ipation. Possible solutions to address main policy issues include the following: • Financing. Mobilize private financing for the reha- bilitation and/or expansion of transport networks in subsectors considered commercially viable such as airports, logistics, and ports. Indeed, the gov- ernment’s divestment from port and airport infra- structure financing and management and from rail freight services and airlines operations could ease fiscal pressure and improve financial and opera- tional performance. • Roads. Introducing sensitive road-pricing strategies in key transport corridors where freight movements are highest. For instance, there are plans to establish a National Toll Fund (NTF) to underwrite the gov- ernment’s recurring payment commitment to pri- vate operators who will be tasked with building new roads and bridges under a PPP scheme. Revenues collected by the NTF, in turn could support both new road expansion as well as maintenance with the use of the existing road fund private sector window to further back stop the NTF. • Ports. Alternative ownership and management structures can be further explored by establish- ing a standard container and bulk freight con- cessions with private operators and/or seeking private sponsor financing for future expansion of the Mombasa port’s facilities. • Rail. Review tariffs in line with expected operation cost at full capacity and unbundling of infrastruc- ture and services in the future through the possi- ble introduction of private freight train operators. 48 enabling sectors Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) Sector Background trolled 81 percent of the market and had 22.6 million The ICT sector in Kenya is growing strongly and subscribers by the end of fiscal 2017. Its key competitors facilitating growth in other sectors of the economy by are Airtel (India) and Telkom (the former parastatal speeding the flow of information and resources (using now under private equity ownership). The authorities mobile money). The sector has changed dramatically are divided over whether Safaricom’s dominance is over the past decade, transitioning to a burgeoning anticompetitive. The Competition Authority of Kenya market that has become one of the most vibrant in believes the firm is not abusing its position, whereas Africa.19 Nairobi is recognized as one of Africa’s tech the Communications Authority is less certain and hub cities (along with Lagos, Cape Town, and Accra), may impose regulatory remedies. However, innovation with the potential to foster and scale digital ecosystems. could suffer unless these remedies are well-designed. Kenya’s first technology and innovation lab, iHub, was Big foreign names are showing an interest in Kenya. established in March 2010 and has since become the Several recent developments underline Kenya’s promi- centerpiece of a growing tech community with over nent role in ICT. In May 2018, for example, Microsoft 16,500 members and has several initiatives that catalyze announced plans to connect Kenya to its global cloud this growth. Kenya now has 27 active technology hubs.20 network and may establish a local data center in the Safaricom is the leading player in mobile services medium term. At the same time, the company launched with over 72 percent market share, followed by Airtel in Kenya its first software testing center in Africa. with 18 percent.24 Safaricom — owned by the United Google also has an active local presence. In addition, Kingdom’s Vodafone, private shareholders, and the Kenyan startups are attracting significant amounts state — remains the leading player in all key segments, of capital: five local firms raised $91 million in the especially in mobile money, underpinned by its suc- first half of 2018, more than half the total sum in cessful M-Pesa platform, which was launched in 2007, Africa. In terms of total startup numbers during the it allows users to send money, pay bills, and apply for period, Kenya was second (with 23), behind Nigeria loans through their mobile phones. The platform con- (with 31), but raised more capital. Other examples KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 49 FIGURE 4.4 ICT IN KENYA AND SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA: SELECTED PERFORMANCE INDICATORS a. Population coverage (%) b. Penetration rates (%) 2G 3G/4G Fixed-broadband subscribers per 100 people 2G 88 49.6 24.9 0.3 94 3G 53 1.3 78 22 20 19.4 4G 45.9 c. Quality d. Affordability Mobile network performance score Mobile tariff (%) Fixed broadband 125.1 21.9 subscription 25.4 96.1 price (PPP, $) Fixed broadband speed (Mbit/s) 34.9 28.2 2.8 15 Kenya Sub-Saharan Africa Note: Mbit/s = megabits per second; PPP = Purchasing power parity. Mobile network performance score (from 0 to 100) is the average of three scores covering mobile latencies (in milliseconds), mobile download speeds (in Mbit/s), and mobile upload speeds (in Mbit/s). Mobile tariff is the average percentage cost of a basket of mobile broadband services relative to gross national income per capita. include a tie-up in April 2018 between Safaricom The benefits of ICT are starting to be felt in other and PayPal, the global e-payments firm, as well as sectors, for example, Kenya is recognized as having the progressive rollout of 4G services by all local taken a leading role in using ICT to access financial operators. E-commerce opportunities will increase, services. Mobile banking penetration rates rose to especially for services, although transactions involv- 66 percent in December 2017, with more than 50 ing goods face delivery challenges, similar to many percent of iknternet subscribers having broadband emerging markets. accounts, mainly on mobile platforms. The sector is The Kenyan government acknowledges the ICT expected to maintain a brisk rate of expansion, driven sector's relevance as a facilitator of inclusive growth. by innovation and strong demand. Communications Indeed, the government’s Vision 2030 recognizes the grew by 11 percent in real terms in 2017, outpacing sector as a foundation for economic development and growth in the wider economy and lifting its contribu- the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Cooperatives has tion to GDP at factor cost to 4.6 percent, a significant developed the Kenya Industrial Transformation Program. increase of 3.1 percent in 2010. The public sector is also taking a lead in adopting ICT solutions, as Sector Performance and Key Challenges evidenced by the digitization of key services such as Kenya outperforms its Sub-Saharan Africa peers on tax payments and land records. The government is mobile connectivity (figure 4.4). However, there are also pushing ahead with plans for a special ICT hub still gaps in its rural digital infrastructure because in Konza, a town 50 kilometers south of Nairobi, to of limited infrastructure sharing, weak regulations, harness and develop the country’s skills outside the and a dominant market player (Safaricom). As a capital. However, whether a dedicated, semiurban result, affordability of mobile broadband services hub such as Konza can generate more benefits than is limited compared to its peers . the activities in Nairobi remains an open question. 50 enabling sectors Although the Kenyan government seeks to deepen money being transferred digitally, and the reactive broadband penetration and has undertaken a number rather than proactive approach taken toward secu- of initiatives to this end, several policy issues ham- rity. The detection of threats is improving, helped pered the development of the telecommunications by closer international collaboration, although the sector and private investments. Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act of 2018 is The absence of a clear regulatory framework to facing criticism for its potential to stifle free speech, promote infrastructure sharing limits efficiency and which could damage the ICT sector in the longer entry in all telecommunications markets, despite the term. The law remains the subject of an ongoing finalization of the draft policy in the 2013 – 2017 National legal challenge. The diversion of public resources Broadband Plan. The absence of regulation led to through corruption and patronage is another danger. unnecessary duplication of infrastructure, particularly in Nairobi and Mombasa, which has resulted in the Pathway Forward inefficient use of capital in the industry, thereby limiting Possible solutions to address the main policy and the expansion of digital infrastructure especially in nonpolicy issues: rural areas. For instance, Safaricom, which has the largest portfolio of assets, is reported to only share • Facilitate infrastructure sharing to improve cov- 19 percent of its towers. erage and efficient use of capital, development The lack of enforcement of necessary policies has and implementation of regulations to drive infra- failed to reduce current dominance in the mobile and structure sharing, for towers and fiber in partic- fixed broadband markets. Safaricom’s provision of ular. In a competitive market, cost savings from M-Pesa has enabled it to maintain its dominance in improved operating efficiency are expected to be the mobile market and has threatened the financial passed on to the users to increase affordability sustainability and survival of other players. Competition and adoption. is also limited in the fiber and wireless market where • Improve competition in the mobile and payment Wanachi and Safaricom dominate. As SOEs play a systems markets to unleash further sector growth. significant role in the telecommunications industry A World Bank Group (2015b) report and recent (mainly Telkom Kenya, Safaricom), there may be a analysis suggested the following: conflict of interest for the regulator in providing fair treatment and a level playing field for the industry. −− Develop and enforce regulations to promote fair Spectrum allocation in Kenya was previously an issue competition and equality and protect against with a lack of transparency and a “command-and-con- the abuse of market power or other anticom- trol” approach that limited opportunities for smaller petitive practices within the sector. operators to enter the market. However, in September −− Separate Safaricom’s core telecommunications 2017, Kenya’s ICT ministry introduced a Wireless operations from its mobile financial service pro- Broadband Spectrum Policy that subjects all Internet vider, M-Pesa, and impose retail price controls service providers and mobile network operators to a and infrastructure sharing. Alternatively, impos- new law governing spectrum management. ing full interoperability that allows end users of The sector still faces challenges such as skills short- separate networks or services to communicate ages and legal framework weaknesses to harness the with each other and to purchase services from benefits of ICT infrastructure development. Despite providers other than their own network pro- the advances, ICT and innovation are held back by vider could also reduce Safaricom’s dominance. institutional weaknesses and public sector capacity −− Consider mechanisms for facilitating full interop- constraints, especially in higher education, which is erability in the mobile market. There is scope aggravating skills shortages. Although Vision 2030 to reduce consumer switching costs. Reducing envisages Kenya as the top offshoring destination or eliminating the porting fee imposed on con- in Africa and high expectations have been set, the sumers and automating the switching process country has so far failed to take off as a key des- will make number portability more effective. tination for business process outsourcing. The key −− Consider mechanisms for facilitating full challenges include a lack of adequate skill levels and interoperability in the mobile payment market. personnel, a perceived lack of public sector support, In digital finance, rules to facilitate transfers and Kenya’s procurement laws. The country is also between service providers and access to key vulnerable to cybercrime, especially given the prolif- telecommunications services (such as unstruc- eration of new services and users, the large sums of tured supplementary service data) and to pre- KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 51 vent discrimination between users of digital new providers. In addition, it is advisable to platforms by the dominant platform opera- monitor the effective elimination of exclusive tor are essential to ensure healthy competi- contracts between mobile payment providers tion and allow for the entry and expansion of and merchants (agents). TABLE 4.2 PATHWAYS FORWARD IN REFORMING THE ICT SECTOR All telecom • Facilitate effective infrastructure sharing Mobile telecom • Consider separating Safaricom’s core operations from M-Pesa or imposing full interoperability. • Reassess the level of porting fees. • Automate the procedure for number portability. Spectrum allocation • Facilitate implementation of the Wireless Broadband Spectrum Policy through promoting collaboration between the Communications Authority of Kenya and the Competition Authority of Kenya to ensure competition in assigning mobile spectrum. • Ensure that the public-private partnership framework for social and infrastructure projects does not distort the level playing field. Mobile payment system • Ensure the elimination of exclusive contracts between mobile payments providers and merchants (agents). • Assess options to facilitate third-party access to unstruc- tured supplementary service data channels or SIM cards. 52 enabling sectors KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 53 Health investment from public and private sources. For the by HIV/AIDs in the 1990s. Kenya’s HDI is slightly health sector, the key pillar is the provision of univer- higher than the average in Sub-Saharan Africa, at Sector Background available at level 2 and 16 percent and 15 percent sal health coverage (UHC) by 2022. In his inaugural 0.555 versus 0.523, respectively, in 2015. Under-five Kenya’s health care system can be split into three at levels 3 and 4, respectively (World Bank 2014). speech, the President Kenyatta announced UHC as and infant mortality were halved between 2003 and subsystems: the public sector, the commercial private In the pharmaceutical subsector, Kenya is home a key achievement that the government will deliver 2014, owing to increased use of essential services such sector, and faith-based organizations (FBOs). The to the fastest growing market in the region, with during his second term. UHC refers to a situation as immunization, vitamin A supplementation, and public sector is the largest in terms of the number expected annual growth of 7.6 to 12 percent in the next where all people receive quality services when needed insecticide-treated nets. At 49, Kenya’s Healthcare of health care facilities, followed by the commer- 5 years.21 However, domestic manufacturers supply (promotive, preventive, curative, and rehabilitative Access and Quality Index (HAQI) is relatively higher cial private sector and the FBOs. There is a large only one-quarter of the market and the remainder is health services), without being exposed to financial than the average for lower middle-income countries disparity between these health facilities, especially imported. Kenyan manufacturers also export 30 per- hardship. It has two main goals: access to quality which in 2016 stood at 54. However, Kenya fares better in rural areas. cent of their production. The private sector accounts care as needed and financial risk protection. Implicit than its low-middle-income peers in other measures. In 2017, the size of Kenya’s health sector was for the entire manufacturing capabilities and around are objectives related to equity in access, quality of For instance, neonatal mortality saw a far slower rate estimated at around $3.5 billion, of which around one-third of wholesale distribution in the subsector, services, and broader social protection. The govern- of decline over the past decade, with more than 42 $600 million were from public funds. According to with the rest of the distribution undertaken by the ment also looks to reform the governance of private percent of deaths occurring in the first month of life. a World Bank (2014) Public Expenditure Review of Kenya Medical Supply Authority (KEMSA) and FBOs. insurance companies and increase the number of Despite improvements in nutrition since 2003, more the health sector, in 2012, about 42 percent of health Health care is at the top of the government’s devel- community health facilities. than one in four children under five are stunted. The care is privately provided, with the remaining 58 opment priorities as part of the Big Four program total fertility rate fell to 3.9 births per woman after percent equally split between the public sector and announced in December 2017. Health care has been Sector Performance and Key Challenges a decade of stagnation, but the maternal mortality donor support and nongovernmental organization prioritized as one of the President’s Big Four agenda Kenya’s performance in the United Nations Development ratio remained unacceptably high at 362 per 100,000 (NGOs). Indeed, the review shows that total private items and is also one of the pillars of Kenya’s Vision Programme’s Human Development Index (HDI) has live births in 2014. Also, teenage pregnancy remains spending on health increased from $17.5 per capita 2030 development strategy. This aims to lift the country improved significantly since 2000. This is largely high with 18 percent of girls between the ages of 15 in fiscal 2002 to $21 per capita in fiscal 2012. The to middle-income status by 2030, implying higher because of improving life expectancy, badly dented and 19 having begun childbearing. Another area of contribution by donors, on- and off-budget, also concern is doctor absenteeism, which averaged 28 increased from $5.3 per capita to about $15 period percent in fiscal 2012 and is highest among doctors during the same period. at 39 percent (World Bank 2014). The health care system reflects a good mix between Despite improvements in health outcomes, demand- public and private provision. Health financing is mixed and supply-side challenges remain, which hamper and receives funds from taxation, the National Health coverage and use of essential services. On the demand Insurance Fund (NHIF), private health insurances, side, sociocultural beliefs and practices; the low status employer schemes, community-based health financing, of women; poverty; the high cost of services (includ- user fees (out-of-pocket [OOP] expenses), development ing transportation); long distances to health facilities, partners, and NGOs. Government spending on health especially in arid and semiarid land counties; and care is about 6 percent of GDP, lower than other poor health-provider attitudes all impede demand for countries in the region. About 25 percent of Kenyans essential services, including reproductive, maternal, are covered by a public, private, or community-based newborn, child, and adolescent health services. In addi- health-insurance scheme. OOP spending remains high, tion, limited health insurance, regulatory constraints, causing many to fall into poverty and posing a barrier and access to finance are barriers to sector feasibility. to health care access. Many Kenyans do not save or Some 75 percent of Kenyans do not have any health prepay for health care or are not able to do so. insurance coverage and rely fully on OOP expenses. The 2010 Constitution devolved health services On the supply side, Kenya has a serious short- to the 47 counties, leaving the national government age of health workers, particularly in rural areas. with the functions of policy, research, and regulation Most health workers are employed in the private of the sector. In addition, the national government sector, where competition for doctors drives up costs. is responsible for level 6 hospitals, which are mainly Challenges lie in improving the training and efficiency referral facilities — the National Spinal Injury Hospital in of health workers and reducing the so-called brain Nairobi, Eldoret’s Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, drain, where trained health workers look for greener and the Kenyatta National Hospital. The counties pastures abroad. In addition, the vast majority of are responsible for facilities classified between levels health care facilities fail to comply with minimum 1 and 5. On the other hand, private and FBOs are patient safety standards, and policy action is required mainly concentrated at primary health care level, to move them above the minimum standards. In where their network of facilities is much larger at pharmaceuticals, firms also face recruitment diffi- 60 percent, compared to government-run facilities. culties in filling skilled jobs, often relying on more FBOs account for about 13 percent of health facilities expensive foreign workers. 54 enabling sectors Health information and civil registration and vital a financer also opens new opportunities for private statistics systems are inadequate, resulting in poor sector development and market creation. Over the data management. Despite some improvements, data last six years, through the direct intervention and from health information systems, such as the District support of initiatives such as Health in Africa, the Health Information Software 2, are of low quality, country has seen increased commitment by the gov- often late, and incomplete. ernment in engaging and partnering with the private Public financing is inadequate. Despite increases sector for delivery of services towards achievement of in public spending on health care, its share in total UHC under Vision 2030. The Kenyan private health government expenditure is low and about one-third of sector continues to grow commanding 50 percent health spending is OOP. Although per capita health of all goods, services, products, and technologies. spending increased from $45 in fiscal 2002 to $67 in At the same time, public investment is held back by the decade to fiscal 2013, the share of health in total fiscal constraints, leaving scope for greater private government spending declined from 8 to 6 percent participation. Smart implementation of the national in the same period. A significant part of external insurance plan can reap numerous benefits such as financing remains off-budget, fragmented, uncoor- equity in health care outcomes irrespective of abil- dinated, and unpredictable and primarily targets a ity to pay, more risk pooling, and increased ability few diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and to leverage private capital to build a much-needed malaria. As a result of these financial, management, health care delivery infrastructure. It also has the and human resource constraints, health care quality potential to lower overall health care system costs. remains poor. Moreover, Kenya also seeks to become a medical In the pharmaceutical subsector, multiple layers tourism destination, opening a new range of business of distributors and subdistributors separate supplier opportunities. Prospects for PPPs are favorable in from consumer, adding unnecessary costs, quality equipment supply, e-health, training and education, risks, and limiting traceability, particularly without health insurance, and the establishment of new private market information systems in place. Reliance on hospitals. Cumbersome regulations, limited health subdistributors incurs markups along the supply chain, insurance, and a shortage of skilled health workers each adding about 25 percent to the price. Kenya are challenges, but reforms are expected given the has higher distribution margins than other countries. greater urgency now attached to health care. For example, South Africa has a maximum distribu- tion markup of just 6 percent. Most pharmacies do REGULATIONS not have electronic inventory management systems, Although cumbersome regulations in the sector are creating openings for counterfeits and substandard preventing more active private participation, there medicines when stockouts occur, and consumers is strong government commitment to create a more search for access to essential medicines. inductive regulatory environment. The government recently streamlined health regulatory enforcement Pathway Forward at service delivery points through developing a joint The current high-level political commitment presents inspection system to replace repetitive individual visits an opportunity window for Kenya to fast-track prog- by the nine regulatory bodies. Similar discussions ress to UHC. Key design features of the best UHC are ongoing to try and streamline registration and model for Kenyans are still under development. For licenses to minimize the administrative burden on example, the Kenyan government has not decided health providers. the best financing model to achieve UHC and the appropriate level of health insurance subsidies for NHIF REFORM the informal sector. Also, it is not yet clear to what The NHIF has been identified as the “vehicle” to extent the health system can cope with the rapid deliver UHC in the medium to long-term, however, increase in demand for health services and the roles several challenges exists: (1) policy environment (lack of the different stakeholders in the implementation of financing and strategy — voluntary basis of cur- process. To realize the goal of achieving UHC, the rent NHIF expansion plan has strong limitations Kenyan government has requested the World Bank based on international experiences); (2) governance to support UHC implementation in four counties as (the NHIF Act, financial and social accountability, a first phase of implementing the its vision. recruitment of CEO); (3) efficiency (high administra- The renewed focus on health and the shift of the tive cost, weak ICT systems, management and skills government’s role from being a provider of care to mix, provider payment mechanisms not conducive KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 55 to efficiency; (4) equity (members are largely from TRAINING AND EDUCATION formal sector, limited cross subsidization between As mentioned, the capacity and quality of training rich and poor); and (5) financial sustainability. Strong for health workers is a concern in Kenya. Gradual political commitment to NHIF reform exists and a growth of private health-training institutions is helping reform panel has been established. increase the supply of health workers, particularly in the private sector where there is a major shortage of PPPS workers who are able to meet the required standards. A draft health sector PPP strategy was developed to Several initiatives are ongoing or being piloted. In attract more private players. For instance, the man- addition, significant space exists given Kenya’s high aged equipment services subsector is one of the new mobile phone penetration and many remote rural businesses emerging in Kenya’s health care system, areas are now connected to the internet. Hence, involving partnerships between private and public privately provided e-learning solutions and quality health care providers. A recent market study by the improvement courses for health workers could help Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA 2016) also bridge the skills gap. found business opportunities in the areas of medi- cal devices and supply chain management, e-health HOSPITAL BUILDING solutions, training and education, hospital building, As the economy expands, the need for investment in and health financing. health care facilities will grow. More investors are planning to set up chains of clinics and hospitals or MEDICAL DEVICES AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT expand current facilities to serve larger and broader Kenya has two large national distribution institu- patient segments. tions — K EMSA and the Mission for Essential Drugs and Supplies (MEDS) — open for use by the public HEALTH FINANCING sector and FBOs, but there are numerous private The private health insurance sector in Kenya is rel- distribution companies supplying medical supplies, atively small and mostly focused on the rich and equipment, and pharmaceuticals. One challenge that upper-middle-class employed segment. Although these partners encounter is finding a reliable service it is worryingly high, the lack of health coverage provider who can bring products in good (cooled) for 75 percent of the mostly low-income population condition to customers or health facilities. The KEMSA, presents opportunities for private involvement in the the MEDS, and some private distribution compa- insurance subsector. With the Big Four Plan, several nies use their own couriers, cars, or motorbikes to large international players are now showing interest ensure delivery to specific regions. However, some in providing solutions to UHC coverage and entering geographic areas remain untapped, so distribution this submarket, such as Kenindia Insurance Company, needs to be outsourced, providing opportunities for British American Insurance, and Blue Shield. trusted distribution partners. Several private firms are ready to add value by partnering to improve storage, warehousing, logistics, and customer service. This will add in-depth understanding of supply chain management, as well as technology and systems to make the subsector more competitive. E-HEALTH Health and ICT are becoming more interconnected in Kenya and the development of new information technology solutions in health offers opportunities for companies with a specialty in this particular sub- sector. Recommendations for investments in e-health technologies include (1) creating technologies that address procurement challenges in hospitals, (2) creat- ing easy-to-use systems, (3) using existing technology platforms on which to build products and solutions, and (4) joining with local partners who can offer tips and provide links to key stakeholders. 05 DEEP DIVES This chapter provides comprehensive deep dives of the selected three priority sectors, underscoring (1) their performance and constraints, (2) areas for private participation, and (3) actionable recommendations and specific actions to improve the enabling environment around these sectors. 58 deep dives Agribusiness This section begins with a general introduction of These successes rest on Kenya’s various strengths the performance, opportunities, and challenges in that include its land structure, its infrastructure and the Kenyan agribusiness sector. This is followed by trading position, and its capacity for innovation. a review of cross-cutting opportunities in the areas The colonial land structure, which included many of agricultural inputs, logistics, processing, finance, large landholdings in high-fertile areas and remained and technology, with a corresponding summary of largely intact postindependence, has proven condu- priorities for private investment, public sector reform, cive to high-productivity, commercial-scale farming.22 and public investment. It concludes with an over- Although the resulting inequality challenges should not view of the competitive potential of specific value be overlooked, this land structure has resulted in greater chains in Kenya: mango puree, fresh avocado exports, experience, skills, and maturity of market systems in and beef production — reviewed for additional, more many value chains compared with other countries in detailed insights. the region. Kenya’s trading position and infrastructure also provide important advantages, with one of East Sector Performance, Opportunities, Africa’s major ports in Mombasa, established trade and Constraints routes by sea and air, improving rail networks, and Agribusiness, including agriculture and downstream reasonable core road infrastructure, the country is a processing activities, is the largest sector in Kenya’s major logistics and trading hub for East Africa. Finally, economy. Agricultural production generates 26 per- and more recently, notable innovations in agribusiness cent of gross domestic product (GDP), provides 63 are taking place, driven by Kenya’s position as a hub percent of employment and accounts for 57 percent of for financial and ICT services. exports, and downstream agriprocessing is estimated Against these strengths must be weighed various to generate an additional, but comparatively low, challenges. 3.2 percent of GDP and 2.4 percent of employment. Many aspects of the agribusiness sector in Kenya GOVERNANCE CHALLENGES provide a source for optimism. Kenya has been able to • Low government prioritization of the agriculture leverage its relatively limited but fertile and high-altitude sector. Within the national government budget, arable land to develop a wide range of high-value-added agriculture represents an extremely low 2.3 per- crops. Together, growth in the tea, cut flowers, and cent of spending, compared with 17 percent in green beans value chains account for over 65 percent Ethiopia, 16 percent in Malawi, and an Africa of agricultural exports (figure 5.1), which represents policy target of 10 percent.23 major success stories for Kenya that other countries • Devolution. Kenya’s sweeping devolution creates in the region are eagerly attempting to replicate. opportunities for improved local accountability and FIGURE 5.1 AGRICULTURAL EXPORTS, 2013 Tea Coffee, green Green 1,218 190 beans 97 Pinapples Sugar Oil palm (processed) 63 62 90 Beer of barley 43 Beans, dry 33 Nuts 28 Vegetables (preserved) 38 Avocados 29 Other Cut flowers 322 538 Source: Data from FAOSTAT. KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 59 transparency. However, in the short term, devolving but also bacterial wilt and late blight in potatoes, oversight of agriculture to the county level (includ- and so on), resulting in food safety concerns and ing extension services, infrastructure development, high postproduction losses.26 and so on), has created both capacity and invest- ment climate challenges (including additional taxes These challenges, in particular those related on intracounty trade, potential new challenges to to government support, infrastructure and water land access and potential market distortion affects resources, are most pronounced in Kenya’s poorer related to licensing and competition). arid and semiarid lands (ASALs). These areas, which cover much of the north and east, as well as pockets ECONOMIC CHALLENGES of the south, are particularly reliant on subsistence • Land availability. Outside of the productive com- agriculture, most notably livestock. Private sector mercial segment,24 60 percent of farmed land remains activity in the ASALs is very limited and will require under smallholder production. With a lack of land a longer-term approach to create markets (see for available for expansion (because of population pres- example, the section on livestock below). These regions sure and low total stock of arable land), smallholdings are also eligible for the International Development continue to be subdivided into often uneconomical Association – Private Sector Window (IDA-PSW).27 plot sizes. Where land does exist, costs are high Addressing these constraints will require a range and/or titling issues persist. However, the Kenyan of public and private solutions for the agribusiness government has recently adopted the Agricultural “ecosystem” and tailored to the needs of specific value Structural Transformation and Growth Strategy chains. The following sections begin with a review of that included a commitment to making a signifi- cross-cutting opportunities, constraints, and solutions, cant number of unused or underutilized large land with a focus on inputs, logistics, processing, technol- plots available for agribusiness. ogy, and finance. This is followed with a summary • Infrastructure. Poor quality rural road infrastruc- of competitive opportunities across a range of key ture and relatively high transaction costs for ground value chains in Kenya. Finally, these findings are and air transport has a negative impact on com- further elaborated via three value chain examples, petitiveness.25 Air, shipping, and roads are gen- namely mangoes, avocados, and meat. erally operating at over-capacity, with 30 percent of road infrastructure requiring rehabilitation or The Role of Inputs, Logistics, Processing, reconstruction. Finance, and Technology • Market links. Many basic value chains (for exam- ple, maize, potatoes, fruits) are informal with rel- INPUT MARKETS atively limited links to private offtakers. In turn, For Kenya’s smallholders, improving the quality, supply, offtakers face challenges to source locally adequate and choice of inputs, especially seeds and fertilizers, volumes of products that meet quality require- is crucial to tackling the productivity challenge and ments for processing. Weak links challenges are improving access to markets. As in most countries, compounded by high margins absorbed by trad- market barriers to investments in improved inputs ing agents and transport challenges mentioned. are inherently linked to wider value-chain challenges, notably secure offtake for increased production, and ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES access to upfront finance for input purchase.28 In • Water resources. Despite only 17 percent of Kenya’s addition, as is the case in Kenya, input markets are land being arable and very low per capita water often heavily influenced by government interventions, availability, Kenya relies heavily on rain-fed agri- including subsidies, which can serve important social culture, with only 3 percent of arable land under objectives, but often create negative unintended dis- irrigation, which inhibits year-round production. tortions on market systems. This water stress is likely to be further exacer- Systematically improving Kenyan smallholders’ bated by climate change. access and incentives to purchase inputs are therefore • Soil health. Deforestation and related land pres- linked to wider value chain solutions (see box 5.1) sures, which have reduced the use of fallow peri- and policy and regulatory environment reforms. The ods, has led to rapid depletion of soil nutrients seed market, for example, around 70 to 80 percent and low and declining yields. of the total market is dominated by the state-owned • Diseases. Incidence of disease is high for both Kenya Seed Ltd., limiting space for private investment crops and livestock (especially aflatoxin in maize, and innovation. 60 deep dives BOX 5.1 THE BETTER LIFE FARMING BOX 5.2 COLD CHAIN INVESTMENT ALLIANCE OPPORTUNITIES Recognizing the need for a holistic, across-the-val- • Blended finance for private companies willing to invest in ue-chain approach to improve smallholder produc- (1) third-party cold storage warehouses, especially in tivity, IFC used its convening power to assist in regional hubs where aggregation is needed, and (2) building an alliance of multinationals, which include refrigerated transport (with concessional funding justified Bayer, Netafim, and Swiss Re Corporate Solutions, given risk and public good benefits). under the Better Life Farming. • Explore public-private partnerships options for a cold chain Together with other country-level partners, the consolidation warehouse facility, likely near Nairobi, to alliance combines expertise in seeds, precision provide a single location for consolidation of subcontainer irrigation, crop protection, finance, and insurance to scale refrigerated and dry cargo for transport to Mombasa boost yields. India and the Philippines were the first or onward into Kenya. two focus countries, with a potential engagement in • Support existing innovators developing cold chain logistics Kenya at an early concept stage. For more informa- for the domestic market on a private basis (see the example tion, visit https://www.betterlifefarming.com/. of Twiga Foods in box 5.3). Likewise, the fertilizer market is heavily influenced the country, which would reduce the costs incurred by the government, with 70 percent of total fertilizer in bagging: one company highlighted that it is distribution channeled to farmers being publicly sub- currently paying $5 a ton in bagging costs, com- sidized. The subsidy system is reported to be opaque, pared with margins of only $10 a ton. inefficient, and poorly targeted, with subsidized fer- • Transport. The Single Gauge Railway has the poten- tilizer often finding its way back onto the market for tial to cut the cost of freight transport in half from resale. The system also raises costs in the remainder Nairobi to Mombasa, but reliability and manage- of the fertilizer market, by reducing the size of the ment issues are curtailing the benefits. The addi- market supplied by the private sector and thereby tion of a refrigeration service would enhance the disincentivizing investments in distribution and retail. value of the service. The process for levying of Finally, some experts noted a link between bulk public inter-county transport charges (cess) is also disrup- sector procurement and declining soil fertility, because tive and prone to rent seeking and appears to have fertilizers are not adapted to soil needs.29 become an increasing challenge after the devolu- The government is already developing policy solutions tion (because revenues now flow to the counties). to address these input market challenges. Under the • Cold chain. Kenya benefits from well-developed draft Agricultural Sector Transformation and Growth cold chain logistics for import and export via Strategy (2018), the government is proposing to “shift both air and sea, the development of which was nationwide subsidy program focus to allow ~2 million driven in particular by the success of horticulture registered high need farmers to access a wide range of exports. There is now a growing need and oppor- inputs (seeds, crop protection, fertilizer, equipment) tunity to expand cold chain logistics to serve the from a range of private and public providers, using domestic market (see box 5.2), given the cost of e-vouchers with digital service delivery.” If the political postharvest losses,31 increasing urban demand for will for implementation exists, this would seem a valu- higher quality food, growing investments by super- able area for World Bank Group support, building on markets and food-service companies (Carrefour, experience in rolling out e-voucher systems elsewhere.30 Shoprite, Subway, and so on), and improving food quality legislation. However, the unpredictable LOGISTICS and fragmented nature of both production and Inefficiencies in agricultural logistics create barriers, demand makes capital investment risky. but also opportunities, for private investment. These include, for example: PROCESSING The share of value addition compared to agricultural • Grain handling. There is an opportunity for inland production is relatively low in Kenya. As figure 5.2 bulk grain-handling facilities for maize grown in shows, only 16 percent of Kenya’s agricultural exports KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 61 FIGURE 5.2 KEY TRADE INDICATORS FOR are processed, compared with 57 percent for imports. THE AGRIPROCESSING SECTOR, KENYA AND Likewise, Kenya exports only $11 of processed agri- COMPARATORS, 2013 cultural products per capita, compared with $83 in South Africa and $77 in Côte D’Ivoire. This is partly Exports Imports a result of the fact that many of Kenya’s major cash crops either do not require processing (for example, cut flowers) or require only primary processing prior to export (for example, coffee, tea). Of processed exports, only pineapples ($100 million per year) and beans ($50 million per year) have achieved any significant scale. Côte d’Ivoire 32% 74% Based on industry interviews, the best opportunities to expand processed exports appear to be in fruit purees (mangoes, passion fruit), processed vegetables, and nuts (macadamia), with longer-term potential in meat. For the domestic market, a wider range of agriprocessing growth opportunities exist, including Ghana 8% 92% in fruit purees, potatoes and other vegetables, fish (for example, canned, smoked), meat, dairy, and, to a lesser degree, tea and coffee. There are few firms active in this space mainly because of production issues such as securing sufficient quantity and quality South Africa 53% 80% of raw material to justify capital-intensive process- ing investments. Opportunities also exist to expand processing of imported commodities for the local market (for example, vegetable oils, wheat into pasta, and so on), but they face constraints related to the Indonesia 86% 51% cost and reliability of power and access to finance. FINANCE Kenya represents a vibrant and enabling market for Kenya 16% 57% financial technology, but the more traditional banking that is needed to service commercial agriculture is lacking. Only 4 percent of bank lending is for agribusi- Nigeria 22% 68% ness, despite the majority of Kenyans being employed in agriculture or agribusiness. There is also a distinct lack of medium- to long-term agriculture-related debt Tanzania 25% 60% in the market.32 Government engagement in input markets such as seed and fertilizer and the purchasing of some core commodities created unpredictability in Uganda 35% 89% the market and increases financing risk. An innovative Livestock Insurance Program supported by the World Ethiopia 5% 69% Bank targets subsistence farmers. Such innovations should be explored to also derisk investment in more commercially oriented farmers and enterprises. With Value per capita (US$) improved value-chain structure and performance, Total value there are opportunities for increased private sector activity in the areas of value chain finance, receivable financing (including warehouse receipts), equipment 250 finance, and various forms of insurance. 150 50 Share of processed AGRITECH Modern technology has a wide range of agricultural Source: Data from McKinsey and Company 2015. applications, from providing weather updates, market 62 deep dives data and access to finance for farmers, to driving PRIVATE SECTOR SOLUTIONS logistical efficiencies for input suppliers and buyers, Opportunities to support private sector solutions as well as providing traceability opportunities across include, for example: the value chain. As mentioned, Kenya is ahead of the curve on innovation and the agribusiness sector is no • Market access and increased productivity. Market exception (see box 5.3 for an example). Much of the solutions are needed to link smallholders into value innovation is developing and hence may benefit from chains, which in turn offers opportunities to increase catalytic development partner support in the form of productivity. This will be driven by improved access innovation or market development grants or other to inputs and secure offtake by commercial produc- similar financing. However, given the clear will and ers, processors, and other aggregators. Through capacity of entrepreneurs in Kenya for market-based IFC, the World Bank Group is already investing innovation, this is an area in which the private sector in various value-chain actors that are working to should be largely left free to develop and drive solutions. improve smallholder productivity through input and offtake arrangements (for example, the Kenya Tea Sectorwide Market Solutions Development Agency, Vegpro, and so on). There The World Bank Group is well placed to address many are also existing commercial opportunities for IFC of the sectorwide market needs mentioned, through in supporting input service providers (for example, (1) supporting direct private investment, (2) assisting ETG Fertilizers, Amiran), and emerging innovative the government to unlock investment through regu- business models designed to address market-access latory and policy reforms, and (3) where necessary, challenges (for example, Twiga). Meanwhile, IFC continuing to support the public investment needed advisory provides a channel to promote commercial to open up markets over the longer term. innovation and value-chain alliances to improve BOX 6.3 TWIGA FOODS Launched in 2014, Twiga Foods is a company’s clients include both farmers, started off with bananas but has since fast-growing Kenya based enterprise, to whom it provides a guaranteed grown to include other fresh fruit and using mobile technology and logistics offtake (currently 5,600 farmers with vegetables (such as mangoes, to enhance food supply chains by more more than 600 percent year-on-year potatoes, onions, and tomatoes). effectively and rapidly consolidating growth), and small-scale vendors (for Figure B5.3.1 shows Twiga Foods’ highly fragmented, informal market example, street sellers, kiosks) to logistics solutions across the value supply and demand (thereby reducing whom it provides distributed wholesale chain (including cold storage pack food prices and spoilage). The services (currently 4,300). Twiga house facilities). FIGURE B6.3.1 TWIGA FOODS’ DISTRIBUTION INFRASTRUCTURE Data is collected, analyzed, and sent back through the system at every stage to constantly improve pricing, logistics, and quality. Scouts sign Farmers deliver Longhaul trucks Twiga manages the Goods are moved The produce is smallholder the produce to transport the inventory at an from the pack delivered to small farmers up collection centers produce is along 80,000-squarefeet house to smaller and medium through the mobile outside Nairobi. predefined routes warehouse with depots across vendors based on application. The They get paid from the collection cold chain facilities Nairobi then preordered scouts monitor within 24 hours via centers to a used for ripening, moved out on demand via the products grown mobile money centralized quality control, predetermi­ned platform or by and notify farmers (M-Pesa). warehouse in sorting, weighing, routes first thing calling in. Vendors two to three days Nairobi. and repackaging the following pay using mobile before harvest. the goods. morning. money. KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 63 productivity (for example, Better Life Farming entry of new players, unclear rules for granting pro- Initiative and similar alliance solutions). This can cessing licenses for industrial crops, and nontariff be reinforced by strengthening of the core farmer barriers (NTBs) can be improved in line with the extension system, which is planned under World objectives of the 2013 Agriculture Act. Bank interventions. • Addressing fiscal (dis)incentives. Agribusiness • Access to finance. Linked to improving productiv- companies in Kenya obtain low levels of fiscal ity, farmers will need finance for access to inputs benefits relative to other sectors, and increased and, ultimately, for capital investment in mecha- enforcement of inter-county transport charges also nization, irrigation, and so on. With the right val- disproportionately impact (high movement) agri- ue-chain structures, there is a clear opportunity cultural enterprise, especially in the more remote for increased private sector activity in the areas of (poorer) regions. insurance, receivable financing (including use of warehouse receipts), value chain finance, and equip- PUBLIC INVESTMENT NEEDS ment finance. Although agritech products and ser- In some areas, considerable public investment will vices are growing and adapting to market demands, remain critical to mobilize larger-scale private invest- more development attention needs to be paid to val- ment over the longer term. ue-chain finance. IFC can provide advisory services to financial intermediaries to support agricultural • Research and development (R&D). Financial sup- investment risk analysis, especially for smallhold- port for R&D is on the low side in Kenya and, as ers that are active in multiple value chains, and in all markets, represents an obvious role for the improved product delivery mechanisms. Innovative public sector (particularly in the areas of seeds, pilots that support grants and risk-sharing oppor- livestock breeds, and so on). tunities between financial institutions and farm- • Market links. In unstructured value chains, public ers, such as IFC’s work on small irrigation systems, assistance is needed to strengthen producer orga- provides an opportunity test and potentially sup- nizations and increase productivity, in the likely port market creation in the finance space. absence of near-term private investment. • Improved logistics. Improved grain storage and • Resilience. For vulnerable smallholders and pas- cold chain logistics are just some of the logistics toralists, public support to build resilience to cli- market needs that can be addressed directly by mate shocks is an essential prerequisite for any the private sector. future market engagement. • Transport. Improving the road network is likely POLICY AND REGULATORY REFORMS to offer one of the highest returns on investment Although some areas can be largely left to the private for the public sector, given its impact on access sector, other areas will first be critical to support the to markets for smallholders and the competitive- government to address key policy and regulatory ness of processing and fresh exports. barriers, including: • Irrigation. Although opportunities exist for pri- vate financing of irrigation (for example, preci- • Input market reform. Opportunities exist to main- sion systems for high-value crops), there is also tain existing input subsidies, but they must be a strong case for public support, given the need channeled in a way that better targets smallhold- for increased arable land, water scarcity, and the ers, empowers those farmers to select appropriate risks posed by climate change. inputs (for example, for seeds, fertilizers, mecha- nization services) and the private sector to supply Opportunities to support these much-needed public them (for example, via e-voucher systems). investments exist within the World Bank’s agricul- • Government interventions in agricultural mar- ture portfolio. This includes, most notably, the Kenya kets. Opportunities exist to support farmers in a Climate Smart Agriculture Project ($250 million), which way that minimizes market distortions and refocus- covers 24 counties across the ASALs, and the National ing the government’s direct involvement to areas in Agricultural and Rural Inclusive Growth Project ($200 which private participation is not feasible. Ensuring million), which covers the other 21 (rural) counties. a neutral application of rules to state players and private firms is important to crowd in private opera- Assessing Specific Value Chains tors, for example, in seed production. Furthermore, A review of key subsectors (figure 5.3) was conducted rules that protect incumbents such as consent for to reinforce the sectorwide analysis and to better 64 deep dives understand specific market needs and constraints. FIGURE 5.3 MAIZE AND SUGAR DOMINATE AN OTHERWISE Table 5.1 is not intended to be exhaustive and the WIDELY DIVERSE RANGE OF CROP PRODUCTION IN KENYA subsectors were selected to include a mix of: • Substantial smallholder impact and reach (for exam- ple, maize, potato, livestock, dairy, gum Arabic); • Established competitiveness and export potential Sugar cane 34% (for example, tea, coffee, flowers); and Maize 16% Potatoes 6% • Higher growth potential, based on feedback from Bananas 6% private sector interviews (for example, mango, Cabbages 4% avocado, macadamia). Mangoes 3% Beans, dry 3% Sweet potatoes 3% Three subsectors were then further selected as Vegetable, fresh 3% case studies: (1) avocado, (2) mango, and (3) live- Cassava 3% stock (specifically meat). They were selected, given Tea 2% available time, to provide more nuanced insights Tomatoes 2% Pineapple 1% into competitive advantages and constraints in the Wheat 1% country. These subsectors are simply a sample and Pigeon peas 1% do not suggest that they represent higher potential Avocados 1% for investment than many of the other promising Other 10% subsectors in Kenya. Avocado was selected as it pro- Source: Data from FAOSTAT database. vides a useful proxy for the high-value exportable horticulture segment. Mango was selected given its comparative advantages in Kenya and potential for expanded processing. Livestock was selected given aggregators (see box 5.4 for an example). In addition its potential scale and its potential specifically to to this need to strengthen smallholder links, there promote shared prosperity in the ASAL regions of is a further opportunity in the organic market, as Kenya, which are eligible for IDA-PSW . Gum Arabic mango puree can command a significant $100 – $150 was also included on the long list for the same reason. premium per metric ton. Although many Kenyan mango farmers use organic methods, they lack the MANGOES (LOCAL PUREE PRODUCTION) certification, hence they and the processors do not Kenyan mango production has generally been grow- benefit from the premiums. ing, with production peaking at over 800,000 metric tons in 2015.33 Kenya’s major competitive advantages include relatively low farmgate fruit prices ($0.17 per kilogram) and capacity to harvest mangoes across a BOX 5.4 SUNNY PROCESSORS 5- to 6-month season. These increases the efficiency of local processing and makes it possible for Kenya Established in 2008, Sunny Processors Limited to supply its main export market (the Middle East) processes around 3,000 to 4,000 metric tons a when its largest competitors (India and Pakistan) are year of single strength mango puree, plus smaller off season. quantities of other fruits, generating revenues of Despite this, processing (puree) and exports remain over $3 million. It has established supply con- nascent: it is estimated that 93 percent of mangoes are tracts with Coca-Cola and Del Monte. Their fruit is consumed fresh within the country, only 5 percent are supplied via their own farm, direct from larger processed, and 2 percent are exported fresh (worth farmers, and indirectly from smallholders through $14 million 2013). Direct processing is undertaken around 10 established suppliers. by a few large companies (for example, Kevian). The Sourcing sufficient quantity of the right fruits demand for processed mango is growing with increased represents the major constraint to growth. Hence, investment in juice production for local markets by their next investment is likely to be in expanding a major beverage company (Coca-Cola). their own farm into passion fruit, which would Lack of consistent and standardized fruit supply, allow the processing equipment to be utilized over small size of most mango farms, and last-mile access a longer period, increasing competitiveness. challenges are the major interrelated constraints facing KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 65 continued growth of world demand, Kenyan farmers BOX 5.5 OLIVADO have been planting new trees to increase production. About 70 percent of avocados are grown by small- Olivado was established by its New Zealand parent company holder farmers. These farmers also grow other crops to supply avocado oil to Olivado bottling companies. Avocado such as coffee and macadamia. The quality of avo- oil exports provide core revenue and has been commercially cados is heavily influenced by proper irrigation and successful. The company has since expanded to fresh Kenyan avocados are often inconsistent in size and organically certified exports since 2017. Olivado does not shape, reducing supply for export. produce any avocado directly; all fruit is supplied by farmers For export markets, Kenyan avocados generally within a four-hour driving radius. The farmers typically grow command lower prices than higher-quality competi- macadamia and maize in addition to avocado. Olivado assists tors (for example, Chile and Peru), suggesting quality farmers via soil analysis, training on pruning techniques, issues. Processing (oil), although small scale, has also harvesting processes and certifications — Global Gap, IMO been successfully developed for export (see box 5.5). (organic), and Fair for Life. There is no significant domestic market for avocado oil. In 2018, Olivado began to export conventional (nonor- Low-quality inputs coupled with high levels of ganic) avocados and indicated that growth is mainly con- smallholder farmers impact production quality. Farmers strained by access to avocado. There are no plans to acquire selling to offtakers often receive training on produc- its own farm, but it is looking to invest in avocado seedling tion and advice on harvesting. However, inconsistent production and oil bottling and mango processing. Olivado irrigation and use of lower-quality seedlings impact also indicates it could command higher margins for exports quality. There is significant postharvest loss due to of fresh avocado if Kenya’s reputation for quality avocados disease, root rot, and mishandling. Intercropping were higher. State intervention to promote or ensure export leads to productivity losses as trees age. quality would be welcome. Reform and investment opportunities include the following: • Market access. Efforts to expand and strengthen Reform and investment opportunities include the farmer links to offtakers (processors, fresh export- following: ers, and so on) will remain central to improving market access. These efforts could also be com- • Processing investments. For expansion of pro- plemented via “agricultural hubs,” with access to cessing with concurrent investment in supply, cold chain storage and extension services, which either through nucleus farms or farmer contract would help lower postharvest losses and improve or cooperatives. market links. • Smallholder links. Potential processing invest- • Transport. Development of appropriate rail ter- ments can be combined with smallholder links minals and railcar refrigeration would help lower to help address quality and consistency of supply transportation costs to the Mombasa port. and support certifications (for example, organic) • Inputs. Improved access to or application of irri- where economically viable. gation along with better seedlings can lead to • Export promotion. Support government to ensure higher exportable yields. mango exports are of sufficiently high quality, • Export promotion. Building the mandate and develop and implement national branding strat- capacity of the Export Promotion Council to sup- egy, and work to improve external market con- port avocado export in key markets and devel- fidence of Kenyan mangoes. opment of a national branding strategy can help promote exports. AVOCADO (FRESH EXPORTS) Kenya is the world’s sixth-largest producer of avocados MEAT PRODUCTION (BEEF) (200,000 metric tons per year) and the eleventh-largest Kenya has long been associated with a culture of exporter (16,000 metric tons per year). This level of pastoralism, which, together with a culture of high production has been driven by good growing conditions meat consumption, would appear to provide strong in the country, combined with expanding demand fundamental conditions for market-based opportu- from accessible export markets, notably in the Middle nities. Kenya produces about 500,000 metric tons of East, China, and India. Kenya’s traditional export beef, the highest in East Africa, around 20 percent market is the European Union (EU). In anticipation of of which is a result of imported live animals crossing TABLE 5.1 MARKET OPPORTUNITIES, IMPACT, AND INVESTMENT POTENTIAL ACROSS KEY KENYAN VALUE CHAINS 66 Crop Markets targeted competitively Markets that could be targeted competitively Impact Investment potential (short term) (medium to long term) (proxied by scale) Maize Maize appears to be uncompetitive in Given the continued tariff protection, Large volumes (more than 3 Minimal commercial investment Kenya, given net imports from the EAC competitiveness of maize for the local market MT) sold on local market; very potential in production; value-chain deep dives and high tariffs necessary to block could be improved over the medium term by large impact on smallholder opportunities in input supply, trading, cheaper extra-EAC imports. addressing productivity constraints. farmers (more than 1 million). storage, and so on. Tea Tea is a mature sector with well- Further growth in production and exports likely Large-scale exports (more Major players (KTDA, Global Tea) are established competitiveness in local to be gradual at best, given lack of land for than $1 billion) with already existing IFC clients. Addition and global markets. Scale of exports expansion. Market opportunities hence lie in substantial smallholder investment opportunities may come in (more than $1 billion) indicates strong increased value addition and niche markets impact (KTDA alone reaches niche or specialty markets, but scale will international competitiveness. (herbal or orthodox tea, and so on). 560,000 farmers). be unlikely. Coffee Premium Kenyan coffee is globally Addressing productivity and quality challenges Medium-scale exports Local demand for high-value coffee is competitive and can command high necessary to arrest decline in production and ($200 million per year) and small but growing; niche opportunity. market prices (more than $5,000 per hence exports to global markets. Local and farmer reach (less than Potential to increase value addition via MT); however, aggregate production regional demand likely to remain small in the 150,000). investments in specialty producers, who and yields have steadily declined, medium term. roast for local market and niche exports implying challenges in maintaining (for example, Middle East), but scale will competitiveness at scale. likely be limited. Cut flowers Flowers are established and Demand growth from traditional (EU) market Large in terms of both exports Clear opportunities for investment competitive in global markets. likely to be gradual at best; opportunities lie in (more than $500 million per (including in diversified flower, vegeta- Continued recent growth, although growing exports to new markets, particularly year) and medium by ble, or herb producers). IFC has however risks to competitiveness in the form of in Asia (for example, potential in China given employment (100,000 direct). been largely held back by water rising production costs, high airfreight airfreight cost declines from $3 per kg to $2 concerns linked to Lake Naivasha (the charges, and increasing competition per kg). Sea freight opportunities (as exist in primary growing region). (for example, from Ethiopia). LAC) can be explored. Fruits (mango Kenya is competitive in fresh fruit Kenya appears to possess competitive potential Large in terms of production Processing is capital intensive and selected for production and processing for the for export-oriented mango processing (more than 3 million MT per certainly represents a promising avenue in-depth) local market and maintains a (concentrate or dried), but further research is year) and smallholder reach. for investment. Scale of opportunity substantial niche in processed needed on scale of the opportunity. Scale of fresh needs further assessment. pineapples for export. export opportunity also needs further exploration, likely to be challenging. Avocado* Kenya appears highly competitive in Investor interviews indicate high commercial Low to medium scale in terms Promising opportunities for fresh avocado production for the local growth potential in fresh exports; processing of production (less than investment in commercial production and international market (eleventh- (oil) for export markets small but profitable. 200,000 MT per year) but with (likely via diversified horticulture largest global exporter) with noted growth potential. exports); potential for smaller seasonal advantages. investment in processed oil for export. Table continues next page TABLE 6.1 (CONTINUED) Crop Markets targeted competitively Markets that could be targeted competitively Impact Investment potential (short term) (medium to long term) (proxied by scale) Dairy Kenya is a competitive milk producer If production increases, growth opportunities Very large: over 5 million MT Investment potential limited primarily for the large local market, with one of may lie in expanded milk processing (for per year in milk production, due to market concentration issues. the most developed dairy sectors in example, yogurt) for regional export. providing livelihoods for Sub-Saharan Africa. Small intra- Substantial camel milk niche also of interest 900,000 Kenyans. regional exports. but requires further research. Potato Kenya appears competitive and Intraregional trade opportunities in processed Large in terms of production Limited in production or processing: self-sufficient (very limited imports potato products requires further research. (circa 2 million MT) and grown largest local processor generates less and exports) in potato production for by over 500,000 farmers. than $5 million in annual potato crisp the local market, both fresh and sales. Potential for investment in value processed. chain (for example, postharvest storage). Macadamia Kenya is the third-largest global Assuming continued strong global demand, No data on farmer numbers; Existing Kenyan market leaders face producer of macadamia nuts, growth will rest on Kenya’s ability to increase processing employs around politically exposed people constraints implying strong competitiveness. All production. Suitable land for expansion 14,000 workers. for IFC investment; however, IFC processing is local. However, this appears to be the main constraint, with portfolio or pipeline demonstrates appears viable only because of existing growth at the expense of coffee potential of the crop in the region (for export restrictions on raw nuts. production. example, Malawi and Uganda). Livestock Kenya appears to have strong Longer-term market opportunities include Very large (50 percent of all Investment potential is significant but (beef) fundamental conditions for livestock increased quantity and quality of beef or live agricultural labor). likely to be long term; further research or beef production but currently lags animals for local and export markets, in needed to identify priority creating its regional neighbors (for example, particular, tapping the growing Middle Eastern markets opportunities. Ethiopia and Somalia). Substantial market. upstream work is needed to create markets. Gum Arabic Kenya exports small volumes (less Given current low levels of production in Important for the north; Global market size is currently 100,000 than 4,000 MT per year) of gum Kenya (less than 10,000 MT per year) it is current production scale low. MT per year and exports by market Arabic. This crop represents a unlikely that processing for local markets will leader (Sudan) are only 35,000 MT per potential growth sector for the north, be competitive in near term, hence this will year (less than $70 million); hence although scale is questionable, given likely remain a niche export crop. commercial potential is limited without the small ($200 million) but growing substantial market growth. global market size. KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC Note: EAC = East Africa Community; MT = metric ton; KTDA = Kenya Tea Development Agency. *Avocado is also a fruit, but for value-chain purposes it is often considered separately from fruits such as pineapples and mangoes, which tend to have similar processing characteristics. 67 68 deep dives from Somalia, Uganda, and Tanzania. Sheep and goat • Disease-free zones. Effective management of quar- production is around 80,000 metric tons, with surplus antine zones is a critical prerequisite for the expan- production of goats resulting in export opportunities. sion of exports. Despite this apparent scale, investment opportu- • Infrastructure. Improved transport remains a pri- nities are constrained by a market that is fragmented, ority, and development of cold chain infrastruc- largely unmanaged, and, hence, highly inefficient. ture would require initial concessional funding. The share of beef that comes from pastoralists (85 • Veterinary services. Similar to crop inputs, vet- percent) generates little more than subsistence incomes. erinary service subsidies, in particular for vacci- Export channels are undeveloped compared with nations, would benefit from reform to incentivize poorer neighboring countries (for example, Somalia, private provision in place of the free but limited Ethiopia) that have made greater progress in this area. public coverage. Challenges in linking pastoralists to markets cut • Traceability. Stakeholder interviews suggest that across culture, economics, and climate. Cultural chal- traceability outside of high-end ranch production lenges include the use of livestock-as-assets, resulting will only be viable with regulatory enforcement. in sales when cash is needed, not when animals are the right age. Economic challenges include lack of Conclusion market access and market information, and climatically, Although Kenya benefits from a relatively large number pastoralist production in Kenya is highly vulnera- of commercial-scale farms (15 percent of farmed area ble to a shortage of natural grazing combined with is more than 60 hectares), arable land for expansion growing climate risks. is extremely scarce. Kenya relies heavily on rain-fed Existing private investments are therefore limited agriculture, with only 3 percent of arable land under and predominantly outside the core pastoralist regions. irrigation. Recurrent droughts have also put the water These include a small number of modern slaughter- resources under stress. Where land is available, costs houses, primarily in the Nairobi area, large ranches are high, and/or titling issues persist. Meanwhile, most providing high-quality beef to local markets (particularly smallholdings continue to be subdivided. The resulting in Laikipia), and a growing number of largely SME land pressure has reduced fallow periods, leading to scale feedlots that provide an intermediary fattening depletion of soil nutrients and declining yields. stage between pastoralism and slaughter, which is a Poor quality of rural road infrastructure and key component to further developing the supply chain. comparatively expensive airfreight results in access-to- Livestock is the mainstay of the economy in the market challenges for domestic production and exports. northern ASALs (figure 5.1) but attempts to promote Air, shipping, and roads are generally operating over meat value-chain investments have yet to generate results. For example, there have been various efforts to develop large-scale abattoirs in the north (for example, Isiolo, Wajir) but these have been publicly financed BOX 5.6 AVOIDING ISIOLO ABATTOIR'S FATE and appear to have been largely unsuccessful to date, given the lack of private participation and challenges Isiolo is a major livestock trading town in the north of Kenya. in securing sufficient volumes of live animals and To capitalize on this position, in 2007, the government, with supplying distant markets (see box 5.6). support from the African Development Bank, started the Given its scale and potential for positive devel- construction of a modern abattoir. Eleven years on, the stru­ cture opment impacts in the poorest parts of Kenya, the remains incomplete and has yet to be used as a slaughter- development of the meat value chain represents a house. In addition to funding shortfalls, the project lacked a logical focus area for creating markets. However, clear strategy for sourcing the quantity of livestock required for mobilizing private investment at scale will require financial viability, as well as the necessary cold chain long-term engagement. Priorities for reform and for infrastructure to access major national and export markets. public investments needed to realize this potential, Efforts to revive the project via a public-private partnership include the following examples: have so far been unsuccessful. Never­ theless, with devolution shifting more resources to the county level, other arid and • Market links. Integration of pastoralists into live- sem­ iarid land counties are now planning similar publicly sup- stock market systems will be critical for the long- ported abattoir projects. To avoid similar disappointments, it will term transformation of the meat sector in Kenya. be critical for the World Bank Group to work with them to ensure Feed and fattening ranches will be an important strong market design and private participation from the outset. link in the value chain. KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 69 MAP 5.1 AGRICULTURAL ZONES IN KENYA Vegetation Agricultural zones Desert Cattle Desert, shrub, and grass Coffee Savannah Cotton Coastal brush Marsh and swamp Pyrethrum Mountain, river, and Sisal coastal forest Sugar Tea Source: Kenya, Ministry of Agriculture. their capacity, with 30 percent of road infrastructure (1) supporting improved productivity of farmers with requiring rehabilitation or reconstruction. improved extension services, including building the Nonetheless, Kenya has been able to leverage its skills of the service providers; (2) shifting input subsidy relatively limited but fertile and high-altitude arable programs to focus only on subsistence farmers and land to develop a wide range of high-value crops. developing innovative means to balance public and Growth in the tea, cut flowers, and green beans value private engagement in distribution; (3) investing in small- chains, which together account for over 65 percent of scale irrigation schemes when large-scale investment agricultural exports, represent major success stories is not warranted or practical; (4) supporting farmer for Kenya, which other countries in the region are aggregation models that can promote smallholder eagerly attempting to replicate. links to offtakers, which can improve access to good Despite stressed infrastructure, Kenya is a major farming practices and new technology, resulting in logistics and trading hub for East Africa. Its trading better production for the farmer and better quality and position provides important advantages, including more consistent supply for the offtaker; (5) developing one of East Africa’s major ports in Mombasa, estab- public or private sector – driven agriaggregation centers lished trade routes by sea and air, improving rail that can provide value-added services to farmers and networks, and serviceable core road infrastructure. processors; (6) investing in infrastructure, for example, More recently, Kenya has taken the lead locally, if not feeder roads or improved rail access to help open mar- globally, in technical service innovations (ICT – related) kets and improve transport efficiency; (7) upgrading supporting farmers and agribusinesses. quality of infrastructure for agribusiness, which includes Kenya’s sweeping devolution creates great opportunity continued access and support for international certifi- for improved local accountability and transparency. cations, especially organic, to help increase value and However, in the short term, devolving oversight of open markets; and (8) developing export promotion agriculture to the county level (including extension strategies and building of Kenyan brand awareness. services, infrastructure development, and so on) has In addition, agricultural transformation should created capacity and investment climate challenges be driven as much as possible by the private sector’s (including additional county taxes on intracountry trade). input, guidance, coordination, and activities. Private As Kenya seeks to drive its agriculture transfor- engagement to agriculture transformation will help mation, attention should be focused on the numerous keep resources focused on sustainable commercial opportunities to improve competitiveness, including development. 70 deep dives Affordable Housing Introduction affordable housing, and food security. In the specific In light of Kenya’s rapid pace of urbanization, the case of affordable housing, the government expects housing sector is under significant pressure. In 2017, to deliver 500,000 new formal housing units by Kenya’s population was estimated at 48.5 million 2022. The affordable housing program is intended (World Bank 2016a) and is growing at an annual to simultaneously create 350,000 jobs. Based on rate of 2.6 percent. According to the United Nations, limited information on implementation strategies, Kenya’s population will grow by about 1 million each 400,000 houses are planned for construction through year to reach 85 million by 2050. Currently, about 32 public-private partnership (PPPs) and 100,000 units percent of the population lives in urban areas, which is will be constructed under a “social housing” scheme. lower than the rate in other countries in Sub-Saharan The government has committed K Sh 40 billion ($400 Africa.34 However, at 4.4 percent per year, the annual million) of monetary and legislative incentives to the growth rate in city populations is much higher than private sector to encourage PPPs. This includes the the national average and twice the global average. promise of 7,000 acres of serviced land, together with Indeed, at the current rate, by 2050, half of Kenya’s a reduced tax rate for developers that construct more population will live in cities (World Bank 2016a). This than 400 “low-cost” houses annually, with further means that over half of annual household growth is in tax reductions for developers that produce over 500 urban areas (that is, 0.5 million units per year), which units per year (see box 5.7). will continue to place significant pressure on housing The primary beneficiaries of the government’s in the major cities. Although urbanization bodes well affordable housing strategy are Kenyans who are for economic growth by way of poverty reduction and unable to access long-term housing finance. To this expanded access to jobs and services for a growing end, the government is targeting households with proportion of the population, it inevitably brings to monthly incomes that are below K Sh 100,000 bear incremental pressure on housing. ($1,000). These households are considered to fall Affordable housing is one of the Big Four priorities into a “mortgage gap” — they are creditworthy but of the government. President Kenyatta outlined four cannot access mortgages. This segment of the housing development priorities for his final term: manufac- market represents about 95 percent of the formally turing (and jobs), universal health coverage (UHC), employed population (figure 5.4). FIGURE 5.4 KENYA’S AFFORDABLE HOUSING STRATEGY AND THE TARGETED BENEFICIARIES Private sector to supply Middle- to high-income this segment Income: K Sh 100,000+ 500,000 new housing units under the government’s Big Four affordable Mortgage gap 30% housing agenda Income range: K Sh 50,000–99,999 Distribution of housing units to target segments by 2022 Low cost 50% Income range: K Sh 15,000–49,999 Social Income range: K Sh 0–14,999 20% Source: State Department of Housing and Urban Development. KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 71 BOX 5.7 AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNDER THE BIG FOUR AGENDA The Kenyan government has developed an affordable that it has already reduced the time and costs of obtaining housing strategy with six pillars. The strategy targets construction permits. households with monthly incomes below K Sh 100,000 ($1,000) and seeks to lower unit prices below K Sh 3 4. Reducing development cost. million ($30,000). The government intends to incentivize large-scale deve­ lopments to reduce cost, as well as the use of alternative 1. Unlocking land for affordable housing supply. building materials and construction techniques. The Land and its proximity to services (transport, jobs, social corporate tax rate of developers that construct at least infrastructure) are critical enablers to affordable homes. 100 units per year was lowered to 15 percent in the fiscal The government has indicated its intent to make sufficient 2019 budget. serviced land available to private developers and enter into public-private partnerships to support the supply of 5. Financing. affordable homes on a larger scale. It is in the process of The government is in the process of setting up the Kenya surveying all parcels of public land to assess whether Mortgage Refinance Company (KMRC), a public-private they are properly registered and are suifigure for public- company that will provide long-term funding to financial private arrangements (some land has already been iden- institutions to extend loan tenors. The KMRC will be a tified for development). That said, the commitment to who­­lesale financial institution that issues bonds in the provide ad hoc government land parcels is more limited local capital markets and, with the proceeds, extends than the potential benefits of a systematic reform of the long-term loans to financial institutions, secured against land titling, permitting, and taxation system around pro­ mortgages. The National Treasury will own 20 percent of vision of serviced urban land, which is lacking at present. it and the remainder will come from development finance institutions, Kenyan banks, and savings and credit coop- 2. Providing bulk infrastructure. eratives. On supply finance, the government is creating a The government is taking a holistic view of urban National Housing Development Fund to act as an aggrega- development and is committed to servicing land parcels tor of demand and support savings by collecting the con- by providing bulk infrastructure (water, sewage, power, tributions of employers and employees to the Homes access roads) to attract the private sector. It is also Ownership Savings Plan. supporting rapid mass transit systems around key urban areas, starting with Nairobi. In the fiscal 2019 budget 6. Enabling environment. allocations, infrastructure will take the biggest chunk of The government is planning to enable legislation to facili- the funds allocated for development (K Sh 112.99 billion). tate and digitize property registration, sectional titling (Sectional Properties Act), strategic land acquisition (Public 3. Simplifying the building codes. Land), and prohibit land speculation (Idle Land Tax and Pot­ The government is planning to simplify the building code ential Land Tax). On April 8, 2018, an order was issued to digi- and streamline permit applications to support the afford- tize land documents in registries across the country to make able housing supply. New building codes have been adop­ it easier to provide ownership titles, especially on commu- ted, discarding the British standards in favor of European nally owned land. However, the Law Society of Kenya has norms now in use globally, and are expected to promote taken the Land Ministry to court, claiming this process has harmony and enhance safety in the sector. However, some been implemented without consultation and is open to cor- critics indicate that these new codes are not relevant to ruption. It claims that legislation must be drafted to back the needs of a developing nation and remain inappropri- this up and an order is not sufficient and could be reversed ately high. A new e-construction permitting system is also by subsequent administrations. A task force has now been being adopted by various counties and indications show set up to develop guidelines for the digitization process. The World Bank Group has supported Kenya in innovative hybrid PPP arrangement. The Bank Group the development of the affordable housing segment is also preparing an operation to expand access to with lending and technical assistance. It has pro- affordable housing finance for targeted beneficia- vided technical assistance as part of the Naivasha ries via the provision of long-term funding and the Affordable Housing Project to leverage private capital strengthening of property registration. and development expertise in the segment through an 72 deep dives The Bank Group has been actively involved in other percent of manufactured inputs. Total employment in financial interventions in the affordable housing segment. housing construction may exceed 575,000, but more Although lending has been limited, Bank Group – financed than 90 percent of this is estimated to be informal. interventions were focused on improving the enabling After adjusting for import leakages, it is estimated environment for affordable housing. Because of the that housing construction has a direct impact output Bank Group, Kenya has made considerable strides multiplier of 2.16. The Big Four agenda could increase in increasing transparency at its land registry and the contribution of housing to GDP from 6.3 percent cadaster systems, as well as in expediting construction to more than 14 percent and grow employment from through the implementation of e-construction permits. 575,000 to more than 750,000 in housing construction. For instance, a digitization program was introduced Demand for intermediate inputs would likely grow to increase transparency with the support of the IFC. from $1.53 billion to over $4.2 billion, which would Similarly, the second e-construction permits program place significant pressure on imports of intermediate ever launched in Africa was facilitated by the Bank goods, if the local manufacturing sector does not ade- Group as a means of providing registration of building quately respond to this demand growth. However, if professionals; submission, monitoring, review, and the housing program were to be developed in parallel approval of development applications and issuance with an effective domestic manufacturing localization of permits; inspections processes; and data archiving. and growth strategy, it could yield much higher mul- The program is being progressively rolled out across tipliers in the domestic manufacturing sector. Kenya’s city governments. The Bank Group will rein- Demand for urban housing will continue to grow as force its presence in the segment by financing the Kenya urbanizes. Demand for housing is estimated to establishment, capitalization, and operations of the be around 200,000 units per year, of which 100,000 KMRC, with a view to expanding the availability of units are required in urban areas. This demand is long-term funds that commercial banks and savings projected to increase to nearly 300,000 units per and credit cooperatives (SACCOs) make available to year by 2050 (World Bank 2016). By comparison, targeted beneficiaries. fewer than 50,000 formally constructed housing units Although the Bank Group has been actively under- are currently produced annually, of which only 2 taking business development in the affordable housing percent are formally constructed homes targeted at segment, a deeper understanding of the demand- and low-income segments (figure 5.5). Given a housing supply-side constraints that hinder investments is deficit of about 2 million units, nearly 61 percent of required. This deep dive seeks to test prevailing urban households are forced to live in suboptimal assumptions around the types of housing that are conditions and slums.35 This is higher than the rates affordable to different segments of Kenya’s urban pop- observed in other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, ulation. It provides an insight into the current status for example, 50 percent in Nigeria and 23 percent in of affordable housing in Kenya, identifying constraints South Africa. Although affordable, slums are inade- along the housing value chain that contribute to its high-cost and low-affordability dynamic. It further quantifies the costs of constructing different types FIGURE 5.5 HOUSING SECTOR SUPPLY: and sizes of housing units in Kenya, and assesses “INVERTED” PYRAMID affordability based on current household income distributions and mortgage finance rates. Then it Distribution of concludes by offering recommendations for public the annual supply and private sector engagement in the segment. of 50,000 formally constructed Upper and middle housing units income AFFORDABLE HOUSING SECTOR CONTEX T 83% The housing sector is an important generator of employ- ment and contributor to output growth. Based on available statistics, the value of housing construction in Lower-middle income 2016 was about $2.7 billion, equivalent to 6.3 percent 15% of Kenya’s GDP. This housing output comprised $1.19 15% billion in gross value added and a further $1.53 billion Low income 2% in intermediate inputs purchased from other sectors of the economy. Imports accounted for 9.3 percent Source: Adapted from Wagacha 2018 using data from the Centre for Affordable Housing in Africa. of total intermediate inputs and the equivalent of 16 KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 73 quate in terms of durability, tenure security, service Fiscal constraints, however, prohibit the government provision, and urban management, and extremely from intervening directly in the production of new costly for the government to upgrade in situ. housing. The State Department of Housing, Urban Rapid urbanization has created heterogenous housing Development and Public Works estimates that the submarkets. Distinctively different residential products, delivery of affordable housing under the Big Four will including different forms of housing typologies and cost about $21.3 billion. This compares with the coun- forms of tenure, coexist in major and intermediate try’s entire budget for fiscal 2018 of just $26.2 billion. cities. For instance, 64 percent of Kenyan households Solutions to address this funding gap will therefore need own their accommodation, whereas 36 percent rent. to rely upon private finance and delivery, coupled with Of the 27 percent of households that live in urban long-term contributions from households themselves. areas, 70 percent rent and the remaining 30 percent own their accommodation (figure 5.6). The share Overview of Private Sector Constraints and of renting households in urban areas ranges from a Market Opportunities in Affordable Housing low of 61 percent in Kitui to a high of 91 percent in High-quality, formal housing in urban Kenya is not Nairobi.36 In rural areas by contrast, 88 percent of affordable to most households. Only 10 percent of households own their homes and only 12 percent rent Kenyan potential house buyers can afford housing them. The predominant forms of housing in urban despite selective and vibrant growth of a housing areas are bungalows (41 percent), medium- and high- sector that exhibits high returns. The key drivers of rise apartments (21 percent), Swahilis37 (21 percent), poor affordability are telling: poverty, restricted avail- and shanties (13 percent). ability of reasonably priced end-user credit in banks Informal housing predominates. Given the very low (including affordable housing buyers) to less than 10 rates of formal housing construction, most households percent of potential applicants, restricted mortgages access accommodation by renting informally, with and other housing finance products, and growing most construction being undertaken on an incremen- informal employment and incomes, all conspire to tal basis where households have access to land. This prevent the home ownership rate from increasing. predominantly informal nature of housing delivery With an estimated backlog of over 2 million units results in the relatively low levels of intermediate (World Bank 2017b), many lower-income urban input imports, whereas in the formal housing market, households are forced to live in rented single-room imports are significantly higher. “Swahili” accommodation and shanties. FIGURE 5.6 KENYA HOUSEHOLD INCOME, TENURE DISTRIBUTION, AND HOUSING Source: Adapted from Gardner and others 2019. 74 deep dives The availability of and access to housing finance Housing rental is the predominant tenure form from formal institutions is limited in scope and scale in Kenya’s cities. The main driver behind high rates and excludes the majority of low- and middle-income of informal rental are affordability constraints and households. Kenya’s mortgage loan sector remains limited affordable housing for sale. Rental markets very limited, with only 24,085 mortgages in 2018 and provide accommodation opportunities that would an estimated outstanding value of K Sh 203.3 billion otherwise not be available to low- and middle-income ($1.97 billion). This is equivalent to only 2.5 percent households, and that in turn create a significant eco- of GDP, compared with 30 percent in South Africa nomic sector of small-, medium-, and large-scale real and 70 percent in the United States. SACCOs have estate investors and landlords. Considering rental overtaken commercial banks and mortgage providers levels, it is estimated that 53 percent of urban renters in the provision of housing and housing construction pay less than K Sh 2,000 per month in rental, 26 loans, accounting for more than 90 percent (over percent pay between K Sh 2,000 to 4,000, 16 percent 100,000 housing loans) of home finance loans in pay between K Sh 4,000 and 10,000, and only 5.5 Kenya. Increasingly, SACCOs also negotiate access percent pay above K Sh 10,000 (KNBS 2015c). Table to land and housing for their members, but they 5.2 shows the cost, repayment, and proportion of have limited governance and administrative capacity Kenyan households who can afford formally con- to do so.38 The Kenya Union of Savings and Credit structed homes with mortgage financing.39 Co-operatives, the proposed Housing Microfinance Kenya’s housing development faces a credit-starved Fund (World Bank 2018), and the recently launched environment. Even with the capping of interest rates in KMRC are welcome initiatives to increase the flow 2016, the actual cost of credit still averages between of finance into housing lending. The interest rate cap 16 and 18 percent because of additional administra- in 2016, coupled with decreasing asset quality (non- tion fees. The dominance of banks in the provision of performing loans ratio of 10 percent), have resulted credit facilities in the Kenyan economy (as opposed in lenders shortening the maturity of their loans and to rate capping, as in the current debate) is a key curbing mortgage lending. anomaly constraining the long-term credit needed TABLE 5.2 INDICATIVE HOUSING COSTS AND HOUSEHOLD AFFORDABILITY ASSUMING FULL LAND AND INFRASTRUCTURE SUBSIDY, 2018 Share of Unsubsidized formally households who constructed product benchmark Cost Monthly repayment can afford K Sh, US$ millions US$ K Sh % House on a 120m2 stand Apartment 55m2 60m2 65,000 6.5 1,134 114,182 0.3 45m2 50m2 60,000 6.0 1,047 105,422 0.3 35m2 40m2 50,000 5.0 872 87,802 0.6 30m2 35m2 40,000 4.0 698 70,282 1.0 25m2 25m2 30,000 3.0 523 52,661 1.4 20m2 20m2 20,000 2.0 349 35,141 3.8 120m2 serviced site 15,000 1.5 262 26,381 5.0 Basic serviced site or upgrading scheme 10,000 1.0 174 17,520 10.2 Land purchase or incremental building only 5,000 0.5 87 8,760 33.4 Source: Data from the Centre for Affordable Housing in Africa. KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 75 for housing projects. In developed markets, bank also raised by high land stamp duties (2 to 4 percent funding usually accounts for only 40 percent of total of land value) and legal and survey fees. Taxation funding, with the balance 60 percent coming from policy for rental income (taxed at 30 percent) is a nonbank funding from avenues including the capital disincentive to producing formal rental housing, and markets and alternative funding such as high-yield outdated building codes can add as much as 60 per- investment instruments. cent to construction costs. Large minimum-lot size On the supply side, there is significant polarization standards (around 160 square meters) also drive up between small, local, informal housing developers and land costs. High financial and transaction costs for contractors and large mostly non-Kenyan develop- surveying and registering properties, inappropriate ment and construction companies. A limited number tax policies, outdated building regulations, and the of mid-sized local developers and contractors exist, high cost of construction materials also keep costs but they continue to struggle to gain recognition high, prevent the construction sector from maturing, and access to formal housing project opportunities. and serve to keep informal development growing There are also allegations of poor quality construc- (World Bank 2016a). tion in the informal and formal housing markets. Kenya’s inefficient property registration and Low-quality materials and construction are problems titling system adversely affects the housing sector in large housing projects, and informally developed by raising transaction costs, reducing ownership accommodations often fail to meet Kenya’s already certainty, and creating opportunities for patronage outdated building standards. and corruption. Kenya ranked 121st out of 190 econ- Kenya’s housing sector is also hampered by a lim- omies on property registration in the 2017 World ited flow of investment finance for the production Bank Doing Business surveys. It takes nine pro- and maintenance of residential markets. This finance cedures and an average of 61 days to register property ranges from long-term investment and construction in Kenya. finance for developers, investment in the construction, The registration process is further complicated by materials and housing-production value chain, as well devolution, with different counties showing differ- as real estate investment and end-user finance. The ent levels of efficiency. Kenya’s inefficient planning, various contributors to the lack of investment across zoning, and land registration systems, combined with the housing supply and demand value chain contribute foreign ownership restrictions and land speculation to increased costs of construction for developers, as and holding, continue to hamper access to well-lo- well as low consumer affordability levels. cated land for housing development. Through the Misaligned incentives discourage private invest- 2010 Constitution and new laws enacted in 2012, ment in the affordable housing segment. Unmet foreigners (both firms and individuals) can no longer housing demand in the middle- and upper-income own land on a freehold basis and are instead limited markets and low profitability leave private suppliers to 99-year leases (reduced from 999 years). In addi- and developers little reason to go down market. An tion, some county governments have tried to attach excess of demand in the market leads speculators and onerous conditions to lease renewals, causing con- investors to take up affordable housing even from cern for corporate ventures in agriculture (including targeted groups. The spillovers of unmet demand tea plantations), although the central government feed informal and illegal urban settlements as the seems likely to block county interference. As with urban population continues to grow. several other aspects of land tenure, a lack of clar- The high land cost40 in Kenya also limits the devel- ity in existing laws and the prospect of additional opment of affordable housing. The limited supply of land-related legislation will generate uncertainties. reasonably located affordable and developable land More positively, the digitization of land records and and constraints on the production of lower-cost e-construction permitting in certain counties may accommodation products are key barriers to the speed up land transactions and land development delivery of affordable housing. This limited supply and help resolve disputes. is attributed to discordant systems of land tenure, High taxation, land disputes, and legal and survey titling, and release and high levels of land speculation, fees act as a disincentive to produce formal rental with inefficient systems of spatial planning and land- housing. Taxation on rental income discourage pro- use management further exacerbating appropriate spective landlords from entering the affordable housing zoning, land identification, and release. Dysfunctional market, and outdated building codes add as much as land markets and institutions are largely responsible 60 percent to construction costs. In addition, land-re- for the high cost of land in Kenya. Land costs are lated disputes are a major challenge for investors. 76 deep dives They can cause lengthy delays and, in some cases, of housing, including land and infrastructure, com- the project to fail, and their impact and uncertainty pliance costs, other costs, profits, and value added are exacerbated by the poor state of land records and tax (VAT). Overall, Kenyan construction costs are 51 changes to land laws. percent higher than in South Africa and both labor Industry-specific skills for technical and profes- costs (+35 percent) and material costs (+62 percent) sional services are in short supply. Although basic contribute significantly to this. Although informal labor rates are relatively low, skilled and professional labor costs are, in general, lower in Kenya, the skills inputs into the construction industry are generally required for conventional construction are scarce constrained and often imported at high cost. Growing and relatively more expensive. the professional competency and capacity in Kenya A critical cost contributor to housing in Kenya would be critical in supporting the affordable housing is therefore the intermediate inputs into residential segment and the construction sector generally. This construction. Although primary sector intermediate will require interventions and regularity of develop- inputs (sand, stone, timber) are relatively competitively ment to attract and retain competent professionals priced, secondary sector (manufactured) building (many of whom have been lost to the Kenyan econ- materials and components are significantly more expen- omy), continued professional development initiatives, sive than in South Africa, resulting in the 62 percent and improvements to the quality and quantum of materials cost increment between the two countries. outputs from the professional academic institutions. The major materials cost contributors are (in order Improved artisanal skills bases are critical to overcome of magnitude) manufactured steel products, manu- this. These skills include all basic building trades factured cement products, timber products, plastics, (civil works, building, carpentry, plumbing, tiling). electrical equipment, cement, chemical products, and High professional costs also add to the total cost ceramics, glazing and porcelain. High intermediate of compliance and approvals for affordable housing input costs are exacerbated by high import tariffs on construction. However, most critically, professional many materials (including steel). Constraints in the and trade skills will only become sustainable once local steel value chain include high transport costs there is greater long-term investment consistency in the and a recent ban on logging activities that has affected construction industry. Without sustainable, multiyear local timber production. The revealed competitiveness prospects, such skills become mobile and move to analysis points to Kenya’s reducing competitiveness more consistent areas of international demand. One in many building material categories, corroborating good example of existing efforts in the area of skills the need for significant imports of materials at high development is the HF Foundation. It focuses on cost. Figure 5.8 shows the relative contribution to facilitating technical skills training that is guided by the total construction cost of materials across three the vision of creating an “army of 1 million artisans” housing typologies in Kenya. for the building and construction industry in Kenya.41 Unavailability of municipally provided service infrastructure further drives up costs for develop- Housing Construction Value Chain ers. The third-largest cost driver (after manufactured The cost composition of the housing market is key to materials and labor) is bulk and internal infrastructure understanding the challenges for affordable housing provision (13 percent for a 55-square-meter house and in Kenya. High property costs stem from the cost 16 percent for a 35-square-meter house). Municipal of land and construction, and inefficient property and utility networks in most cities are limited, which registration. Using a housing cost benchmarking necessitates the development of on-site water and methodology developed by the Centre for Affordable waste systems, and connecting to electricity grids is Housing Finance in Africa, figure 5.7 breaks down expensive and often requires having an on-site backup the cost of a 55-square-meter detached house on a generation capacity because of the unreliable electric- 120-square-meter serviced stand in Johannesburg, ity distribution. The high costs of providing on-site South Africa, Kigali, Rwanda, and Nairobi, Kenya. water, sanitation, and energy supply, especially for Overall, the house is 61 percent more expensive in detached houses, therefore contributes significantly Nairobi than in Johannesburg and 19 percent more to overall product cost (+36 percent compared with expensive than in Kigali. Construction costs comprise Johannesburg). 44 percent of total product costs in Kenya, compared Compliance costs deter expansion of the hous- with 47 percent (of a much lower overall cost) in South ing sector. Considering the detailed breakdown of Africa. This indicates the layers of development costs the accommodation costs, many inefficiencies were in Kenya that accumulate to increase the total costs also identified. High compliance and approval costs KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 77 FIGURE 5.7 BENCHMARKED HOUSING COSTS, JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA, KIGALI, RWANDA, AND NAIROBI, KENYA, 2018 a. Total cost ($) 70,000 65,824 60,000 55,477 50,000 40,996 40,000 30,000 20,000 10,000 0 Johannesburg Kigali Nairobi b. Cost breakdown (%) 2.1 5.6 4.1 7.9 5.8 4.7 6.3 4.8 7.4 10.0 10.0 44.2 46.9 46.2 Johannesburg Kigali 9.9 Nairobi 14.9 14.1 12.6 13.0 15.6 13.8 Construction Value added tax Infrastructure Developer markup Land Compliance and approvals Other Source: Adapted from Gardner and others 2019. FIGURE 5.8 SHARE OF THE TOP FIVE MATERIALS CATEGORIES IN KENYAN HOUSING TYPOLOGIES (%) a. Free-standing houses b. Low-rise walk-up apartment blocks c. High-rise apartment blocks with lifts 10.9 11.2 56.3 59.1 67.2 21.0 12.7 16.0 8.1 15.2 12.7 7.4 14.2 12.5 10.4 8.0 11.2 11.1 Electrical and mechanical equipment Steel Cement Cement products Refined goods Source: Data from the Centre for Affordable Housing in Africa. 78 deep dives (+65 percent) are mainly because of the high cost of Recommendations professional services (legal, design, surveys, impact The deep dive has highlighted the main constraints that assessments), land registration costs, and registration discourage private sector involvement in the afford- efficiency. Relatively higher financing costs because able housing segment. High land cost, inappropriate of higher interest rates and difficulties with “take- taxes and regulation, limited access to construction out” end-user financing also add to cost of affordable finance, and an underdeveloped mortgage market housing. Holding costs, construction, and bridging that is inaccessible to lower-income households with financing costs (where these can be accessed and constrained affordability limit expansion in the sector. managed by small, poorly capitalized companies) are The deep dive further explored the inefficiencies of affected by high interest rates, high-risk perceptions, the formal construction value chain, arguably the and are exacerbated by development delays. These largest supply-side constraint, finding that the costs financing costs are amortized through increases in of construction materials are significantly higher in market prices of accommodation. Limited access to absolute terms than those in other African cities. High end-user finance requires innovative financial instru- formal construction costs in turn stimulate informal ments be used to dispose of properties, many of which housing construction, with cheaper but substandard require more expensive financing costs. The impact building materials and workmanship. Based on the of Kenya’s 16 percent VAT on total project costs is a constraints and opportunities identified, there are significant burden to affordable housing production, several actions that can be undertaken in the next even with the proposed corporate tax rebates for four years to meet the targets of the government’s companies producing affordable housing at scale. affordable housing program. Finally, limited local supply of qualified workforce Recent efforts to improve land titling and registra- for construction and servicing of the housing sector tions and the construction permit process, implement a puts burden on housing costs. Although built envi- mortgage liquidity facility, and provide tax incentives ronment professionals such as architects, engineers, for affordable housing have made some progress in and quantity surveyors are well-trained and organized terms of the enabling environment for the affordable in institutes and associations, there appears to be a housing segment. Some of these improvements have shortage of professional construction and project been partially driven by the Big Four agenda, others managers, which leads to some inefficiencies and have been in process for some time. More specifically: performance constraints in the sector. Interviews with industry players indicated that professional • Processes toward digitization of registry (announced fees on infrastructure projects such as roads could but not implemented yet); be well above global benchmarks, and on building • Implementation of new building codes “Eurocodes” construction projects, it typically tends to be above from 2021; 10 percent of building costs and in some instances • Establishment of the mortgage liquidity facility; as high as 16 – 18 percent. Unwillingness to offer • E-construction permits process (being rolled out professional services at discount and speculatively by cities); is one reason for this because of the high number of • Identification and release of certain landholdings projects that never make it through development. It for low income development (albeit not system- was not clear if these fee levels took sufficient account atic); and of fee-reducing factors such as lesser complexity • Supply- and demand-side tax incentives (albeit and greater degrees of design repetition on housing uneven) for development and rental of affordable projects. This aspect should be further explored. housing. With regard to availability and quality of contrac- tors, interviews, correspondence, and desk-based However, there are still many areas that require research indicated that numbers of small and medium more attention, most notably (1) developing a compre- residential contractors and property developers hensive housing strategy; (2) improving the availability operating in the Nairobi area and in some of the of land; (3) enacting better foreclosure and mort- secondary cities, appear to be quite entrepreneurial gage laws; (4) providing practical tax incentives and and well-led, but they struggle to compete against equity investments for housing; and (5) improving the large foreign-based operators who are able to bring financing, provision, and management of municipal in materials, labor, and management capacity skill infrastructure. at relatively low cost. KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 79 Making data and information more widely available.  Developing competitiveness of the local Land and housing sector information is critical to construction industry. understanding and adapting affordable housing strat- A stronger and larger localized manufacturing sector egies over time. The public and private sectors need supporting the development of the affordable housing to improve their information gathering, analysis, and segment would create a virtuous cycle of affordable dissemination to monitor, evaluate, and adjust afford- home production, manufacturing growth, employment able housing development. This includes the need creation, and economic prosperity. Overall, Kenya to better record and monitor land transactions and has experienced declining global competitiveness in registrations, accommodation construction, and the building materials over the past five years, with rela- application of government assets (land, finance, and tively few product categories gaining global market infrastructure) to households that are most in need. share. If the Big Four’s affordable housing is to stim- ulate the Kenyan economy, it will be essential that Addressing local developers’ barriers to entry. intermediate industries supplying the sector, as well The cost-benchmarking exercise found that over half as other construction sectors, are also developed to of formal housing costs are not construction-related, ensure greater local value added in the development but instead linked to other parts of the housing con- process. High costs of materials could be reduced struction value chain, with land and titling, and bulk by improving access to critical materials through and internal infrastructure provision being significant increased local production (such as the stimulation of cost drivers. Formally developed affordable housing local quality cement production) and/or value-added projects in Kenya are disproportionately focused on activities (such as augmented cement products and delivery by large (and mostly foreign) development fabricated steel products). Key opportunities also and construction companies, which inadvertently exist to build local industry capacity to deliver a excludes locally owned companies from participating number of construction materials inputs, for which in the Big Four program. Affordable housing strategies Kenya has a relative competitive advantage in the local and projects must include and proactively develop the and subregional market. Furthermore, the reliance capacities of large, medium, and small local developers on imported expensive luxury items in construction and contractors, as well as accommodate production should be mitigated by improving locally produced capacity of households and small-scale landlords. products and building interest and acceptance of locally produced materials of good quality. This man- Strengthening the authorizing environment. ufacturing growth strategy also has the potential to Considering implementation recommendations, the reduce Kenya’s trade deficit in building materials, as need for a national, multisectoral coordinating com- well as to grow a local and subregional market for mittee remains critical. Although additional research Kenyan construction goods, services, and capacity. and feasibility work is constantly being undertaken A failure to do so could result in building materials into the Big Four affordable housing program, there is imports that are K Sh 60 billion or more than they no formal forum or process through which required are currently. Attempting to facilitate localization housing sector reforms can be negotiated, developed, through higher import tariffs without local manufac- implemented, and monitored. There is confusion in turing development is likely to be counterproductive the industry regarding how the Big Four affordable because it will raise the costs of required building housing strategies will be implemented, how imped- materials and reduce the affordability of housing even iments will be met, and how funding and subsidies further. In any case, the average tariff applicable to will be structured and provided for. Such a formal, product categories in which Kenyan producers have multisectoral coordinating structure must offer key been losing global market share is already between housing interests, a platform to engage on common 2.3 and 4.4 percent higher than those categories in themes that must be resolved to develop a housing which they have gained market share. and construction sector that better meets Kenya’s housing needs during and after the Big Four agenda. Strengthening institutions and regulatory frameworks. The forum should include formal participation from A substantial increase in formal housing production national and county government departments, hous- will place pressure on all related parts of the housing ing developers and contractors, building materials ecosystem. Kenya’s legislative and policy framework supply sector, financial sector, affected community still has significant gaps impeding the implementation groups, and labor representatives to create a platform of large-scale housing projects. Promulgation of the for large-scale housing provision. new, comprehensive, and supportive Housing Act is 80 deep dives urgently required. Such approaches must set clear • Review of minimum prices for professional ser- rules for sharing responsibilities, risks, costs, and vices that are required for housing development profits between public and private entities. Spatial and property purchase and financing. planning and land-use management systems, land • Competition law enforcement to dismantle monop- identification and release strategies, infrastructure olistic practices in key construction inputs such development, and building standards and controls as cement and steel. In South Africa for example, need to be revised and ramped up to support the Big 17 cartels in construction materials affecting both Four program. Regulations that increase the cost public and private construction projects have been of construction projects should be amended, such sanctioned in 2005 – 15. According to estimates as minimum fees for professional services that are by the Competition Commission of South Africa, required for construction projects, and institutions cement prices are at least 9.7 percent higher in should be empowered to address anticompetitive that country because of the cartels and the lim- practices and rules in construction input markets. ited number of market players, the same may be Furthermore, the administrative capacity of national, true for Kenya. county, and municipal governments and state entities • Master plan and implementation of the critical will require bolstering to accommodate the proposed infrastructure required to facilitate an orderly and rapid acceleration in housing production. In addition, cost-effective urban growth and, most importantly, a refinement of Kenya’s PPP framework is neces- improvement of the metropolitan movement sys- sary, together with providing alternative contracting tems (public transport and roads) and the munici- approaches suitable for urban land, infrastructure, pal water and sanitation networks. This will also and housing projects that are accessible to smaller, require improving municipal finance and manage- local companies to provide a foil to PPPs, which can ment approaches to manage and expand infra- be legislatively laborious, expensive to implement, structure networks. and cumbersome to manage. • Investments into improving the certainty of supply and quality of output from the local cement and Areas of Future Research manufactured cement products industry, which The Big Four’s affordable housing agenda presents has only one bulk cement producer that faces seri- important opportunities for further research and ous quality issues (Bumburi Cement, which con- development and strategic investments at various trols about 40.5 percent of the market share, was points in the housing construction value chain. This recently purchased by the Lafarge Group who deep dive did not undertake specific feasibility assess- owns 14.6 percent of East Africa Portland Cement, ments and further analysis is recommended to consider which in turn controls 24 percent of the Kenyan potential investments in the following areas: cement market). • A program to improve the efficiency, quality of • Land assembly, banking, and release mechanisms work, and ability to take on larger contracts of to scale up strategic release of publicly owned or Kenya-based local contractors and developers is controlled land for affordable housing development. required. This should focus on internal efficiencies • The nature and form of incentives for afford- of companies, professional competences, and con- able housing production, including supply- and struction financing and joint venture (local-local demand-side subsidization, incentives or supports, or local-foreign) opportunities to assist their par- the approach to financing and operating infra- ticipation in the construction value chain. structure, and the approach to end-user financ- • Research on the development of a local steel value ing for housing. chain to take advantage of recent mining sector • The provision of alternative, more affordable hous- improvements and new investments in iron ore ing products better suited to the housing demand extraction, as well as improving capacity and qual- and affordability profile in Kenya. This includes ity from smelting and steel manufacturing opera- approaches to the provision of titled land, basic tions and shielding local producers from periodic services, and slum upgrading. international dumping using appropriate trade • Strategies to stimulate and improve outcomes in remedies based on technical analysis. This would the housing rental market, given that this will be a longer-term undertaking and might not be remain the prevalent housing delivery approach completed within the time frame of the afford- into the future. able housing development target of 2022. KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 81 • The potential for cost and time savings in con- for the Big Four program or projects that are more struction of affordable housing by applying selected likely to create price bubbles, materials shortages, alternative building technologies (ABTs) should and a reliance on expensive import leakages of skills, be considered (monolithic concrete structures, development capacity and materials. To meet Kenya’s frame and infill, and other alternative technol- housing needs, the capacity developed over the next ogies). However, the potential cost savings from five years must leave a robust housing sector capable ABTs are deemed to be limited and should not be of continuing to deliver at scale into the future, as considered a panacea for affordable housing. This well as the potential to expand exports and capacity analysis should be accompanied by a complemen- into the Common Market for Eastern and Southern tary study of the market acceptability of ABTs and Africa (COMESA) region. the level of efforts from the government and other relevant organizations that would be required to make ABTs more accepted in the Kenyan con- text. The new “Eurocodes,” to be implemented from 2021, will make provision for implementa- tion of ABTs. • Scaling up of green building approaches should be pursued in Kenya (such as the partnership with IFC’s EDGE program and the Green Building Council). Significant international experience shows that, although this may not reduce capital costs of construction, it can substantially reduce life-cy- cle costs, which become critical to the long-term affordability and operating costs of subsidized (social) housing stock, as well as private rental and owned housing stock. Green building also opens up the potential for new sources of inter- national development capital. • Investments in continued technical and profes- sional skills development and professionalization of local developers are required to build a more efficient construction sector utilizing a greater local skills base and able to undertake larger-scale developments. An affordable housing segment that consistently creates value within Kenya’s economy needs to take a long-term, systemic view of scaling up housing production, and not a short-term approach. The gov- ernment’s commitment to these reforms is critical to achieve the ambitious targets set out in the Big Four agenda. It needs to become deeply integrated in Kenya’s local regulatory manufacturing, construction, and financial services sectors and must be dedicated to meeting the accommodation demand profile of Kenyan households (and not only the formal upper- and upper-middle-income groups). Finally, it must build consistent and growing demand for locally manufac- tured intermediate inputs and assist in developing a local cadre of talented tradespeople and professionals working in the construction industry. This requires systemic changes rather than special dispensations 82 deep dives Manufacturing Overview employment ratio of 5.2 in 2016.45 In 2017, this ratio Kenya’s manufacturing sector has remained rel- improved to 3.9 but still lagged the national average atively flat with slow growth in recent years.42 In of 1.9. The informal sector46 employed 2.8 million 2017, the sector had a gross output of $22 billion,43 workers in the manufacturing sector in 2017, repre- together with manufacturing value added of $6.5 senting almost 10 times the number of formal sector billion, representing 9.8 percent of GDP. Despite real manufacturing employees.47 Furthermore, informal GDP growth averaging 5.5 percent over 2013 – 17, the employment is growing at three times the rate of sector has grown at a far slower pace of 2.2 percent formal employment. Real wages grew modestly for annually over the same period. Agriculture, which manufacturing workers in the private sector, at an is the largest sector of the economy, contributed 34 average 1.9 percent annually in 2013 – 17.48 Despite percent to GDP in 2017 and enjoyed a robust com- slow growth in overall labor productivity of 2.0 pound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.5 percent percent49 annually, since 2013 manufacturing labor in the same period. Construction has been one of the productivity has been declining at an average annual fastest-growing sectors in this period, with average rate of 3.3 percent. annual growth of 16 percent, rapidly making it an Kenya’s manufacturing reveal a diversified base important contributor to GDP. Nevertheless, man- with some surprisingly fast-growing subsectors (figure ufacturing historically has had strong performance 5.9). Food and beverage is the dominant subsector, by Sub-Saharan Africa standards and is seen by the accounting for half of total manufacturing gross government as one of the main strategic areas to output in 2016. Other sizeable subsectors include help the country achieve its development objectives. textiles, apparel, chemicals, plastic products, cement, Kenya’s manufacturing sector is a major employer and fabricated metals, which each account for at and has the potential to capitalize on Kenya’s labor least 3 percent of total manufacturing output. Apart force for future growth. In 2017, the sector employed from food products, these subsectors are all starting 303,000 people and accounted for 11.4 percent of from a small base, but they serve as key drivers in formal employment.44 Formal employment growth manufacturing. These include key subsectors that the since 2013 has matched growth of the sector overall, at government has been prioritizing, textiles, apparel, 2.2 percent annually. The sector had a male-to-female and pharmaceuticals. Although leather has also been a FIGURE 5.9 FAST-GROWING MANUFACTURING SUBSECTORS, EXHIBIT DOUBLE-DIGIT GROWTH, 2009–16 14 Furniture 12 Pharmaceuticals Textiles 10 Apparel 8 CAGR (%) Fabricated metals Food products 6 4 2 Leather 0 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0 5.5 6.0 Gross output ($ million) Gross output: 2009 2016 Source: Data adapted from KNBS 2010; 2017c. Note: CAGR = compound annual growth rate. KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 83 focus of the government, at 5 percent average annual The private sector is generally divided between growth in 2009 – 16, it has not grown as fast as the larger formal businesses, those who have higher pro- other priority subsectors. In fact, growth in the sub- ductivity and produce the bulk of economic output, sector has reversed and in 2013 – 16 it declined by an and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) average of 2 percent annually. in the informal sector, those who are estimated to As one of the three main sectors that contribute employ around 90 percent of working Kenyans to Kenya’s export portfolio, manufacturing is an and characterized by relatively lower-value-added important foreign-currency earner, with several sub- activities (for example, retail trade and hospitality). sectors helping drive its growth. Twelve of Kenya’s MSMEs suffer from poor access to capital inputs and top 20 exports are from manufacturing and averages technology and limited connectivity to supply chain about one-third of their total value. However, from and market opportunities.51 A fundamental issue for 2007 to 2016, its contribution to total exports slowly MSMEs in the manufacturing sector relates to the poor declined, from 37 percent to 30 percent and its exports availability of managerial and technical skills, which grew modestly at 2 percent annually, outpaced by the greatly challenges the sector’s growth.52 In response more rapid growth of extractives (14 percent) and to their importance to the economy, the government agricultural products (5 percent). Nonetheless, there has established the Micro and Small Enterprise Act of are notable fast-growing manufacturing subsector 2012 and its operationalization through the setting exports, including pharmaceuticals (8 percent, 10-year up of relevant institutional mechanisms. The Act growth), leather articles (8 percent), and tanning provides for new rules and institutions to support extracts (5 percent). In addition, apparel is a very micro and small businesses to enable them to suc- promising subsector, with a CAGR of 6 percent over ceed. It provides legal and institutional frameworks the past five years. for the promotion, development, and regulation of A brief survey of selected key manufacturing sub- MSMEs. Recommendations for further growth of sectors reveals a level of dynamism that indicates that MSMEs need to be focused on improving innovation parts of the manufacturing sector are undergoing and technology upgrading, in addition to improved fundamental structural change. The fastest-growing access to finance and increased efforts to improving subsectors50 are pharmaceuticals (12 percent), textiles the overall enabling environment. (11 percent), and apparel (9 percent) annually since An examination of Kenya’s trading partners reveals 2009. Conversely, chemicals, including plastics and a focus on trade that takes advantage of international iron and steel, have exhibited slower or declining trade agreements and maximizes regional proximity. growth rates in the same period. Some subsectors From an export perspective, it appears that Kenya that the government has chosen to prioritize are has leveraged its U.S. market access via the African showing strong growth. Apart from iron and steel, Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), exporting local production across key manufacturing subsectors an average of $234 million of apparel annually since has been increasing since 2009. Export growth is 2009. However, after the United States, Kenya’s three strong in the strategic subsectors of apparel, leather, top markets are regional — Uganda ($230 million), and pharmaceuticals, but is declining or steady in Tanzania ($106 million), and the Democratic Republic construction-related subsectors (that is, cement, glass, of Congo ($69 million). Although Kenya does have plastics). As Kenya’s economy continues to grow, it notable exports to Asia and Europe, total exports appears that the country is fueling this part of its to countries that were top-three destinations for a growth through imports. For example, as the con- product equaled roughly the same amount as exports struction sector has continued to grow, iron and to the Democratic Republic of Congo. Essentially, steel production has not risen, as might be expected. Kenya’s main export markets are concentrated in Instead, the country has met its demand for iron and the United States and East Africa — a strategy that steel through rapid import growth. In 2016, iron allows Kenya to continue growing exports to key imports outpaced local production by almost five strategic markets. times. In addition, as pharmaceutical production and Comparing Kenya’s selected manufacturing sub- export growth have both increased (at 12.0 and 10.7 sectors with global growth indicates that Kenya’s percent, respectively), so too have pharmaceutical manufacturing performance since 2009 has some imports (10.5 percent). This suggests that Kenya’s bright spots, particularly in strategic subsectors economy continues to be tightly interlinked with that may highlight potential competitive advan- the global economy. tages (figure 5.10). Growth in apparel, leather, and pharmaceuticals has been outpacing global growth, 84 deep dives FIGURE 5.10 PERFORMANCE OF SELECTED KENYAN EXPORTS COMPARED TO GLOBAL GROWTH 7 Leather 6 5 Plastics Apparel 4 Global growth (%) Glass Textiles 3 Pharmaceutical 2 Chemicals Iron and steel 1 0 -1 Cement -2 -3 -20 -15 -10 -5 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 Kenya’s growth (%) Source: Data form International Trade Centre Trade Map database. with pharmaceuticals growing particularly fast, at Over the 10-year period from 2007 to 2016, the 12.0 percent versus global growth of just 2.7 percent. EAC exported an average of $1.3 billion annually in This performance may be indicative of the country apparel, pharmaceuticals, leather goods, and con- capitalizing on various opportunities to gain a global struction-related goods such as cement and glass toehold, albeit from a small base. But this strong (figure 5.12, panel a). Kenya accounted for about performance has been tempered by headwinds in 64 percent of these exports. However, this is only other subsectors, in which Kenya’s performance lags part of the story. Although Kenya has experienced global growth, most notably in cement and glass, some fast growth in the export of pharmaceuticals (8 where Kenya’s performance comparison with global percent) and leather goods, (7 percent), its neighbors growth is especially stark. have experienced exponential growth (figure 5.12, Kenya is a regional leader within the manufacturing panel b). For example, apart from pharmaceuticals, sector, although neighboring countries have begun Rwanda has experienced double-digit growth in all to focus their own industrialization efforts, closing these subsectors, with rapid growth in apparel (45 in on the lead that Kenya has historically enjoyed. percent), leather goods (133 percent), and glass (54 Kenya’s manufactured products are largely focused percent). Rwanda, however, is also growing from a on the domestic market, exporting only about 18 small base. Ethiopia and Tanzania, each have larger percent of its total output in 2009. Of these exports, subsectors than Rwanda, also have their share of about one-third went to the East African Community fast-growing subsectors. Tanzania’s focus on apparel (EAC) and two-thirds to the rest of the world. Kenya’s has yielded 19 percent growth annually, whereas share of manufacturing value is the highest among Ethiopia is on its way to becoming a manufacturing its peers in East Africa, which include Ethiopia, powerhouse with impressive growth in the following Tanzania, Rwanda, and Uganda.53 Generally, from diverse subsectors: cement (91 percent), leather goods 2008 to 2017 manufacturing market value added (46 percent), apparel (44 percent), and pharmaceuticals (MVA)54 for East Africa experienced growth, with (12 percent). Overall, the region is well positioned some notable standouts (figure 5.11). Ethiopia and to build a solid manufacturing skills base in textiles Tanzania have experienced rapid growth, at 14 percent and apparel, leather, and pharmaceuticals. and 7 percent, respectively, although Kenya’s man- ufacturing MVA has shown modest gains, growing at 3 percent annually. KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 85 FIGURE 5.11 MANUFACTURING VALUE ADDED Kenya and comparator countries (% of GDP) Egypt, Arab Rep. Vietnam South Africa Kenya Uganda Rwanda Ethiopia Tanzania 20 15 10 5 0 2000 2017 2000 2017 2000 2017 2000 2017 2000 2017 2000 2017 2000 2017 2000 2017 Source: Data from the World Development Indicators database. Note: GDP = gross domestic product. FIGURE 5.12 REGIONAL EXPORT COMPARISON, KENYA AND EAC COMPARATORS a. Value ($ million) b. 10-year CAGR (%) Kenya Apparel 255.28 3 Iron and steel 197.28 1 Plastics 149.92 3 Pharmaceuticals 103.00 8 Cement 94.00 -5 Glass 25.32 -9 Leather articles 2.38 8 Uganda Apparel 2.49 4 Iron and steel 107.69 4 Plastics 22.20 11 Pharmaceuticals 8.68 28 Cement 78.81 13 Glass 8.30 -8 Leather articles 0.72 13 Tanzania Apparel 17.37 19 Iron and steel 51.14 11 Plastics 47.01 -2 Pharmaceuticals 2.87 -4 Cement 22.25 6 Glass 42.63 51 Leather articles 0.83 -14 Ethiopia Apparel 29.41 44 Iron and steel 1.37 -3 Plastics 1.41 14 Pharmaceuticals 1.06 12 Cement 4.36 91 Glass 0.07 -14 Leather articles 2.65 46 Rwanda Apparel 0.32 45 Iron and steel 4.63 9 Plastics 1.79 11 Pharmaceuticals 0.38 -5 Cement 2.71 23 Glass 0.68 54 Leather articles 0.28 133 0 50 100 150 200 250 -20 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 Source: Data from International Trade Centre Trade Map database. 86 deep dives Constraints and Cross-cutting The analysis highlights that Kenya falls short on Recommendations issues such as infrastructure quality, environmental To achieve its policy objectives in terms of manufac- sustainability, and transportation costs. Based on further turing-led growth and for the sector to transition analysis of the findings of the benchmarking report and toward higher-value-added and export-led growth, additional discussions with stakeholders, the CPSD Kenya will need to continue its efforts to improve team narrowed the focus of the recommendations enabling factors. In its Vision 2030, it has outlined around five areas: (1) strategic skills development, (2) several areas for reform and aware which ones can innovation and technology adoption, (3) industrial help the manufacturing sector grow. A recent bench- infrastructure, (4) improving competition policy, (5) marking analysis that compared Kenya with potential product and technology upgrading, and (6) envi- competitors helped to identify several constraints ronmental and social sustainability. This should be related to the manufacturing sector (table 5.4).55 supported by further reforms to improve the invest- TABLE 5.4 KENYA RANKED AGAINST BENCHMARK COUNTRIES Egypt, South Kenya Arab Rep. Ethiopia Mauritius Rwanda Africa Tanzania Vietnam Business operating environment Macroeconomics (exports, 7 5 9 2 8 4 6 1 manufacturing, and FDI) Legal and regulatory framework, 5 9 8 2 5 4 5 2 contract enforcement Investment policy or political, financial, 5 8 9 3 1 3 7 6 economic risks Quality of infrastructure (national level) 3 4 9 8 7 2 5 6 Labor or human resources 3 6 9 7 3 3 7 2 Telecommunications 5 5 9 2 7 1 8 2 Logistics Performance Index 2 3 9 7 5 1 4 6 Local market and access to foreign market Local market for manufactured goods 6 3 1 7 8 4 5 2 Ease of Doing Business (DTF), Trading 3 7 8 1 5 6 9 4 across borders (rank), 2015 Customs duties 7 8 9 2 5 4 6 3 Business operating costs Tax 5 3 5 9 5 4 5 2 Land, building costs 3  –   –   –  5 1 4 2 Utilities 9 3 2 4 5 6 6 1 Telecommunications 6 3 9 4 1 7 8 2 Logistics (cost to import) 5 2 6 1 6 8 9 3 Low carbon and green indicators Low carbon and green indicators 6 8 2 1 7 2 2 2 Score 1–2 3–4 5–6 7–8 9–10 Source: Adapted from the Government of Kenya 2018. KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 87 ment climate. The focus on these enabling areas is beneficial arrangement, as firms would have a vested intended to help Kenya continue to build foundational interest in the successful training of future employees. manufacturing industries, such as plastics, steel, and The challenge of improving the skills of its current food processing and beverages, and also expanding workforce will require a diversity of training providers. into more advanced manufacturing. The core of the In the short term, existing workers will need to be recommendations rests upon improving markets for upskilled and reskilled to meet the needs of firms. local goods, and further integrating Kenya as a regional The formal education system is not the solution for player for more advanced manufactured products. the current stock of workers. Promoting a diversity of training providers, including private training pro- 1. Improve focus on privately run skills and vision, will be needed to meet the current demand training facilities for skills. The training academy in Tatu City is an Kenya faces high unemployment and unmet demand example of a private initiative in collaboration with for skilled workers. The lack of skilled workers con- the local government that is bridging the skills gap strains firms, affecting their productivity and growth. in the construction sector. The youth train for six Strategies to manage the skills gaps encountered by months and are then hired by contractors working firms include specialized jobs being filled by foreign on local projects (contractors are required to hire or expatriate workers (for example, pharmaceutical locally). This approach is similar to privately run firms) and investing in training when required to skills-bridging programs at special economic zones meet global standards. However, informal employ- (SEZs) that upskill or reskill workers to meet the ment dominates the Kenyan manufacturing sector (10 needs of firms in the SEZs. times the formal manufacturing sector) with many A strategy for skills development designed for the employed in small and medium enterprises (SMEs). manufacturing sector will be critical if businesses, Tight margins and a lax regulatory environment further education institutions, and government together are weaken incentives to invest in skills for these firms. to grow the talents and skills that are needed and On the supply of training programs, technical and upskill and reskill existing workers. This will be vocational education and training (TVET) institutions particularly important as the manufacturing sector (those focused on learning for the world of work) prepares to move into higher-value-added products and have a poor reputation in Kenya. A survey of Kenyan for the impact of automation, R&D, and innovation. firms carried out in 2017 on behalf of IFC in the Improving information on skills demand will be an manufacturing, construction and oil and gas sectors important start to ensuring that they are aligned to found that employers identify gaps in both technical supply demand in key occupations. An IFC survey and soft skills of graduates of TVET institutions of firms in the manufacturing, construction, and oil (Open Capital Advisors 2017). It also highlighted and gas sectors highlighted that demand is greatest that existing TVET institutions are below indus- for transferable skills across these sectors, such as try standards, resulting in low demand for TVET welding and electrical. In the pharmaceutical sector, programs and lack of collaboration with industry. for instance, the importance of skilled labor for qual- TVET institutions are converting to degree-grant- ity assurance and enforcement cannot be overstated. ing universities to counter the low demand of their Yet the Kenya Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) programs. An education deep dive in Ghana high- Roadmap notes the “discrepancy between the ade- lighted similar issues with TVET institutions — their quate scientific degrees of personnel and the limited quality is poor, similar to many other countries in knowledge of the World Health Organization’s GMP the region, with graduates experiencing difficulties requirements potentially illustrates a general problem finding employment. with existing educational systems and highlights a Improving the relevance of TVET programs will high need for review of academic and postacademic be critical in meeting the Kenyan government’s Vision curricula...” (UNIDO 2014). The pharmaceutical firms 2030 for technical education and training. The rele- that can hire locally for certain positions report that vance of TVET programs will require collaboration recent graduates are inadequately prepared to work and partnering with private manufacturing firms that in the industry, which leads to significant invest- would be large-scale employers of TVET graduates. ments in training programs of an average of three to Inputs from private firms should include curriculum six months — often diverting resources such as staff design, technical experts as trainers, and the required time from production. Building industry partnerships up-to-date equipment. This would be a mutually and making greater use of technology can support 88 deep dives the collection, analysis, and dissemination of skills to technology service centers could help firms access information, including for future workers. vital information to realize organizational, managerial, and technological changes. Policies could also focus 2. Support innovation and technology adoption on providing gradual partial subsidies for R&D to to improve product complexity high-impact projects could help provide vital financing. Kenya’s policy priority for manufacturing hinges This needs to be coupled with improved coordination on its ability to leverage science, technology, and with universities and research institutions to help innovation (STI) to improve productivity and prod- maximize economies of scale (Cirera 2015). These uct complexity. Even though the country is ranked services can be integrated into the growing SEZ third-highest on innovation in Sub-Saharan Africa framework, as the bulk of new manufacturing is according to the Global Innovation Index, it is still intended to take place within these zones. A number only 78th globally.56 Kenya scored favorably in of these SEZs will be sector specific, allowing more market sophistication (61), business sophistication targeted R&D facilities for tenant firms. Partnership (49), knowledge and technology outputs (70), and on these services with universities will also be a way creative outputs (56), but challenges remained in to improve collaboration. institutions (84), human capital and research (112), and infrastructure (103).57 3. Strengthen framework and investment in A recent analysis of productivity challenges in industrial infrastructure Kenya highlights the need for increased knowledge The Kenya 2030 Second Medium-Term Plan (MTP- capital investments and innovation activities at the II), which ran from 2013 to 2017, specifically listed firm level. These elements are necessary to boost eco- manufacturing as a priority sector and identified nomic complexity and productivity. Kenya displays industrial infrastructure projects and related inter- inadequate policy and institutional framework to ventions as flagship projects to underpin continued support STI. According to the analysis, only certain growth in manufacturing. These included: programs for supporting technology transfer or intel- lectual property rights exist, although these tend to • Establishment of SEZs, be small and mainly focused on providing relevant • Development of SMEs and industrial parks, information to firms. In addition, some programs • Development of industrial clusters, that target assistance for market access also support • Skills development for technical human resources innovation via quality certification or by providing for the manufacturing sector, and information on new markets and technologies. Other • Transformation of the Kenya Industrial Research types of innovation instruments, such as R&D tax and Development Institute into a world-class incentives, are yet to be developed. Therefore, the STI research institution. institutional framework in Kenya can be described as an embryonic policy framework (Cirera 2015). The Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Cooperatives Kenya ranks relatively high in firm-level innovation, has developed the Kenya Industrial Transformation but this is primarily incremental, meaning the degree Program (KITP) to drive Kenya toward becoming a of innovativeness is low. Areas such as product and primary industrial hub in Africa through targeted operational innovation tend to be fairly low, but firms sector-specific interventions. The KITP provides a displayed high scores on market innovation. In terms strong overarching industrial development vision to of sectors, it was found that the chemical sector is the support the SEZs in accelerating economic growth in most innovative, whereas organizational innovation Kenya. SEZs can be a significant game changer for is more prevalent in machinery and equipment and Kenya by addressing key competitiveness constraints less common in services. Innovation in R&D is low and providing an effective ecosystem to energize invest- but in line with countries that have a similar level of ments into Kenya. They could unlock substantial job economic development. There is little integration of creation and investment across value chains. knowledge from external sources such as universities The World Bank Group has been supporting the and other institutions (Cirera 2015). Kenyan government’s ambitions in the manufacturing At this stage in Kenya’s manufacturing sector, sector for the past 8 years and has helped modernize a focus on innovation policies to improve collab- Kenya’s Export Processing Zone (EPZ) program into oration between institutions, financing for product the more forward-looking and inclusive SEZ program. R&D, and technology services could help improve Kenya passed an SEZ Act in 2015 and the Bank Group the innovation ecosystem. Improving access of firms continues to partner with the government on SEZs KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 89 to make its vision on unconstrained manufacturing important to strengthen the links among firms and growth a reality. develop specific programs to improve capabilities Several private and public zones are now in prog- and access to finance for MSMEs. ress across Kenya, at different stages of development and financing. However, several NTBs continue to 4. Reduce barriers to entry and competition in constrain the full potential. Primary among these are: key manufacturing sectors Kenya’s economy has been found to be highly influenced • Barriers to increased competition, by high state participation in economic activities and • Rules-of-origin issues and other conflicting regu- the prevalence of restrictive regulations that create lations between the EAC and COMESA, barriers to entry and rivalry for both domestic com- • No common position or coordination between petitors and foreign entrants. These restrictions affect the EAC partners on SEZ policy, key enabling sectors such as energy, transport, and • Weak transportation links between the EAC part- telecommunications. In addition, there are concentrated ner states, and market structures in manufacturing where monopolies, • Inefficiencies and backlogs at Mombasa Port. duopolies, and oligopolies are more prevalent than in other countries in the regions such as Uganda, Tanzania, It is important to continue to support the development Senegal, and Ghana, indicating there could be barriers and successful implementation of the SEZ program to entry in some subsectors (World Bank Group 2016, based on international good practices. SEZs can be 3). Investors perceive significant operational risks asso- effective channels to provide a streamlined business ciated to weak competition in Kenya, such as unfair environment, including customs, that can reduce the competitive practices, vested interests, and discrimi- cost of doing business in Kenya. One-stop shops can nation, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit. be effective mechanisms for that. Given the context Kenya’s manufacturing sector could be strengthened in which Kenya is operating today and the sectors through stronger market and competition policies of competitive strength, Kenya will have to base the such as the following: strength of its sectors and SEZ programs on an envi- ronmentally sustainable platform. Frameworks such • A system that ensures that the design and imple- as eco-industrial parks advocated by IFC and German mentation of government interventions considers Agency for International Cooperation (Gesellschaft its impact on competition and market outcomes fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit, GIZ) can be (prices, access, welfare, productivity) to address helpful in strengthening Kenya’s SEZ and manufac- an uncontrolled system of market regulations at turing sector and making it competitive. the national and subnational levels, as well as rules Well-developed and serviced land that offers plug- that allow incumbents to participate in govern- and-play options to the potential users (by sector) of ment decisions, differential treatment of foreign- the zone — such as zoned and ready to build or built-up ers, government commercial activities in markets, plots, drainage, and water supply, effluent treatment and trade barriers that create distortions on the plant for firms in leather or textile, access to internet, level playing field. There may also be NTBs in immediate access to renewable energy that is reliable effect, such as in the pharmaceutical sector where both in quality and delivery — will be critical to the joint reviews and inspections for mutual recogni- success of the manufacturing sector. Appropriate tion of products are not in effect within the EAC. good practice regulations should be drafted, if they • Improved governance and market discipline mech- do not already exist, to ensure the promise of growth anisms toward state-owned enterprises to increase through SEZs is not half baked. This will require their efficiency and refocusing their direct partic- assistance with building and strengthening the SEZ ipation, through majority or minority sharehold- regulatory authority, undertaking the prefeasibility ing, toward markets where private participation assessment of sites, supporting PPP approaches for is not feasible or desirable to ensure competitive development, and helping in the operation of zones. neutrality and crowd in the private sector. In addition, support for Kenya’s broader indus- • Additional efforts for effective and strong compe- trial infrastructure and ecosystem , which includes tition law enforcement to fight cartels and abusive industrial parks; technology, research, or incubation behavior of dominant firms, including technical centers; and clusters will be critical for manufac- instruments to increase compliance and deterrence turing sector growth. Given that the largest group as well as stakeholder engagement to support the of companies within Kenya are MSMEs, it will be implementation of competition policy in Kenya. 90 deep dives 5. Enhance base industries’ ability to contribute cial services, suggesting market-seeking investment. to the economy and support technology Although some manufacturing sectors have received upgrading FDI, including beverages, chemicals, and electronic Base industries — such as steel, chemicals, and food components, overall investment levels remain negligible processing — need further support and enhancement. relative to the sector’s size. Although it is possible Kenya has a continuous history in manufacturing, for FDI activity to pick up in the near term, the gov- but its core industries have lagged and failed to incre- ernment needs to make a concerted effort to attract mentally improve their complexity of products. The manufacturing FDI, especially in the strategic sectors. government sees these subsectors as foundational and hopes to establish more complex products, such as 6. Ensuring environmental and social machinery and automotive parts. The recent discovery sustainability of iron ore in the eastern part of the country and For significant industrialization and for manufactur- a focused program in Vision 2030 could help alter ing growth, addressing environmental sustainability the status of the industry, which is relatively minor issues is key. Implementing sustainable industrial in comparison to imports and is focused on basic infrastructures increases resource efficiency, which products such as galvanized steel and nails (Chege, has impacts on cost reductions and competitiveness. Ngui, and Kimuyu 2016). Hausmann and others Not only are there government standards to meet, (2014) show that more complex products, typically there are also international investors in manufactur- manufacturing products, are more proximate (or ing that increasingly require stringent adherence to connected) to other manufacturing products and particular standards of environmental sustainability thus it is easier to shift to more complex products if in the development and operations of manufacturing a number of other complex products are already being facilities. This is because of their own commitments produced. Kenya’s export basket is characterized by to shareholders and other stakeholders. The National low levels of complexity and connectedness (Bhorat Environmental Management Authority is responsible and others 2017). for implementing environmental safeguards in Kenya. Kenya scores poorly on manufacturing complexity However, a lack of funding, gaps in regulations, and and on its ability to leverage new technologies to the lack of emphasis on the benefits of sustainability upgrade production processes. This leads to high mean that there is little oversight on development production costs across most subsectors. Firms lack projects with large environmental impacts. In gen- finance and technical support to upgrade their tech- eral, Kenya’s manufacturing industry is faced with nology and business operations. Most textile and the following environmental challenges: apparel firms have not conducted thorough energy audits which, given the old age of their equipment, • Weak and fragmented policy coordination among constitutes a missed opportunity. In a COMESA relevant ministries and government agencies, survey of Kenya’s footwear companies, 85 percent • Low technology, innovation, and R&D uptake, regarded the poor state of their machinery and the • Weak capacity to meet quality and technical stan- lack of machinery as a major factor that undermines dards, and the quality of their products.58 Over 90 percent of • An influx of counterfeit and substandard goods. them were facing major challenges with respect to machinery and tools, and all of them reported that Some manufacturing subsectors such as leather they were operating with inadequate machinery and (tanning) and construction materials (iron, steel, and tools, with 80 percent saying their machinery and plastics) can take advantage of the growing pressure tools were unreliable. for environmental and socially responsible production. To improve base industries and support the increased Kenya could develop high-value sectors compliant complexity of their products, it is important to focus with stringent water, waste, energy, and land man- on foreign direct investment (FDI) to attract more agement standards, as well as compliant with ethical, complex anchor investors. Kenya’s FDI performance, social, and labor guidelines. despite some promising growth, has stalled in recent For the manufacturing sector, localization of years. From 2011 to 2016, annual FDI volume fluc- economic value is largely driven by the potential to tuated from a low of $1.0 billion in 2012 to a high gradually substitute the import of goods and commod- of $3.5 billion in 2013, before collapsing to just $0.4 ities by manufacturing or producing them in-country. billion in 2016. Most of these investments were in Outdated equipment and technology, high energy real estate, alternative or renewable energy, and finan- consumption, and the high cost of spare parts and KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 91 replacements lead to high production costs across most be provided to assess the efficacy and potential of manufacturing subsectors in Kenya. The increase in these dialogues and address any gaps that may exist. competitiveness of manufacturing subsectors can be achieved by implementing different strategies: Emerging Growth Opportunities The government has put significant thought and • Firms lack finance and technical support to upgrade effort to identify opportunities for growth in the their technology and business operations. Most manufacturing sector and has highlighted priority manufacturing firms in the leather subsector face subsectors (table 5.5). This now needs to be coordi- major challenges with respect to machinery and nated for the benefit of the government’s strategy tools. The adoption of sustainable systems to reduce and to help accelerate the enabling factors that can energy and water costs, by investing in wastewa- facilitate growth and competitiveness. A major prior- ter treatment plants — optimized to maximize the ity is to enhance the extent of value addition across reuse of treated water — and in solar panels, can different sectoral value chains, create higher volumes generate significant cost savings. of skilled employment, and further embed supply • The local pharmaceutical sector depends for almost chains in-country. In the main export subsectors, 50 percent of the value chain to import packag- locally manufactured goods comprise 25 percent of ing. The opportunity of supporting investments Kenya’s overall output. related to in-house production of packaging can foster cost savings. PHARMACEUTICALS, MEDICINAL CHEMICALS, AND BOTANICAL PRODUCTS The key drivers for international sourcing are cost, Kenya’s pharmaceutical subsector has the potential quality, and the speed to market. In addition, social to improve access to essential medicines within the and environmental compliance is a growing concern domestic and regional markets and there is a strong for international buyers. The extent to which Kenya political push to meet growing demand. The key is can expand its exports will depend on its ability to to have enabling conditions where “brand Kenya” be competitive in these categories. In both imports becomes synonymous with high-quality standards and exports, construction materials such as iron and for medicines to ensure public health and improve steel and plastics are among the top product lines for consumers’ trust in local products. The combination Kenya. This indicates that there is demand for the of a growing middle class, accelerating urbanization, products in-country, as well as the ability of local and an increasing burden of noncommunicable diseases companies to export construction materials in both within the domestic and regional EAC markets are product lines. Construction materials will likely face increasing the demand for affordable and accessible increased demand because of increasing urbanization high-quality medicines. Kenya is the fastest-growing rates, continued infrastructure development (roads, pharmaceuticals market in the region, with expected rails, ports, and dams), and the opportunity to address annual growth of between 7.6 and 12 percent over Kenya’s housing shortage. The competitiveness of the next 5 years. However, domestic pharmaceuti- the subsector can be increased by implementing cals manufacturers supply only one-quarter of the resource-efficient strategies, with direct impacts on local market, which means there is heavy reliance on profitability both for internal (efficiency) and external imported medicines. There is potential for Kenya’s (international buyers’ requirements) factors. pharmaceuticals subsector to become competitive, as Kenya has a recent history of robust and suc- illustrated by its role as the third-largest exporter of cessful public-private dialogues. The Kenya Private pharmaceuticals in Africa, exporting 30 percent of Sector Alliance (KEPSA) convenes regular dialogues local production, mostly to the EAC. Focusing on between the private and public sectors, which includes quality could increase market access for firms meeting the President, to address urgent and pressing policy international standards and create consumer demand. issues that are key to private sector development. The main performance issues in the sector are Furthermore, the Kenya Association of Manufacturers limited regulatory capacity, quality infrastructure, maintains its own robust dialogue with private sector market distortionary incentives, and an inadequate stakeholders to prioritize issues of concern for the skills base to support quality upgrading. The issue of manufacturing sector that it seeks to channel to low-quality medicines is a widespread public health KEPSA for resolution. These dialogues can be and challenge to UHC in Kenya and in the region. The should be leveraged effectively to catalyze consensus Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB), Kenya’s national building and policy reforms. Technical assistance may drug regulator, lacks the technical and financial 92 deep dives TABLE 5.5 NATIONAL INDUSTRIALIZATION POLICY AND DEVELOPMENT TIME FRAME Subsector Time frame Short term Medium term Long term Labor intensive Agriprocessing • Textile and apparel • • Leather and leather goods • • Medium to high technology Iron and steel • • Machine tools and spare parts • Agrimachinery and farm implements • Pharmaceutical • Advanced manufacturing Biotechnology and nanotechnology • Source: Adapted from MOIED 2012. resources to adequately monitor the quality of medicine high-interest loans inadequately suited for long-term in circulation and to shut down firms endangering financing of plant upgrading. the public’s health. Compared with other countries Firms face challenges filling jobs in quality assurance such as Nigeria, the current therapy screening area and quality control from within the Kenyan market. of just 11 percent of products per year is inadequate. High-skilled jobs that firms have local-recruitment Compliant local firms are negatively affected by the challenges include industrial pharmacists, chemists, proliferation of counterfeits and substandard medicines, microbiologists, site supervisors, and engineers. Semi- whose sales are not curbed because of insufficiently skilled jobs in demand include machine operators, severe consequences for violators, such as prosecution, quality controllers, and marketing and sales positions. mandatory shutdown, and stock seizures. Kenyan Firm interviews consistently revealed a strong pref- manufacturers are caught in a cycle of low incentives erence for hiring locally to build a pipeline of skilled to upgrade quality without sufficient profitability and workers for the sector in Kenya and in the region. scale, as consumers tend to distrust generics because Without a local pool of qualified labor for these of the poor quality in circulation. The implications positions, firms import foreign labor mostly from the for consumers are higher prices for medicines of mature South Asian market and bear the relocation indistinguishable quality and uncertain access. and work permit fees. Firms that can hire locally for Local manufacturers state that insufficient access certain positions report that recent graduates are to affordable finance is the most pressing challenge inadequately prepared to work in the industry, which to investing in physical site and quality management leads significant investments in training programs of system (QMS) upgrades. Interviews with local man- an average of three to six months — often diverting ufacturers revealed insufficient access to affordable resources such as staff time from production. Firms finance as the most pressing challenge, particularly also face an ongoing risk of poaching and turnover with regard to upgrading standards and efficiency. in a market without a sufficient pipeline of talent for Elements related to the physical site and the QMS skilled labor available locally. are the most pressing issues to ensure GMP compli- Several factors related to import duties on inputs, ance, as evidenced by the firm assessment. However, public procurement, tax, and financial incentives distort firms struggle to access capital from local banks to the market, which leaves local firms at a disadvantage purchase additional equipment or expand or upgrade to their importing competitors. When competing for infrastructure. This is in part because of commercial government tenders, Kenyan firms argue that the 15 banks’ insufficient experience with risk assessments, percent price preference for local manufacturers by specifically for the pharmaceutical sector and of the Kenya Medical Supply Authority is not significant KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 93 compared to the 10 percent discount for imported pete with imports based on quality and price. medicines by Kenyan-owned firms. Similarly, local This should be through revised tariffs on pack- firms are paying tariffs on imported packaging not aging, price preferences for public tenders, tax available locally, because of challenges to reclaiming incentives, and import classification. VAT refunds from the Kenyan Revenue Authority • Assessing roadblocks to implement harmonized and writing off the value of the rebates. As about protocols in the EAC. The aim here should be to 50 percent of packaging material is imported, local increase market access for competitive, quality firms are effectively less competitive compared to compliant firms and improve attractiveness for duty- and VAT-free imported medicines as the tariffs investors in the subsector. This would include on packaging could be up to 25 percent and VAT up the establishment of a semi-autonomous, sustain- to 16 percent. Further, producers in Kenya do not able regional agency for effective implementation enjoy as significant corporate income tax treatment of joint initiatives, and information management (tax rate and holiday) compared to those in Ethiopia, systems to facilitate exchanges at the national and India, and China. regional levels. Within the EAC, slow implementation of joint pro- tocols, such as reviews and inspections for mutual At the industry or firm level, there is potential to recognition, limits local firms’ access to export markets leverage advisory and investment solutions to sup- and potential to scale without preferential registration port manufacturers and distributors to upgrade and processing. Local manufacturers face NTBs in the monitor medicine quality. form of the slow process and lack of implementation of the African Medicines Registration Harmonization • Supporting e-health solutions to provide con- (AMRH) program. Firms cite challenges with the lack sumers with lower-cost options and assist firms of a common information technology system to share along the value chain to increase quality. The information between countries and a common payment World Bank Group’s TechEmerge matchmaking system to collect registration fees. The World Bank, platform facilitates industry adoption of proven which has supported the AMRH program since 2009, technologies to address operational challenges. has cited the importance of political will and varied Industry disruptors, such as MyDawa, promote regulatory capacity across the region as a disincentive supply chain transparency and efficiency, as custom- for harmonized standards. This means that few Kenyan ers order high-quality, cheaper medicines directly manufacturers can benefit from the preferential reg- using their smartphones. IFC and the World Bank istration application processing times — for example, could assess similar models for commercial via- four months versus the average of one year — and meet bility, scale, and replicability from an investment growing regional demand and achieving scale. and/or advisory support perspective. The most significant opportunity for safer and • Adapting industry-led training solutions in col- more affordable products in the market is to improve laboration with global standard-setting organiza- the regulatory capacity for quality assurance and tions, such as the USP training initiative in India, enforcement of locally produced and imported medi- in Kenya, and/or in the EAC. IFC’s e-learning and/ cines. The main areas for government action to create or distributor and retailer academy platforms, suc- the enabling conditions for Kenya’s pharmaceuticals cessfully tested in agribusiness, could be assessed sector includes: for adaption in manufacturing subsectors. A sec- torwide skills strategy should ensure alignment • Improving technical and financial resources for with international standards. Continuous pro- strong regulatory oversight of medicine quality. fessional development based on industry needs This would include (1) implementation of the Kenya and the regulator and identifying suitable train- GMP Roadmap and (2) technologies for real-time ing and financing providers. quality testing through the value chain — working with the U.S. Agency for International Development A coordinated approach is needed through a pack- (USAID) to leverage their experience in Nigeria, age of interventions to support Kenya’s, as well as Ghana, Ethiopia, and Uganda through the U.S. the region’s, efforts to increase the role of the private Pharmacopeia’s (USP) Protecting Medicines Quality sector in supplying high-quality, affordable medicines program. (see appendix B for details). The recommendations • Leveling the playing field so that local firms com- will likely require a minimum five-year time hori- pliant with international standards can fairly com- zon and a package of World Bank Group lending, 94 deep dives advisory support, and investments, drawing upon is concentrated in China, with decreasing amounts of Creating Markets Advisory Window and the Global production in the EU and the United States. Olefins Financing Facility.59 There is significant potential to and aromatics make up 90 percent of petrochemical bring in the United Nations Industrial Development production and are the basic components of all other Organization, the PPB, the Federation of Kenyan petrochemicals and polymers. As these petrochemicals Pharmaceuticals Manufacturers, the EAC Secretariat, are commodity products, their market is cost-driven and industry representatives. and highly price sensitive. China emerged as the It is important to recognize that there may be resulting leading consumer and accounted for 26.7 percent of positive and negative impacts on Kenyan firms in the global consumption in 2014.62 Regionally, COMESA sector. Those that can meet the quality standards will and EAC chemicals imports from the rest of world have the opportunity to grow and expand, including increased by 5 percent and 11 percent, respectively in the donor and export markets. Those that cannot, (CAGR), in 2011 – 15. will be forced to exit the market, and some assistance The main opportunity for Kenya to strengthen in this transition for firms and workers might be an its chemicals subsector is to meet growing demand important element in ensuring public support. from the local chemicals consumers, that is, the agri- culture, manufacturing, and service sectors. Kenya CHEMICALS AND CHEMICAL PRODUCTS 60 is not a major manufacturer of chemicals, except The chemicals industry, including the manufacture those that are locally mined and processed in-coun- of basic industrial chemicals and pesticides, is a com- try, such as fluorspar, lead, and titanium. The bulk plex and evolving subsector. The main activities that of the chemicals used in the country are imported produce chemicals includes metallurgical industries and mainly consist of petroleum, fertilizers, plas- centered on iron, aluminum, copper, brass, and steel tics, pesticides, and consumer products. There is production. These activities provide a wide range also significant import of chemicals designated by of materials required by the engineering industry; international regulatory instruments as highly toxic. chemical industries that produce fertilizers; chemi- Managing chemical waste and pollution is therefore cals-based recycling industries, especially those using a key issue in Kenya.63 industrial wastes and by-products; agro-industries There are about 100 manufacturers of plastic prod- such as those that produce molasses; cosmetics, var- ucts in the country employing over 8,000 people. The nishes, oils, toiletry, soaps, and detergents; paints and products are marketed locally and exported to the resins; plastics and rubber; and inert gases (nitrogen COMESA subregion. Almost all of the raw materials and neon). are imported. There are also 20 plants involved in Hydrocarbons form the major input of many chem- the recycling of waste plastics. Production of plastics icals-based industries, as well as energy generation. utilizes many organic chlorine compounds, such as Kenya’s imports of oil products in 2014 totaled 4.6 vinyl chloride, that are carcinogenic. Waste plastics million tons, a significant increase over the early 2000s. are a major concern in Kenya, mainly because of the These include crude materials, aviation fuel, crude way in which they are disposed, usually through open petroleum, motor fuel, kerosene, illuminating oil, jet burning, which generates dioxins and furans. Recycling fuel, gas oil, diesel oil, and other oils. Demand for of these plastics can form the basis of many SMEs. petroleum fuels in Kenya and the region, especially Demand for plastics and packaging together with for gasoil and gasoline, has been on the rise although machinery will continue to grow, as Kenya strengthens there are infrastructure challenges, particularly in its manufacturing base by importing machinery and the lack of capacity in Kenya’s product-receiving raw materials to set up manufacturing plants to meet terminal. Some of the imported petroleum is reex- the rising demand for plastic and packaging products ported to neighboring landlocked countries, Rwanda, in East Africa. COMESA and EAC plastics imports Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and increased by 8 and 5 percent, respectively (CAGR), in Uganda. The transport sector (rail, road, marine, 2011 – 15. Kenya is a net importer of plastics. Demand and aviation) is the largest consumer of petroleum for consumer plastic products has been growing at fuels. The key products of petroleum are gasoline, an average rate of 10 to 20 percent, annually. liquid petroleum, and butane. In 2014, global chemical sales amounted to $3,555 LEATHER AND RELATED PRODUCTS billion, with China being the biggest consumer (30.4 The focus on the leather subsector is informed by the percent), followed by Europe (17.0 percent) and the World Bank (2015a) study, “Kenya Leather Industry: rest of the Asian countries (16.3 percent).61 Production Diagnosis, Strategy and Action Plan,” which indi- KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 95 FIGURE 5.13 LEATHER EXPORTS: HANDBAGS, of Kenya’s leather subsector is based on the coun- TRAVELWARE, AND CORPORATE ITEMS try’s comparative cost advantages, derived from its $ million abundant supply of cattle, goats, and sheep (Kenya is the third-largest livestock holder in Africa) and 2,500 its relatively low labor costs. Despite the subsector’s potential, performance in 2,000 recent years has been volatile. Kenya’s leather hand- bag, travelware and corporate-item exports increased 1,500 significantly from $0.4 million in 2007 to about $2.3 million in 2013, showing potential for future growth 1,000 (figure 5.13). Nonetheless, the leather subsector is dominated by the export of “wet blue” and crust 500 leather, with limited value addition (figure 5.14). In terms of production, in 2017, leather and related 0 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 products were laggards and recorded a decline of 12 percent in value terms, attributed to a reduction in Source: Adapted from World Bank 2015. the production of finished leather and shoes with leather uppers, which declined by 13.3 and 8.2 per- cent, respectively (figure 5.15). Kenya has lost most of cates that the subsector has potential for growth. its share of the domestic market for finished leather Furthermore, within the Big Four manufacturing products and now depends on foreign markets and agenda, leather has been selected as a key subsector, the export of semi-finished leather products to survive. with the government seeking to produce 20 million As with most of Kenya’s private sector, the leather shoes, increase export revenues in the industry to K subsector is divided into formal, larger players on one Sh 50 billion, process all hides and skins, and ensure hand and largely informal micro and small enterprises 5,000 cottage industries are set up by 2022. The (MSEs) on the other. The formal segment tends to government also aims to complete the Machakos be focused on the higher-value-added tannery and Leather Park, with three more leather parks identified leather-export space, whereas MSEs tend to focus to follow. In this financial year, the government seeks on the value-added manufacture of leather products, to export K Sh 7 billion worth of leather products. such as shoes, sandals, bags, belts, and other prod- The leather subsector has large potential domestic ucts for the domestic and regional markets. Most of markets where an estimated 42 million pairs of shoes Kenya’s livestock and thus hides and skins come from are purchased in Kenya annually, of which 15 million a predominantly pastoralist population, particularly pairs (36 percent) are leather. The competitiveness in northeast Kenya. FIGURE 5.14 TOTAL EXPORT VALUE OF KENYA’S LEATHER PRODUCTS Raw hides and skins Wet blue and crust Finished leather Leather products Abattoirs and Traders Tanning Manufacturing Labor intensive Capital intensive Labor intensive % % % . . . % Export value ($ million) Share in total leather export (%) Source: Adapted from World Bank 2015. 96 deep dives At the animal husbandry stage, the quality of hides FIGURE 5.15 OUTPUT PERFORMANCE OF LEATHER and skins has deteriorated over time, with tanneries 10 noticing a significant decline since the advent of devo- lution in Kenya. One of the key functions devolved 5 to the county governments was agriculture and live- 0 stock. However, county governments seem reluctant to finance livestock extension officers to work with -5 local communities to manage their livestock. This is mainly because the county governments have limited -10 funds at their disposal and the financing of extension -15 officers is seen as a cost that would not generate short-term returns. As a result, animal health and -20 husbandry officers are not financed by the county -25 governments. This results in turn in poor-quality 2014 2015 2016 2017 hides with tick bites, parasites, skin diseases, and Finished leather Shoes with leather uppers poor nutrition of livestock, which ultimately affects Source: Data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. hide quality. In addition, communities tend to brand their livestock, which could damage hides and skins for further use. Hides and skins tend to be semi-processed and cutting dices, and molds needed to meet the demands then exported. At the tannery stage, a key constraint of the fashion segment. Accessories for leather are is the cost and quality of power, which limits Kenyan imported, which is a lengthy process and complicates producers’ ability to be competitive. One tannery the ability to comply with global export delivery interviewed stated that about 65 percent of its total timelines. Furthermore, input accessories are subject costs were for electricity alone. There are also concerns to 10 to 25 percent tariffs, whereas finished goods regarding compliance with environmental standards can be imported at a 25 percent tariff. These tariff by tanneries. The lack of adherence to international structures disincentivize the import of accessories leather-related environmental standards at the tannery for shoe manufacturing, for example. In addition, level limits leather exports to high-income markets. it is a challenge to meet international standards for There is limited large-scale value addition in the exports because of poor tannery practices and the leather subsector. As mentioned, the larger players’ types of chemicals used at the tanning process. focus is on basic value addition to hides and skins In terms of products, despite footwear contributing for export. The value-addition space is dominated the largest share of final leather products produced in by MSEs, often informal, that service local markets, Kenya, the country still imports more footwear than particularly in the manufacture of school shoes, with it exports. Kenya is a net importer ($8.3 million) of no large players operating in the value-added leather leather footwear and many experts estimate the true space, with the EPZs not having a single manufacturer value of leather footwear imports to be even higher. of leather goods and products. The second-hand market (mitumba) accounts for A major constraint is the quality of inputs in around 63 percent of footwear, through which 26.5 expanding domestic production of leather goods. million pairs of Kenyan footwear are sold annually. Because most high-quality leather is exported, value The majority of purchased shoes are in the low- addition in the domestic market is constrained by cost category. Nonleather shoes dominate both the the provision of low-quality leather. Once leather mitumba and lower price range footwear; out of an reaches the final stage of its particular color, texture, estimated 42 million pairs of shoes purchased in and pattern, the local market has limited buyers of Kenya annually, only 15 million pairs are leather shoes. finished leather. The absence of large players at the Domestic producers only supply low-and mid-price value-addition stage stems from the fact that Kenya leather shoes to the market. In the low-price leather does not have an ecosystem of input suppliers for shoe market, there are still vibrant local producers, leather goods that can easily supply producers. In mainly the informal ( Jua Kali) sector, competing addition, leather has a fashion element that is dynamic against cheap imports from China and Ethiopia. In and there is a lack of readily available accessories the mid-price category, only about 0.8 million leather locally, thus local players cannot comply to the dif- shoes are made in Kenya, with the other 1 million ferent design elements, such as soles, cutting dyes, pairs imported. There are no local producers of high- KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 97 end leather footwear. After footwear, leather bags and the EAC from the rest of the world increased by is the second-largest leather segment. 32 and 7 percent, respectively (CAGR), in 2011 – 15. There is an opportunity to invest in the development Meanwhile, COMESA and EAC textile or fabric of common infrastructure and services that could help imports from the rest of the world increased by 17 improve the quality in the upstream segments of the and 6 percent, respectively (CAGR), in the same supply chain. This could include services for improving period. FDI in the textile subsector has been highly animal husbandry practices, the professional man- volatile but increased on average by 73 percent per agement of abattoirs, and improved management of year in 2004 – 16 in Africa. A total of 198 companies hides and skins traders. The development of leather invested in Africa in the textile subsector between parks could also help provide facilities with a common January 2003 and January 2017. effluent treatment plant. This would release capital Kenya’s textiles and apparel industry is a significant from effluent treatment to improve production and manufacturing activity, providing livelihoods to about equipment. Such parks could also serve as vehicles to 200,000 households. In 2011 – 16, Kenya attracted implement improved leather standards in collabora- $37 million of FDI into the subsector,65 although tion with the Kenya Bureau of Standards and provide compared to Ethiopia, this is a small fraction, which common manufacturing facilities for certain aspects received $3.19 billion in the somewhat longer period of the leather manufacturing and testing process. of 2007 – 16.66 Trade performance data show that the subsector relies significantly on imports across the TEX TILES AND APPAREL entire value chain. In 2012 – 16, the rate of growth Kenya’s textile and apparel subsector is relatively labor for Kenyan exports was higher than the world aver- intensive in nature and largely export-driven, with age. Total apparel exports represented $338 million viable prospects for future development. At present, in 2015, $339 million in 2016, and $340 million in the share of East Africa in the global textile and 2017. Although Kenya retains its position as the top apparel trade is marginal, estimated at less than 1 exporter of apparel to the United States under AGOA percent of global exports. A key challenge for Kenya (Kenya’s largest market for apparel), export growth and for the East Africa region, more generally, is how to the United States has leveled off in the past three to enhance the textiles and apparel value chain and years, at $270 million in 2015, $281 million in 2016, diversify exports in international markets. and $292 million in 2017. Data suggest that a portion There are significant market opportunities for of sourcing by large U.S. buyers has been diverted to Kenya to diversify and grow its textile and apparel other regional markets, notably Madagascar, which subsector. Demand for textiles and apparel is grow- regained its AGOA eligibility in 2014, and emerging ing at a high rate globally, in Africa and the EAC low-cost competitors such as Ethiopia.67 However, region, and domestically. Population growth inevi- imports are growing at 4 percent annually, mainly tably creates additional demand for cotton, textile, in the yarn segment of the value chain. and apparel-related products and the rise in average According to a World Bank Group and Global incomes in transition economies generates demand Development Solutions (2015) report, the sector has to substitute lower-priced and second-hand garments faced continuous challenges related to production with more expensive products. costs compared to competitors in terms of energy Production activity is shifting away from the EU, and labor costs, managerial and technical skills, and China, and Bangladesh, which are becoming more speed to market. For textile firms, chief among these costly locations. Global textile FDI has increased by 32 is the cost of power at over $0.21 per kilowatt hour percent over the past 5 years. The fabric and apparel (kWh) in 2014, Kenyan firms are on fundamentally market globally is forecast to grow by 4 to 6 percent unequal footing to firms in other countries that pay annually up to 2020. In 2015, the EU, China, and considerably less, such as in China ($0.08/kWh) and the United States accounted for 37 percent of world in Ethiopia ($0.06/kWh). This results in power costs textile imports, down from 52.8 percent in 2000,and accounting for up to 25 percent of Kenyan textile accounted for 59 percent of world apparel imports, firms’ operating costs. However, this percentage is down from 78 percent in 2000. This indicates that not attributable to the high cost of power alone. A import demand from other economies, especially review of textile firms undertaken as part of this from emerging markets, has been growing faster than strategy process revealed that some are operating elsewhere over the past 15 years.64 on equipment that, in some cases, is up to 38 years Imports of textiles and apparel into regional mar- old and which draws considerably more power for kets are increasing. Imports of apparel into COMESA its output than more modern equipment. Investment 98 deep dives by textile firms in new technology will significantly help boost job creation, profits, and exports. This reduce their operating costs and improve sustainability. process — from cotton to a container of jeans — along a Another debilitating factor is the cost associated fully integrated value chain could potentially generate with the need to import inputs. After labor, materials a total profit of $69,938 and 1,452 total person days are the second-highest cost component in the cut- of factory work. However, if cotton is exported at make-trim segment of the value chain. As Kenya is far the lint stage (after ginning), more than 70 percent from its major fabric suppliers in Asia, the long lead of the potential profit is lost.70 time to imported inputs substantially increases costs. Buyers and consumers are placing increasing pressure In terms of labor productivity, many Kenyan firms on manufacturers to move toward environmentally are at a competitive disadvantage on a cost basis. For and socially responsible production across the value instance, the average labor cost in the apparel sector chain. The industry is under growing ethical pressure. is higher in Kenya ($175) compared with Madagascar Bangladesh, the second-largest clothing manufac- ($60 – $90), Tanzania ($90), and Uganda ($105).68 This turer after China, quickly overtook its competitors needs to be taken in light of potential differentiations in China, Indonesia, and Vietnam owing to on-time on skill levels in these countries. Sewing operators’ deliveries and cheap pricing. However, in 2013, the wages in Kenya average $180 per month compared deaths of more than 1,100 workers in the collapse with $60 in Ethiopia. Exporters are also hampered of a garment factory in Bangladesh led global buyers by difficulties accessing markets, with a container to reevaluate their sourcing. Although wages are low taking longer to get to the United States than it does in Bangladesh — at $67 a month following a series from countries such as China, India, South Africa, of riots in the wake of the catastrophe that brought and Vietnam. Shipping costs in Kenya at over $2,000 them up from $30 — international buyers are recon- is also more expensive than in almost all apparel sidering their strategies. exporting countries, such as Ethiopia.69 In addition, it is recommended that reform efforts AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY are required to promote skilled workers, for most There is a large market for automotive industry growth roles and levels in the textiles and apparel subsectors in the Africa region. Africa has 42.5 million registered to help the industry move beyond basic, low-val- vehicles. The potential for growth is strong as the ue-added apparel production (cut-make-trim). It is motorization rate is far below global averages at 44 also critical that technologies for the industries are vehicles per 1,000 people compared to 180 globally. upgraded. This could be done through developing Although the African market has been growing at special lines of credits for companies that take on 3.6 percent per year from 2005 – 15, it still lags other board environmental and social considerations or emerging regions such as Asia and the Middle East by developing special financing mechanisms for the (8.9 percent) and Latin America (4.2 percent). Most of underserved, yet competitive, segments of the indus- this growth is supplied by imports, with second-hand try. The sector could also help develop a business vehicles accounting for a large share of vehicles sold incubator for SMEs and women entrepreneurs (spe- on the continent. cifically in fashion design and accessories and home There are some producing countries on the conti- décor) to provide tailored business services and link nent — A lgeria, the Arab Republic of Egypt, Morocco, with regional entrepreneurship centers to learn from and South Africa have sizeable automobile assem- other market players (for example, partner with the bly sectors. Despite this, only 900,000 new vehicles African Women’s Entrepreneurship Program). were produced in Africa in 2015, which is just 0.9 A potential opportunity for Kenya’s textile and percent of global production. As a result, very few apparel industry lies in the fabric and yarn part of new vehicles compete against the large number of the value chain, mainly because of underutilized second-hand imports. production capacity. Plants are either running at Kenya’s market follows these wider continental lower than their full capacity or are not providing trends, but with an even lower motorization rate of 28 the desired quality of a product higher up in the value vehicles per 1,000 people. Kenya has 1.3 million reg- chain. Indian and Chinese manufacturers are looking istered vehicles, with second-hand imports accounting to diversify, given their rising domestic production for an estimated 8 out of 10 imported vehicles. The costs. Factory wages are around $500 a month along domination of second-hand imports has resulted in a China’s coastal rim ($250 in the interior), whereas fleet of old vehicles, with an average age of 15 years. monthly salaries in the same subsector in Kenya are However, the market has been growing faster than only $120 – $150 a month. Value-chain integration can the regional average at 7.6 percent between 2005 – 14, KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 99 with imported cars growing faster at 10 – 12 percent. If this trend continues, Kenya will have 5 million BOX 5.8 POTENTIAL ENTRY STRATEGIES vehicles on the road by 2030. IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY Kenya only adds approximately 10,000 – 20,000 new vehicles per year, of which the majority (over The automotive strategies implemented in Africa in 85 percent) are light and heavy commercial vehicles, recent years fall into two broad categories: driven mainly by new businesses investing in Kenya. 1. Export-focused industries (such as in Morocco There are three main assemblers in Kenya: Associated and South Africa). The diversity of vehicles or parts Vehicle Assemblers, Kenya Vehicle Manufacturers, manufactured remains low, as well as the capacity to and Isuzu (the former General Motors East Africa). generate the economies of scale required to In 2016, their capacity utilization were low at 40 guarantee the cost competitiveness of exported percent, 3 percent, and 30 percent, respectively. vehicles and parts. The domestic market is usually a Despite the utilization challenges faced by Kenya’s secondary focus. assemblers, the Kenyan government — like other gov- 2. Domestic market-focused industries (such as ernments in the region — is eager to take advantage of in Algeria, the Arab Republic of Egypt, and Nigeria). the potential business opportunity that the country’s These plants are characterized by low-value-added growing automobile market can present, in partic- assembly, in which disassembled knocked-down ular as incomes grow and motorization rates move vehicles are reassembled or parts and components towards global averages (box 5.8). are assembled into a finished semi-knocked-down vehicle. Investment for these plants are lower and Strengthening Industrial Infrastructure usually follows the introduction of a strong customs Certain Kenyan manufacturing subsectors have com- or fiscal protection to limit or prohibit imports of petitive advantages and would benefit from additional assembled vehicles, which range from high duties to investment in industrial infrastructure. These sub- import quotas. sectors include textiles, leather, agriprocessing (that Which strategy is most appropriate for Kenya is, dairy, tea, and coffee), pharmaceuticals, plastics, would have to be investigated further. Both are beset chemicals, and paper. by considerable challenges, requiring the economies The government seeks to encourage momentum of scale to produce cars and parts at the prices in these manufacturing subsectors by supporting the required by the large global brands, or assembling development of three SEZs (Athi River, Egerton, and cars for local and regional markets that can compete Naivasha). A prefeasibility study of these sites has head-on with cheap second-hand vehicles in what already been conducted and shows promise. Kenya remains a low-to-middle income region. will need assistance in developing these zones and Sources: Adapted from Schiller and Pillay 2016, 48; Pertuiset and Douroux the related infrastructure under a private or a PPP 2017, 100. framework. Assistance would also be required to build the capacity of the SEZ authority and effectively marketing the zones to potential investors and tenants. In addition, to ensure the success of these invest- ments, it is imperative that the EAC benefits from a technical advisory program to formulate a policy on SEZs and removes other NTBs that are limit- ing investment and trade in manufacturing. Finally, Kenya’s manufacturing will benefit significantly from improved customs efficiency along the transport cor- ridors linking it with EAC partner states. 06 CONCLUSION The Kenyan government is committed to accelerating must be addressed, particularly the overall business economic development and growth, providing oppor- enabling environment, competition policy, and infor- tunities for employment, and improving the welfare mality throughout the economy. Third, the thematic of its citizens. These are reflected in its Development areas that impact all sectors must be strengthened, Vision 2030 and Big Four agenda. This Country particularly those that provide inputs with cost impli- Private Sector Diagnostic (CPSD) serves as a tool cations such as power, financing, or logistics. for the government, investors, and the development In the short term, however, the three sectors community that supports these goals and builds on addressed in this CPSD’s deep dive analysis — agribusi- the opportunities Kenya has to offer. Critically, it ness, affordable housing, and manufacturing — provide envisions a significant role for the private sector in the greatest opportunities for market creation and achieving its developmental aims. developmental impact. The deep dives looked at devel- This entails a multipronged approach. First, policy opment impact, feasibility, current performance, and makers, investors, and other stakeholders must be value addition, and provided specific and actionable aware of the opportunities Kenya has to offer — a vibrant recommendations and advice that will help the private private sector, strong export and trade potential, a sector assist in achieving the development goals (for solid financial sector, and sound infrastructure. Second, a summary, see table 6.1). the key constraints that hamper private engagement KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 101 TABLE 6.1 SECTOR DEEP DIVES: RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ADDRESSING POLICY ISSUES Agribusiness • Support farmers’ productivity with improved extension • Put measures to support farmers to minimize market services, including building the skills of the service distortions. providers. • Regulate monopolies in some industries (bulk grain • Channel existing input subsidies to better target handlers) and overt government market interventions in smallholders and empower farmers to select appropriate others (seeds, fertilizer, veterinary services). inputs that the private sector will supply. • Facilitate access to up-front finance for input purchase, • Develop innovative means to balance public and private equipment finance, and other forms of insurance. sector engagement in input distribution. • Continue access and support for international • Upgrade infrastructure to strengthen quality ecosystem. certifications, especially organic, to help build value and • Develop public and private sector – driven agriaggregation open markets. centers to provide value-added services to farmers and • Develop export promotion strategies and build awareness processors. of the Kenyan brand. • Public assistance in unstructured value chains to • Provide public support for vulnerable smallholders and strengthen producer organizations and increase their pastoralists to build resilience to climate shocks. productivity. • Increase public investment in irrigation. • Provide support for farmer aggregation models that can • Invest in small-scale irrigation schemes when large-scale promote smallholder links to offtakers. investment is not warranted or practical. Affordable Housing • Improve access to critical materials through increased • Place emphasis on professional construction and locally produced goods (such as the stimulation of local construction project managers. quality cement production) and/or value-added activities, • Reduce professional fees. • Develop regional specialization in value addition to • Strengthen spatial planning and land use management construction materials for export in the Great Lakes region. systems. • Proactively develop the capacities of large, medium, and • Further invest in land identification and release strategies, small local developers and contractors to improve and county capacity for infrastructure development and competitiveness. operation. • Enhance access to development and construction finance • Devise building standards and controls to support the Big by local developers and contractors. Four program. • Implement measures to improve the enabling environment • Formulate strategy for skills development for the (ownership disputes resolution, digitize registry, manufacturing sector. implement new building codes, expand e-construction • Improve information on skills demand. permits). • Promote on-the-job skills development programs. Manufacturing • Focus on innovation policies that improve collaboration • Improve governance and market discipline mechanisms between institutions. towards SOEs. • Provide financing for product R&D and technology services • Focus investment promotion and policy for base sectors to to help improve the innovation ecosystem. attract complex anchor investors who could bring FDI and • Improve coordination with universities and research know-how needed for the sectors to become more institutions to help maximize economies of scale. dynamic. • Support broader industrial infrastructure in SEZs and • Ensure that investments in machinery and tools meet strengthen the SEZ regulatory authority. environmental targets. • Strengthen cross-links with SMEs and develop specific • Adopt sustainable systems to reduce energy and water programs to improve capabilities and access to finance for costs by investing in wastewater treatment plants. MSMEs. • Remove regulatory barriers and government interventions that restrict entry and competition in key manufacturing sectors. 102 Notes of at least 70 percent of the base rate set by the CBK. The Act was subsequently amended in 2018 to provide some clarity to 1. Blue economy refers to the sustainable use of ocean resources section 33B to indicate the “base rate” referenced is the Central for economic growth and improved livelihoods. It comprises Bank Rate. The amendment also removed the floor on deposits. fisheries, renewable energy, maritime transport, tourism, and 19. World Bank (2014a). waste management. 20. World Bank data; Economist Intelligence Unit; Business 2. In March 2019, a Kenyan high court ruled that the 2016 Monitor International; Central Intelligence Agency World Factbook. law capping interest rates in the country was unconstitutional and suspended the ruling for 12 months to allow Kenyan lawmakers 21. See appendix B for a comprehensive analysis of the pharma- to reexamine the law. ceutical sector and key constraints and opportunities for private sector development. 3. Based on the OECD PMR indicator state control, which includes public ownership, scope of public enterprise, government 22. Around 15 percent of agricultural landholdings in Kenya involvement in network sectors, direct control over business are 60 hectares or greater. This compares to an average of around enterprises, price controls and use of command and regulations. 2 percent for low-income countries and around 10 percent for lower-middle-income countries (Lowder, Skoet, and Rainey 2016). 4. An SOE is defined as a publicly controlled firm when national, state, regional or other subnational government hold, 23. The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development either directly or indirectly through a publicly controlled com- Programme targets a 10 percent share of total government pany, the largest single share of the firm’s equity capital including expenditure for agriculture. government entities not organized as companies but carrying 24. Large-scale commercial farms (that is, over 60 hectares) out commercial activities (that is, with the bulk of their income constitute 15 percent of Kenya’s total farmed area, which is a coming from sales and fees). comparatively high percentage for Sub-Saharan Africa. 5. World Bank data; Economist Intelligence Unit; Business 25. Although the cost of airfreight at $1.6 per kilogram is Monitor International; Central Intelligence Agency World Factbook. on the low side for the region, this is higher relative to (subsi- 6. The World Bank Group (2015b) report, Unlocking Growth dized) regional competitors (Ethiopia, Rwanda). An additional Potential in Kenya: Dismantling Regulatory Obstacles to 15 percent in costs for levies, certifications, screenings, and so Competition, is admirably frank and contains a number of bold on, for airfreight offers potential for efficiency savings. Ground recommendations, which, if fully enacted, should bring consid- transportation costs are increasing primarily due to increased erable improvements to the business environment. cross-county levies. 7. Mureithi (2016). 26. Estimates of postharvest losses vary widely in Kenya from 20 to 30 percent for many crops, to as high as 50 percent recorded 8. East African Community countries committed to liberalize in some cases for fresh fruits and vegetables. 82 percent of their imports (in value) from the European Union upon entry to enforce the Economic Partnership Agreement and 27. For agribusiness, dedicated blended funding also exists to gradually liberalize the remainder over a period of 15 years. within IFC through the Global Agriculture Food Security Program, which predates IDA-PSW and for which all regions of Kenya 9. Jensen and Sandrey (2015). are eligible. 10. Ibid. 28. Many value chains in Kenya (for example, maize, potatoes, 11. Estimates are based on government expenditure data for fruits) are informal with relatively limited links to private offtak- fiscal 2016 and fiscal 2017. ers. In turn, offtakers face challenges to source locally adequate volumes of products meeting quality requirements for processing. 12. Products considered include public works, waste manage- ment, travel agenting, industrial and hospital gases, medical 29. Efforts are under way to restore soil pH balances via increased supplies, airmail, and construction equipment, where cartels use of lime in fertilizer programs. have been detected in other countries including in Latin America 30. For additional recommendations, see the section on agri- and South Africa. business sectorwide market solutions. 13. Estimates are based on World Bank Group Cartel Database 31. According to a working paper by Ridolfi, Hoffmann, and for Latin America and Africa and standard overcharges and Baral (2018), postharvest losses for fruits and vegetables have duration used for ex ante estimates by competition authorities been reported to be as high as 50 percent in Kenya and would in the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, at a minimum be in the 20  35 percent range. –  and the Netherlands. 32. Major exceptions are two local currency bonds issued by 14. Based on Connor’s (2014) review of 2,041 quantitative the East African Breweries (Diageo subsidiary), one in 2015 and estimates of overcharges of hardcore cartels around the world. another in 2017, totaling around $110 million. Together, these 15. For instance, M-Pesa processed 1.7 billion transactions in two bonds made up a fairly significant portion of the Kenyan the 2016/17 period for a total of K Sh 3.6 billion ($36 billion), bond market over the past five years. which is equivalent to 49 percent of GDP. 33. Data includes mangosteen and guava. 16. World Bank (2015b). 34. For example, the urban population in South Africa is 64.8 17. CMA and others (2017). percent, Cabo Verde is 65 percent, and Botswana is 57.4 percent. 18. The Banking (Amendment) Act No. 3 of 2016 introduced 35. According to the United Nations Millennium Development section 33B which imposed a ceiling of 4 percent over the rate Goal definition of a slum. set by the CBK on interest charged by financial institutions 36. World Bank (2016b). regulated under the Banking Act and a floor on deposit rates KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 103 37. The Swahili house connotes communal living in a formal of all capital claims held against the firm, plus the market value structure, usually comprising separate rooms often along three of debt and equity. walls, and open or closed common areas, and a separate area for 55. Government of Kenya. 2018. “Kenya SEZ Pre-Feasibility toilet(s), shower(s), and kitchen(s), which are shared along the Studies and Market Demand Analysis.” fourth wall. There would be closed and open common spaces inside the structure. These include long vertical rooms with shared 56. Cornell University, INSEAD, and WIPO (2018). toilet, shower, and kitchen facilities. 57. Ochieng (2018). 38. The National Cooperative Housing Union has over 800 58. Mudungwe (2012). members, many of whom undertake small-scale (under 50 units) developments on behalf of their members. 59. The Creating Markets Advisory Window supports the World Bank Group advisory upstream project preparation, such as the 39. These figures are calculated using the CAHF’s Housing policy reforms and public good investments needed along with Affordability Calculator, which is based on an estimated prevailing firm-specific advisory to catalyze private capital. The Global interest rate of 17.1 percent over 10 years, with the borrower Financing Facility works with the public and private sectors for paying a 10 percent deposit. Lending data provided by the Banking health and nutrition of women, children, adolescents (including Supervisory Report, 2016. The loans or products that are below pharmaceutical manufacturers and medical technology companies), $20,000 are purely indicative, as few formal financial institu- through co-financing grants and loan buydowns together with a tions would provide mortgages of this size. Although the recent World Bank lending operation on the public side and with private interest rate cap has increased the affordability of mortgages, it sector through IFC investment (blended finance) and advisory. has inadvertently reduced their availability. 60. Information based on “Kenya Special Economic Zones Pre- 40. Land costs in this instance must be understood to be a factor Feasibility Studies and Market Demand Analysis, Government of not only raw land costs as reflected in registered transactions, of Kenya, 2018.” but also the high costs of obtaining permits and registrations and other practices often encountered, such as offshore payments for 61. Cefic (2014). proportions of land transactions in Kenya and the use of prop- 62. Nexant (2014). erty purchase. In the development of this deep dive, a number of reports, studies, and news articles were consulted to get a 63. MEMR (2011). sense of land costs for housing development. One such report on 64. Lu (2016). performance of the real estate sector in Nairobi (Cytonn 2018) contends that land prices in Nairobi are high due to inadequate 65. FDI Intelligence from The Financial Times Ltd. supply of developable land and increasing demand driven by 66. There were only three projects before 2011. higher than average urban population growth, a rising middle class with increased spending power, and some improvement in 67. Includes products under the Harmonized System codes availability of infrastructure. 61, 62, and 63 (U.S. International Trade Commission; United Nations Comtrade). 41. See https://www.hfgroup.co.ke/foundation. 68. MoITC (2018); KNBS (2017b); ITC (2016); World Bank 42. KNBS (2013; 2017b; 2018b). (2018); East Africa and Investment Hub; United Nations Comtrade. 43. Current prices, unless otherwise noted. 69. World Bank Group and Global Development Solutions (2015). 44. KNBS (2018b, 162). 70. USAID (2015). 45. KNBS (2018b, 44). 46. According to the KNBS (2018b, 50), “The informal sector is characterized by small scale activities, easy entry and exit due References to fewer regulations, skills gained from vocational intuitions, less capital investment, limited job security and also self-em- Bhorat, Haroon, Ravi Kanbur, Christopher Rooney, and François ployment. This sector however excludes illegal activities such as Steenkamp. 2017. “Sub-Saharan Africa’s Manufacturing drug trafficking and others. Over the years, it has expanded into Sector: Building Complexity.” Working Paper Series 256, activities of manufacturing and information, communication African Development Bank, Abidjan. and technology.” Briceño-Garmendia, Cecilia M. and Maria Shkaratan. 47. 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APPENDIXES APPENDIX A STATE-OWNED ENTERPRISES FIGURE A.1 SHARE OF SOES IN SUBSECTORS, KENYA AND AVERAGE FOR 71 COUNTRIES, 2019 Post - basic parcel services Post - basic letter services Market failure: natural Air transport - operation of air transport infrastructure Road transport - operation of road infrastructure monopoly, asymmetry of Railways - operation of railroad infrastructure information Electricity transmission Financial service activities, except central banking, insurance… Electricity generation Electricity import Railways - passenger transport Post - courier services Human health activities Water collection, treatment and supply Electricity supply Water transport - operation of water transport infrastructure Railways - freight transport Electricity distribution Gas production Network industry with Other urban, suburban and interurban passenger transport economies of scale and Insurance, reinsurance and pension funding scope Gas transmission Gas supply Gas import Gas distribution Telecommunications - Internet services Telecommunications - fixed-line services Telecommunications - fixed-line network Manufacture of refined petroleum products Other business activities Air transport - (domestic and international) passenger and freight Telecommunications - mobile services Water transport - freight and passenger Manufacture of fabricated metal products, machinery and… Accommodation, food and beverage service activities Construction Motion picture distribution and projection Wholesale trade, incl. of motor vehicles Unclear economic Building and repairing of ships and boats rationale Manufacture of aircraft and spacecraft Manufacture of basic metals Retail trade, incl. of motor vehicles Road transport - freight transport Manufacture of railway and tramway locomotives and rolling… Manufacture of tobacco products 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% SOE in Kenya Average SOE presence in 71 countries Source: Adapted from World Bank Group 2015 using data from World Bank Group–Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development PMR database and the Kenya National Treasury. Note: PMR = product market regulation; SOE = state-owned enterprise; SOE presence of 100 percent in Kenya denotes at least one SOE operates in the subsector. KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 109 TABLE A.1 SOE PARTICIPATION AND PRESENCE OF TOP BUSINESS GROUPS Sector Subsector SOE presence Government minority Government share- shareholding holding in competitors Enabling sectors - critical to stimulate employment and growth in all other sectors of the economy Finance and Banking • • • insurance Insurance, reinsurance • • Payment Systems • Leasing • Forex Communications Mobile telecom • • Internet access/data transmission • • Media, broadcasting, publishing • • Postal services • Energy Generation • • • Transmission • Distribution and supply • Transport Railway Transport • Water Transport • Air Transport • Airport, port, roads • Passenger transportation • Logistics and warehousing • • Traded sectors - sectors in which kenya could be well positioned to be competitive in international markets Agribusiness Agricultural inputs • Forestry • Tourism Hospitality • • • Manufacturing Construction material • • • Food products and beverages • • • Refined petroleum products • Other manufacturing • • Domestic/nontraded services Construction and real Processing zones • estate Housing • Construction and engineering Property management, renting • • Wholesale and retail Wholesale • • trade Retail trade • Social sectors directly impacting the endowment of human capital Education • Health • Water and sanitation  Source: Data from World Bank Group–Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development PMR database; Kenya, Inspectorate of State Corporations; Forbes; various companies’ annual reports and webpages, and news. Note: SOE = state-owned enterprises; PMR = product market regulation. APPENDIX B PHARMACEUTICALS DEEP DIVE Introduction Policy Framework 2012–30 cites policy actions to support the industry’s ability to meet growing demand Kenya’s pharmaceutical sector has the potential to locally and in the region, which supports the “Buy improve access to essential medicines within the Kenya, Build Kenya” policy, particularly for essential domestic and regional markets, and there is strong medicines. This approach aligns with the 2nd East political push to meet the growing demand. The key African Community (EAC) Regional Pharmaceutical is to have enabling conditions where “brand Kenya” Manufacturing Plan of Action 2017–27, in which Kenya, becomes synonymous with quality, which requires as the largest pharmaceutical market and exporter in tackling the counterfeit and substandard medicines the region, along with other EAC partner states rec- in circulation to ensure safety of the public’s health. ognize the untapped potential of the regional market. The Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Cooperatives The growing middle class, accelerating urbanization, and the Ministry of Health have recognized the sec- and increasing burden of noncommunicable diseases tor’s important role on economic development and are expected to continue demand for medicines of health perspectives. The National Industrialization high quality that are affordable and accessible. FIGURE B.1 PHARMACEUTICAL SECTOR’S CONTRIBUTION TO KENYA’S VISION 2030 National prosperity Healthy citizens Objective: Expand a competitive and sustainable industry Objective: Improve disease treatment by ensuring access that will attract private investment to quality essential medicines Target: Manufacturing to account for 15% of GDP Target: Universal health coverage by 2022 Key outcomes: • Quality assurance • Job creation Key outcomes: • Quality assurance • Availability of • Competitive • Health • Affordable prices essential prices improvement • Self-sufficiency medicines Shared goals supporting local production of medicines AVAILABILITY RELIABILITY AFFORDABILITY • Regular supply of essential • Zero tolerance of substandard • Affordable locally produced medicines for all quality by the manufacturers and products to the government • Strategic selection of medicines regulators and consumers for local production Source: Adapted from WHO 2011. KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 111 Sector Potential, Performance, and $0.4 billion of packaged medicines, mostly from India Competitiveness (70 percent) or Europe (24 percent).11 Local manufacturers are strongly oriented to sup- Kenya is the fastest-growing pharmaceutical market plying the private market, despite underutilization in Africa, with an expected compound annual growth of capacity among domestic producers and tariffs rate (CAGR) between 7.6 percent1 and 12 percent2 on inputs, such as packaging, that have constrained over the next 5 years.3 Domestic demand grew and competitiveness. They serve around 25 percent of the was estimated at $804 million in 2016 (figure B.2) Kenyan market and export around 60 percent of the from $294 million in 2006. Prescriptions of generics local output, mostly to the EAC.12 In 2016, Kenya have been driving the recent growth with a CAGR imported $495 million of packaged medicines, most estimated at 9 percent over the period 2013–20.4 For of it from India (70 percent) and Europe (24 percent).13 local manufacturers of generics, the East African Figure B.3 shows the origin of essential medicines Community (EAC) represents a sizable market of purchased by Kenyan wholesaler in 2012–13. $1.1 billion on this segment, with antiinfectives, Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) is immunological and cardiovascular agents making the largest pharmaceutical distributor, with nearly up for 50 percent of the value.5 30 percent of all prescription drugs purchases in the Kenya has a solid foundation for production of Kenyan market.14 It specializes in providing medi- pharmaceuticals and has become a hub in East Africa. cal logistics services for public health facilities and In the EAC, Kenya represents over 60 percent of the programs.15 Kenyatta National Hospital, the largest manufacturers and revenues and 40 percent of the public and referral hospital in Kenya, is also a major demand.6 Kenyan firms produced over $230 million procurer.16 KEMSA purchases drugs through open of medicines in 2016, increasing from $103 million tender or quotations for urgent supplies. The large in 2008.7 The number of manufacturers registered international tenders and the strong focus on price with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) increased have helped control tendering costs and improve from 4 in 1975 to 40 in 2018—of which 34 cover confidence in the public procurement process.17 A an estimated 66 percent of disease conditions.8 They study based on a survey from 2007–08 concluded focus primarily on the production of generics in tab- that KEMSA’s prices were more competitive than lets, cough and cold preparations, antiseptics, and similar products purchased by health facilities from antiprotozoals.9 Domestic manufacturers serve only other distributors.18 about 25 percent of the national market. Kenya’s Kenya’s competitiveness is illustrated by its role reliance on imported medicines is estimated between as the third-largest exporter of pharmaceuticals in 70 to 80 percent—and up to 100 percent for specific Africa and the current momentum for FDI in the products such as vaccines.10 Imported generics mostly sector. Around 30 percent of Kenyan production of come from India and China. In 2016, Kenya imported medicines is exported, with exports growing at a FIGURE B.2 SIZE OF NATIONAL PHARMACEUTICAL MARKETS IN THE EAC Sales (constant $ billion) a. Burundi b. Uganda c. Tanzania d. Kenya 1.4 1.2 1.0 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.0 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 Source: Data from the United Nations Comtrade database and Business Monitor International. Note: Data for 2018 and 2019 are forecasted; EAC = East African Community. 112 appendix bpharmaceuticals deep dive FIGURE B.3 DECOMPOSITION OF PROCURED ESSENTIAL MEDICINES BY COUNTRY OF ORIGIN, 2012–13 a. Public b. Private c. Faith-based organizations 1 8 7 4 11 7 6 1 33 8 19 54 30 4 76 31 Local manufacturers India and Pakistan China European Union and Switzerland Other African Other Source: Adapted from Mackintosh and others 2015. CAGR of 12 percent over the last five years.19 The Development Impact five top manufacturers export between 40 percent and 85 percent of their production, mostly to other The main development impact of supporting the growth East African countries. An analysis of pharmaceu- of Kenya’s pharmaceutical market is increasing access tical prices in Tanzania, based on data generated by to high quality (safe), affordable medicines. Low quality mystery shoppers in 2013,20 showed that the cost of medicine is a widespread public health challenge to Kenyan exports to Tanzania were competitive with universal health coverage. In Kenya, more than 30 both locally manufactured medicines in Tanzania percent of medicines were found to be substandard and Indian imports. Further, there are positive signs and six percent were counterfeits, based on outdated of international investors’ interest in the sector in and limited data that industry stakeholders agree is a Kenya. IFC’s first pharmaceutical manufacturing deal vast underestimate of the dangerous products in cir- in the region outside of South Africa is part of a $25 culation.21 A 2013 study in 39 Sub-Saharan countries million project with Universal Corporation Limited estimated that over 122,000 deaths among children (UCL), a leading Kenyan firm recently acquired by under age five were associated with the consumption Strides from India to expand their operations. Square of poor-quality antimalarials.22 Pharmaceuticals from Bangladesh is establishing a manufacturing plant in one of Kenya’s special economic zones (SEZs) to increase their regional FIGURE B.4 LABOR PRODUCTIVITY IN THE exports and meet growing domestic demand. Kolon PHARMACEUTICAL SECTOR BY COUNTRY, 2014 Pharmaceuticals, one of South Korea’s largest indus- $ per employee trial conglomerates, seeks to further their expansion in Africa and are assessing Kenya’s potential. Foreign firms are looking to establish themselves in the East Bangladesh African market with branded generics as demand has Egypt, Arab Rep. become sizable and the donor community aims to increase the amount of medication purchased from India local companies. Kenya Kenya offers relatively good labor productivity (see figure B.4) and local firms manage the costs of Ghana labor and raw materials for production at comparable South Africa levels with those in India—that is, around 8 percent and 55 percent, respectively. 0 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 Source: Adapted from IFPMA 2017. KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 113 FIGURE B.5 KENYA’S ECONOMIC COMPLEXITY FOR Value Chain Structure and Key PHARMACEUTICALS Characteristics 0.7 Kenya’s pharmaceutical value chain has three main Photographic and cinematographic goods stages: (1) production of inputs, (2) production of 0.6 Textiles for industrial use medicines, and (3) distribution (which includes whole- sale and retail) to consumers. Value is evenly spread Expected complexity gain 0.5 along these three steps (see figure B.6). 0.4 Pharmaceuticals Production of Inputs 0.3 The Kenyan pharmaceutical sector has not yet moved Dairy products towards the most complex activities of the value 0.2 chain.27 Research and development (R&D) is very 0.1 limited and the few firms that have R&D departments focus on reverse engineering generic products. Firms 0.0 manufacture simple nonpatented products or rely, 0.00 0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20 0.25 for two of them, on technology transfer agreements Feasiblity with multinational manufacturers.28 Like most in the Revealed comparative region, Kenyan producers import over 90 percent of advantage 0.0–0.2 0.3–0.4 0.5–0.6 0.7–0.8 0.9–1.0 their active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and Source: Adapted from Cader and Tacchella (2018). excipients at significantly high prices.29 Figure B.7 illustrates that raw and packaging materials contribute to about 50 percent of the product’s wholesale price, most of the value coming from APIs.30 and 31 Three Focusing on quality enhancement has the potential firms manufacture raw materials for API production to increase market access for firms meeting international but these are fully destined for export, as the local quality standards and demand for more high- and capacity for processing raw inputs is underdevel- semi-skilled jobs in those quality compliant firms. oped.32 Most packaging materials are also imported, Interviews with the top eight manufacturers in the despite tariff duty being applied. Large and small sector revealed an estimate of 3,600 jobs,23 of which firms import about 60 and 35 percent of packag- approximately two-thirds are low-skilled and the ing items, respectively.33 The industry also imports remaining are high- and semi-skilled.24 These jobs the machinery and equipment for production from are technical in nature because of the level of expertise Europe and Asia, including labor for maintenance needed for production and quality control. As the sector and repair services. develops, firms are expected to require higher skills for international quality standards compliance to access Production of Medicines donor-funded and export markets. In a conservative Kenya’s pharmaceutical sector is concentrated and scenario where import dependency remains constant dominated by mostly family-run firms that focus on and demand grows by 7.5 percent annually, another the simplest types of manufacturing. The largest ten 1,200 jobs may be created by 2022.25 There is also firms account for nearly 80 percent of local produc- potential for indirect jobs in the supply chain, such tion and mainly produce unbranded generics. Most as packaging producers, which is not yet captured. local firms compete in the same market segments The sector also presents high potential gain in with similar product portfolios. Over half of Kenyan complexity at its current level of feasibility that is firms are producing antiinfectives and are not tapping predictive of growth (figure B.5).26 While more fea- sufficiently into more lucrative immunological and sible opportunities to improve competitiveness exist, cardiovascular markets that have a larger share in expected complexity gains from adding these products the region. Local firms tend to produce simple dosage to the country’s portfolio are relatively low. Over time, forms such as plain tablets and capsules. While some the sector’s development is also expected to create an firms diversify by producing syrups, suspensions, and ecosystem with maintenance and repair services as well creams (a fast-growing segment), only three firms pro- as more upstream activities, which will further support duce injectable infusions and ophthalmic formulations the gains from growth and jobs among firms that are that require technologically complex processes and competitive based on quality standards compliance. stringent quality control such as sterile conditions.34 114 appendix bpharmaceuticals deep dive FIGURE B.6 VALUE CHAIN OF THE KENYAN PHARMACEUTICAL SECTOR Source: Based on IFC analysis and interviews and Maisha Meds Point of Sale database. Note: API = active pharmaceutical ingredient; KEMSA = Kenya Medical Supplies Authority; NGO = nongovernmental organization. Local firms’ annual capacity utilization (about 60 2012–13), with lower-level facilities obtaining their percent in 2014) suggests that there is room for the supply through the local district hospital.38 There are industry to address demand on specific products—if approximately 700 registered distributors in Kenya, they can comply with international quality standards.35 3,500 retail pharmacies registered with the PPB, and Underutilization of capacity is driven by supply-side issues an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 unregistered outlets.39 including operations management and foreign exchange losses, as well as lack of visibility on demand.36 Most firms cannot produce higher-value products because of a FIGURE B.7 COST DISTRIBUTION OF LOCALLY lack of technical expertise and financing for investing in MANYFACTURED MEDICINES IN KENYA advanced technologies. Costs of production and limited equipment upgrading suffer from high borrowing costs, Raw materials Markup which are around five percentage points higher than 40% 14% in India or Bangladesh.37 Raw materials and labor are Insurance,duty, and transport the main sources of costs, 51 percent and 9 percent of wholesale price, respectively, in proportions that are comparable to production costs in India. Marketing costs Distribution to Consumers Packaging materials 7% 6% Distribution is highly fragmented with multistage 11% markups passed on to consumers. Over half of Kenyan hospitals and over three-quarters of health centers and Utilities and maintenance dispensaries are owned and run by the government, Miscellaneous costs with the rest (around 17 percent of each category) in the faith-based sector. Nonprofit facilities have Labor 9% 5% 5% diverse wholesale sources, buying 44 percent from the Mission for Essential Drugs and Supplies, about one- Quality control and R&D 3% third from private wholesalers, and sourcing the rest from the public sector. Public facilities mostly source Source: Vugigi 2017. their essential medicines from KEMSA (91 percent in KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 115 Wholesalers often sell onto multiple subwholesalers four times higher depending on location and quality to ensure greater coverage and use their expansive and limited data does not allow for conclusions on local knowledge in rural areas. They also benefit from causality. Markups of private retailers tend to be exclusivity agreements with foreign firms and typically the highest in the value chain (42 percent on average add markups between 25 and 50 percent.40 Similarly, in 2014), because of high transport, staffing and markups are high among importers who must recover financial costs per unit.45 high costs of credit driven by a slow payment cycle. The state-owned KEMSA is the largest player with 30 percent of drugs purchases.41 and 42 Without World Constraints to Sector Competitiveness Health Organization Good Manufacturing Practices for Higher Quality and Lower Cost (WHO GMP) compliance, most local manufacturers Medicines are excluded from the donor-funded market for which KEMSA procures and mostly supply the faith-based Kenyan manufacturers are caught in a vicious cycle and private markets. with low incentives to upgrade quality without suf- A substantial proportion of essential medicines is ficient profitability or scale as consumers tend to purchased in retail drug shops and pharmacies—of distrust generic versions because of the poor quality which 40–60 percent are illegal or unregulated.43 of what is available. In the private market, approxi- According to Mackintosh and others (2015) there is mately 57 percent of medicines (including protected no reliable estimates of the percentage of essential and unprotected products) sold in value terms are medicines accessed through private shops in Kenya, original brands, which means patients pay more for in part because of gaps in household budget survey their medication and a larger share of sales go to data. Kenya is at an initial stage of consolidation with foreign manufacturers. Low demand for their prod- few retail pharmacy chains such as Goodlife and ucts prevents Kenyan firms from achieving sufficient Pharmart. Registered pharmacies are scarce in rural profitability that would allow them to upgrade their areas (0.4 per 100,000 people in the northeastern operations for standards compliance. Companies that region) compared to in Nairobi (26 per 6 people), have invested in higher quality tend to face higher which, combined with longer supply chains, lead to production costs, which makes them less competitive low affordability in rural areas.44 For instance, the relative to low quality local producers and imports of price of a generic version of amoxicillin can be up to indistinguishable quality. This has led to a prevalence FIGURE B.8 WHY KENYA HAS A LOW SUPPLY OF HIGH-QUALITY AFFORDABLE MEDICINES? Week regulatory capacity for quality assurance and enforcement Manufacturing Distribution Key constraints Tax and financial Fragmented distribution disincentive NTBs within EAC Informal retail channels with multiple layers (including procurement) Limited access to finance Shortage of quality for required equipment assurance expertise Implications Insufficient scale of Little profit incentive to Multiple and high markups because of long supply chain production hindering upgrade quality and payment cycle competitiveness No traceability Weak inventory Inability to forecast demand and plan production infrastructure management Consumer implications Inability to distinguish medicine Expensive medicines quality leading to low confidence in High risk of medicine stockouts "brand Kenya" Source: Kenya CPSD team. Note: EAC = East African Community; NTBs = nontariff barriers. 116 appendix bpharmaceuticals deep dive of substandard and counterfeit products that enter FIGURE B.9 COMPLIANCE OF PARTICIPATING COMPANIES the supply chain, in part also because of the long, TO KEY GMP QUALITY ELEMENTS fragmented delivery network, with limited traceability. No. of observations Figure B.8 illustrates the factors that contribute to poor quality and high costs in the Kenyan market. Inadequate Improve Acceptable Kenya’s PPB46 lacks the capacity to adequately Quality assurance 4 3 monitor the quality of medicines in circulation and Utilities 5 2 shut down the firms that pose product-safety risk across three main levels: (1) manufacturers, (2) imports, Sanitation and hygiene 4 3 and (3) distributors (including wholesale and retail). Qualification and validation 4 3 Complaints management 1 6 1. Manufacturers Product recalls 2 4 1 The PPB lacks the ability to monitor the quality of local Contract production and analysis 5 production, which requires adequate technical and financial resources, to ensure and enforce compliance Self-inspection and quality audits 7 with WHO GMP standards so medicines are safe and Personnel 3 4 efficacious. Figure B.9 illustrates these challenges based Training 1 5 1 on the Kenya GMP Roadmap by the United Nations Personal hygiene 2 5 Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the PPB in which most firms assessed received an Premises 5 2 overall “c” rating (that is, a high-risk company for Equipment 1 6 production safety).47 Material handling 5 2 The following challenges for local firms lead to Documentation 1 6 higher operating costs for local, which affect their Good practices in production 1 6 revenue- and profit-enhancing abilities to upgrade production in line with quality standards: Good practices in quality control 5 2 a. Limited access to affordable finance for site and Source: Adapted from UNIDO 2014. Note: GMP = good manufacturing practice. equipment investments Interviews with local manufacturers revealed insuffi- cient access to affordable finance as the most pressing challenge, particularly with regards to upgrading a strong preference for hiring locally to build a pipe- standards and efficiency.48 Elements related to the line of skilled workers for the sector in Kenya and physical site and the quality management system the region. Without a local pool of qualified labor (QMS) are the most pressing issues to ensure GMP for these positions, firms are import foreign labor compliance, as evidenced by the firm assessment.49 mostly from the mature South Asian market and However, firms struggle to access capital from local bear the relocation and work permit fees. Firms banks to purchase additional equipment or expand that can hire locally for certain positions report that or upgrade infrastructure. This is in part because recent graduates are inadequately prepared to work of commercial banks’ insufficient experience with in the industry, which leads significant investments risk assessments specifically for the pharmaceutical in training programs of an average of three to six sector, and of high interest loans inadequately suited months—often diverting resources such as staff time for long-term financing of plant upgrading. from production. The Kenya GMP Roadmap reiter- ates the “discrepancy between the adequate scientific b. Shortage of skills and resources for training degrees of personnel and the limited knowledge of Firms face challenges filling jobs in quality assurance WHO GMP requirements potentially illustrates a and quality control from within the Kenyan market. general problem with existing educational systems High-skilled jobs that firms have recruitment chal- and highlights a high need for review of academic lenges with locally include industrial pharmacists, and post-academic curricula...”51 Staff also require chemists, microbiologists, site supervisors, and engi- ongoing training to help identify and correct poten- neers.50 Semi-skilled jobs in demand include machine tial areas of quality and safety lapses in production, operators, quality controllers, and marketing and as noted by the CEO of a local firm: “I would like sales positions. Firm interviews consistently revealed to have more staff able to spot a problem in granu- KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 117 lation, formulation, and compression of any other year—which directly constrains them in their ability step of production before a batch of medicines is to meet growing regional demand and achieve scale. manufactured… this requires technical and critical thinking skills that are hard to find.” Firms also 2. Imports face an ongoing risk of poaching and turnover in Inadequate postmarket surveillance makes it diffi- a market without a sufficient pipeline of talent for cult for the PPB to assess the quality of medicines skilled labor available locally. in circulation, especially imports that may include counterfeits and substandard medicines regularly enter- c. Unlevel playing field with distorted tax and finance ing an unsecured supply chain. Manufacturing errors, incentives between local and foreign firms degradation through poor storage, or deliberate and Several factors related to public procurement, tax, fraudulent manufacturing and labelling contributes to and financial incentives are distorting the market. the lack of safety and security of medicines.56 Yet the When competing for government tenders, Kenyan PPB’s current screening covers just over one percent of firms argue that the 15 percent price preference for products per year. Compared to other countries such as local manufacturers by KEMSA is not significant Nigeria, this is an inadequate level of screening given compared to the ten percent discount for imported the range of medicines needing to be quality assured medicines.52 Similarly, local firms are paying tariffs at porous borders and along the value chain.57 The on imported packaging not available locally, because PPB the lacks capacity to implement guidelines for of challenges to reclaiming VAT refunds from the target sampling to products that (1) have the great- Kenyan Revenue Authority and writing off the value est potential for bioavailability or stability problems, of the rebates.53 As about 50 percent of packaging (2) are from new or questionable suppliers, and (3) material is imported, local firms are arguably less have been the source of complaints. Compliant local competitive compared to duty- and VAT-free imported firms are negatively affected by the proliferation of medicines as the tariffs on packaging could be up counterfeits and substandard medicines, which are to 25 percent and VAT is 16 percent.54 Producers not curbed despite the Anti-Counterfeit Authority’s in Kenya note they do not benefit from significant mandate to effect anticounterfeiting policy and law. corporate income tax treatment (tax rate and holi- There are insufficiently severe consequences for firms day) compared with their counterparts in Ethiopia, endangering public health such as prosecution, man- India, and China. For instance, Ethiopia provides a datory shutdown, and stock seizures. The PPB also five-year exemption when firms import more than appears to have delays in marketing authorization of half of total production and for two years when less new products, including those that could be better than 50 percent. and cheaper, which further props up illicit trade by creating a disincentive for firms and consumers to go d. Nontariff barriers limit firms’ export market access through unregulated market channels. and potential to scale Local manufacturers face nontariff barriers (NTBs) 3. Distribution, including wholesale and retail in the form of the slow process and lack of imple- The fragmented distribution network is largely because mentation of the African Medicines Registration of the prevalence of wholesalers and subwholesalers, Harmonization (AMRH) program. Joint reviews and which reinforces the limited traceability and high inspections agreed upon by EAC member states for markups that are passed on to consumers. From the mutual recognition of registration are not in effect. supplier to the consumer, there are multiple layers Firms cite challenges with the lack of a common that add unnecessary costs, quality risks, and limit information technology system to share information traceability, particularly without market information between countries and a common payment system systems in place. The reliance on subdistributors adds to collect registration fees. The World Bank, which markups across the supply chain as each adds around has supported the AMRH program since 2009, has 25 percent to the final price of the product, as figure cited the importance of political will and varied reg- B.10 shows.58 Kenya has high margins for distribution ulatory capacity across the region as a disincentive compared to other countries, such as South Africa, for harmonized standards.55 This means that few which has maximum markup on distribution of just Kenyan manufacturers are able to benefit from the six percent.59 Retail pharmacies then charge up to preferential registration application processing times— 33 percent on top of that to arrive at the fixed single for example, four months versus the average of one exit price set by the government each year.60 118 appendix bpharmaceuticals deep dive FIGURE B.10 AVERAGE POSTMANUFACTURING PRICE MARKUPS OF MEDICINES IN EMERGING MARKETS AT EACH STAGE OF THE SUPPLY CHAIN There’s often multiple Markups for branded CIF/tax subwholesalers in the products can range 5-10% supply chain, each from 25% to 260%, adding at least 25% on average, and up to Importer markup. 500%, in extreme 25-30% cases. Wholesalers 25-30% Subwholesalers 75% (25% each) Retailers generic 50-80% 0 50 100 150 200 250 Source: Adapted from IFC 2017. Note: CIF = cost, insurance, and freight. Most pharmacies are not using electronic systems playing field so local firms can fairly compete with to manage inventory, which creates an opening for imports based on quality and price, and (3) assessing counterfeits and substandard medicines when there roadblocks to implement harmonized protocols in are stockouts of medicines. Data from 2014 showed the EAC to increase market access and attractiveness that the availability of essential medicines in public for investors in the sector. hospitals and lower-level facilities were 61 percent and 48 percent, respectively,61 and nearly all private 1. Improve regulatory oversight to ensure and enforce pharmacies had experienced stockouts. Overall, 71 medicine quality percent of consumers experience stockout of essential medicines.62 The PPB has also noted lack of market a. Implement the Kenya GMP Roadmap data on disease and consumption patterns as a chal- Providing support for the PPB to implement the Kenya lenge to effective regulation. GMP Roadmap is a logical next step to ensure that the guidelines are implemented by firms to meet international standards. UNIDO has been working Opportunities to Increase Quality and with stakeholders, including the PPB, the Ministry of Lower Costs of Medicines in Kenya Industry, Trade, and Cooperatives and the Ministry of Health, to take stock of current quality compliance A fundamental precondition to increase the supply among local manufacturers. Stakeholder consultations of locally produced and imported medicines that are suggest funding a two- to three-year program could safe and affordable is strong political commitment to help milestones are fully implemented, including: “brand Kenya” based on good quality standards. The key priorities are to improve the regulatory capacity • Maintaining a clearly laid out, sustainable, and effi- for medicines quality assurance and levelling the play- cient governance structure for the PPB, including ing field for local manufacturers and importers along the National Quality Control Laboratory (NQCL), with skills development including closer links with which is responsible for testing drug samples; higher learning institutions. Figure B.11 summarizes • Facilitating PPB’s capacity for audits through the opportunities at the government and industry (or firm) GMP Inspectorate, including development of staff- levels for World Bank Group support in Kenya across friendly tools for use in periodic reviews, and estab- the value chain from manufacturing to distribution. lishing a clear, workable process for noncompliant Three main areas for government action are nec- firms, limiting scope of license to manufacture, or essary to create the enabling conditions for Kenya’s recalling and destroying substandard products; pharmaceutical sector: (1) improving technical and • Communicating to firms the specific assessment financial resources for strong regulatory oversight to requirements for upgrade planning (for example, ensure and enforce medicine quality, (2) leveling the facility and QMS-related aspects); KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 119 FIGURE B.11 PROPOSED ACTIONS TO INCREASE SUPPLY OF HIGH-QUALITY AFFORDABLE MEDICINES IN KENYA Improved regulatory oversight of medicine quality Manufacturers Distributors Interventions Policy reforms to level the Assess roadblocks to Streamlined distribution and retail network playing field EAC–wide protocols (for example, consolidation) Support quality upgrading Develop pipeline of skilled in line with international labor for quality upgrading standards Outcomes Upgrading quality Scaling improves Lower markups from consolidated distribution networks increases profits competitiveness and reduced payment cycle risk Regular, accessible Improved responsivess and use of capacity Better stock monitoring mareket data collection Consumer benefits Increased access to affordable and safe medicines Source: Kenya CPSD team. Note: EAC = East African Community. • Developing strong, effective, and sustainable links • Implementing drug supply chain security mea- within and across governance bodies, such as the sures for tracking medicine at the unit level, for Pharmaceutical Technical and Steering Commit- example, track-and-trace system; and tee; and • Establishing business intelligence systems, such as • Supporting advocacy with line ministries to ensure Good Pharmacy Practice (GPP), for data manage- ongoing and demonstrable political support for ment of inspections conducted by regulators and local manufacturing. management of health facility inventory. Building capacity for quality assurance and enforce- Nigeria and Ghana have proactively tackled their ment in the PPB will help ensure that firms that are problems with counterfeits and substandard medicines unable to meet international standards exit the market. by screening products using handheld raman spec- Enforcement of these measures will require consulta- trometers, such as TruScan. The device can identify tions within the various units of the PPB, including the a substance’s chemical components on the spot and NQCL,63 the government, and industry to ensure quality it is used by most pharmaceutical firms to evaluate enforcement does not lead to shortages or increases APIs for consistent quality because inferior ingredi- in imports without sustainable regulatory oversight ents lead directly to dangerous drugs or indirectly mechanisms in place. This program would support to shortages. Illustration B.1 shows a device similar establishing the PPB as a regional leader in regulatory to TruScan. excellence (see box B.1 for lessons from Mexico). Regulators in West Africa have followed industry leads, given the extent of counterfeits and substan- b. Leverage technology solutions for real-time testing dard products in the region. Nigeria had a significant of quality throughout the value chain problem with an estimated 64 percent of antimalarial Experience from several other African countries sug- medicines being reported as substandard in 2011. To gests three main areas where the government could tackle this issue, the National Agency for Food and prioritize digital health technology investments to Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) intro- strengthen market surveillance of product quality: duced a series of measures to increase surveillance in the market, including procurement of TruScan • Utilizing handheld technologies for real-time field units.64 Between 2010 and 2012, NAFDAC noted a quality testing, for example TruScan; reduction in the level of circulating counterfeits and 120 appendix bpharmaceuticals deep dive BOX B.1 MEXICO’S COFEPRIS: ESTABLISHING REGIONAL LEADERSHIP IN REGULATORY EXCELLENCE Mexico’s national drug regulatory authority, COFEPRIS 4. Competitiveness. Simplifying administrative steps (Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary (including for exports) and a risk-based testing model in Risk), is recognized as a regional leader by the Pan line with international best practices.a and b American Health Organization and the World Health 5. Global approach. Engaging with international Organization for its strong system of regulating and counterparts and consolidate its status. monitoring of drugs. It has signed bilateral agreements As recognition of Mexico’s practices translating into with other regulatory agencies that recognize quality and safety, COFEPRIS has become a member of registrations by COFEPRIS. Firms benefit with greater the Pharmaceutical Inspection Co-operation Scheme—an access to markets such as Colombia and Chile. In 2016, organization that brings together the most important the Mexican regulator launched 5 principles to improve regulatory agencies in the world. The clear agenda and protection against health risks: permanent dialogue with industry observed in Mexico 1. Ethics. Increasing confidence in the agency with offers lessons for Kenya on regional leadership in transparency and open access to information. regulatory excellence and good regulatory practices. 2. Expertise. Improving the regulatory environment for clinical trials and pharmacovigilance 3. Efficiency. Collaborating with foreign regulators and Source: Adapted from Oliveira 2018. a. EMA (2016). the private sector to implement best practices b. USFDA (2017). substandard medicines from 16.7 percent in 2005 to goods’ handling), which push companies to align 6.4 percent in 2012.65 In Ghana, the anticounterfeiting production and distribution processes for traceability program, Promoting Quality of Medicines (PQM), requirements and avoid non-compliance. The USAID, which is funded by the USAID (United States Agency in collaboration with Ethiopia’s Food Medicine and for International Development) and implemented Healthcare Administration and Control Authority, has by the leading standards body, U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP), is also using TruScan, as it is easy to learn and delivers immediate results to safeguard the public.66 ILLUSTRATION B.1 A SPECTROMETER BEING USED FOR The evidence presented shows that drug quality is API TESTING AT A KENYAN MANUFACTURER DURING AN likely improving in both countries, as spectrometry IFC-LED FIELD VISIT, MAY 2018 devices allow regulators and law enforcement agents to inspect the quality of both imported and locally manufactured medicines equally. Inspectors typically require a relatively short training period on how to handle the device and importance of their job function in enforcing quality standards with suppliers and distributors. Technical experts at the USAID have estimated about twenty-five units would be sufficient to cover the Kenyan market. Ethiopia is investing in transparency and quality management throughout its pharmaceuticals supply chain with track-and-trace systems. This system is a mass serialization solution for pharmaceutical companies that prints a unique identifying code onto each product after it has been packaged. The information can flow backwards and forwards for tracking (that is, knowing where the physical loca- tion of a particular good is within the supply chain Source: Kenya CPSD team. Note: API = active pharmaceutical ingredient. at all times) and tracing (enabling strict controls of KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 121 been funding the development and implementation of but they suffer from an inverted tariff structure on a new, fully integrated open-source electronic regula- packaging and from the distortive incentives for pro- tory information system that will enable end-to-end ducers in other countries. While no duty is levied pharmaceutical supply chain visibility in Ethiopia. The on imports on finished medicines, local firms face government’s political support has been essential for tariff on packaging and challenges with claiming the pilot project’s success, in part has been driven by rebates on VAT from the Kenyan Revenue Authority. the aim of reducing import dependence. An important In contrast, Ethiopia exempts VAT on all items to added benefit is the built-in information management produce medicines if the products are exported along system for materials, inventory, sales and distribution with other incentives (see table B.1). monitoring, counterfeits and substandard medicines Emerging markets with a willingness to develop diversion, and theft prevention.67 their pharmaceutical industry typically provide a Given that Kenya’s pharmaceutical distribution broad range of incentives aimed to support local and retail sector is characterized by fragmentation production (see figure B.1). While Kenya is following resulting in inconsistent quality and high costs, it is the standard pattern of evolution for this industry, important to encourage formalization through incentives. which is starting with production of generics for One possible area for consideration with the use of simple therapeutic areas, a package of incentives is a track-and-trace system is the complementary links critical before firms could move into complex therapies. with the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).68 (see figure B.1). A regional approach to incentives The government could mandate that those NHIF would boost local production and limit NTBs to members’ coverage may only be redeemed at licensed, exports. For instance, the Federation of East African reputable retail outlets, which could incentivize the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers suggests the following informal drug shops to register and have access to EAC-wide incentive package: a growing consumer segment. In Uganda, data warehousing technology and business • Price preference. A preferential margin of 20 per- intelligence are used to improve medicine management cent for all regionally produced medicines and and pharmaceutical services. The Uganda Ministry medical devices in public tenders according to of Health adopted the Supervision, Performance Article 35 of the Common Market Protocol; Assessment, and Recognition Strategy to increase • Tax incentives. No duties on imports of raw and the ability of health workers to manage medicines. It packing material and pharmaceutical manufactur- includes a data collection effort from all 3,700 health ing related equipment as well as its spare parts; and facilities on five main pharmaceutical service areas: • Import classification. Classification of medicines dispensing quality, prescribing quality, inventory man- according to the production capabilities of local agement, store management, and reporting quality manufacturers. Medicines that can be produced for all essential medicines. Established in 2017, the locally will be taxed or even restricted from import. “Pharmaceutical Information Portal” has progressively contributed to improving the quality of the medicines Implementing such package will require consulta- in the market as the National Drug Authority can auto- tions within various EAC member states’ Ministries matically generate GPP adherence inspection reports. of Finance, Ministries of Industry, and Ministries of The Ministry has also facilitated the national rollout Health and consensus on the identification of the most of RxSolution for generating medicine consumption optimal measures to ensure fair and effective competi- data to support procurement decisions and reduce tion in the market. As noted, the precondition is estab- the risk of stockouts while working to ensure quality lishing fundamentals on quality oversight and having of medicines among retailers. adequate skills to support the sector’s development. 2. Level the playing field through policy reforms 3. Assess the roadblocks to EAC-wide harmonized Levelling the playing field between local manufactur- protocols ers and imports is essential to ensure competition in Removing NTBs within the EAC is key for high quality the market for medicines. As noted, Kenya does not Kenyan manufacturers to access regional demand and benefit from backward integration into APIs and scale operate at large scale. While Kenya has less than 50 economies relative to imports, particularly compared million people, the EAC Common Market represents with larger players from Asia. Yet competition policy over 180 million people and a $2 billion market.69 challenges persist. Local producers could respond Removing NTBs within the EAC would allow Kenyan more quickly than importers to changes in demand, firms to operate in conditions that are comparable to 122 appendix bpharmaceuticals deep dive TABLE B.1 INCENTIVES PACKAGE FOR LOCAL PRODUCTION OF MEDICINES IN CHINA, ETHIOPIA, INDIA, AND KENYA China Ethiopia India Kenya Preferential pricing in No information available. 25 percent price No information available. 15 percent preference for public lenders preference, prepayment local manufacturers and of 30 percent of the 10 percent for Kenyan- tender value when owned companies awarded contract, loan for 70 percent remaining Export incentives and Fifty percent of Preferential treatment to Subsidy on exports Duty drawback on raw facilitation corporate income tax most global markets which varies based on materials reduction when destination. EPZs set-up with exporting over 70 Market access support, packaged incentives percent of production. for example, 50 percent Direct cash subsidies, subsidy of registration discounted utility rates fees in other countries. and land rent. Reduced import List of drugs discouraged An average 4.5 percent Thirty-five percent No measure competition from import updated on import duty on 35 tariff import tariff on all needs basis. lines products. Ten percent import tariff Six percent import tariff (WTO members). (WTO members). Customs duty exemption No information available. Capital good, raw Incentives apply if Capital goods and raw materials, and spare located in SEZs. materials fully exempted parts fully exempted (up Capital goods, raw Spare parts and to 15 percent of the value materials, and spare packaging not exempted of imported capital parts are fully exempted. goods for spare parts). VAT exemption VAT rate of 5 percent VAT rate of 15 percent VAT exemption on all raw VAT rate of 16 percent. VAT exemption or refund VAT exemptions on all materials imported and Exemption from VAT if in for the purchase of items if products are procured within the EPZs. Rebate for VAT on research and develop- exported. State. packaging not effectively ment equipment. applied. Corporate income tax Tax rate of 25 percent. Tax rate of 30 percent Tax rate of 15 percent for Tax rate 30 percent exemption Tax holiday applicable in Tax holiday high and new technology SEZs enterprises subject SEZ: 100 percent for 5 Five years and two years enterprises after tax to a reduced rate of 10 years, 50 percent for exemption for exports of holiday. percent for the first 10 another 5 years, and more or less than 50 Tax holiday: 2 years in years and 15 percent for further exemption if percent of production, select SEZs. the next 10 years investment is in the SEZ respectively. Special Reserve Account Source: Adapted from the Ethiopia, Ministry of Health and Ministry of Industry 2015. Note: SEZ = special economic zone; WTO = World Trade Organization; VAT = value added tax. Bangladesh where 166 million people consumed $2.2 • Establish a semiautonomous and financially sus- billion of medicines in 2016.70 Box B.2 describes the tainable regional healthcare products agency to development of scale in South Asia in which firms implement joint initiatives effectively and benefit from greater efficiencies as a result. • Support the deployment of effective information The end-term assessment of the AMRH program management systems at the national and regional proposed two potential solutions to the limited prog- levels to aid information sharing. ress on Common Market initiatives:71 KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 123 BOX B.2 SCALE MATTERS: LESSONS FROM INDIA AND BANGLADESH Kenya’s focus on high-volume and low-margin products cal ingredients and gain competitive advantage in the requires large-scale production. The largest manufacturer global market.c To further support market expansion in line in Kenya can possibly produce 7 billion tablets a year but is with growing demand, Bangladesh has taken advantage of only using less than 15 percent of its capacity.a In contrast, the World Trade Organization Trade-Related Aspects of the largest manufacturer in Bangladesh uses nearly 50 Intellectual Property Rights flexibility that allows low-in- percent of its 10-billion-tablet capacity and major come countries to export to other low-income countries European facilities can produce 250,000 tablets an hour.b with no patent protection until 2033.d and e Both countries Asian countries have relied on demand- and sup- are now nearly self-sufficient in production, through ply-driven approaches to develop scale. On the demand investments in manufacturing facilities that contribute to side, India and Bangladesh benefit from large and growing local firms’ profitability as costs have fallen and demand populations. On the supply side, both countries’ industries for local generics continues to growth.f operate large-scale facilities, many of which are within industrial parks. These dedicated industrial areas, which Source: Adapted from Bumpas, Kostermans, and Nair (2007). are logistically well-located and well-serviced land, help a. Vugigi (2017). b. ILSL (2019). firms’ access markets. The government of Bangladesh c. NSDCS (2017). invested $39 million in an industrial park near Dhaka to d. Vugigi (2017). e. Sultana (2016). achieve self-sufficiency production of active pharmaceuti- f. EAC (2017). A semiautonomous and financially sustainable option is to align the NMRAs on the same IMS. This regional agency would ensure that decisions result- would take substantially longer and be more expen- ing from regional assessments are legally binding sive. A comparable project in the Intergovernmental and that mutual recognition is implemented. The Authority on Development bloc that was developed establishment of a national medicines regulatory while using periodic and manual information uploads, authorities (NMRAs)–led coordination desk in the proved to be more feasible within reasonable timelines short term and the establishment of an East African and tight budgets. Health Care Products Agency in the long term that At the industry or firm levels, there is potential to coordinates the regional joint activities, coupled leverage advisory and investment solutions to support with mutual recognition agreements for individual manufacturers and distributers upgrade and mon- nationally assessed and approved products, would itor medicine quality and develop skills for quality be the most efficient and effective way to address the assurance and compliance expertise. fundamental issues. The agency could rely on two sources of revenues: contributions from the NMRAs SUPPORT QUALIT Y UPGRADING THROUGH THE VALUE and fees charged to marketing authorization applicants. CHAIN FROM MANUFACTURING TO RETAIL Annual filing of between 60 and 145 products for joint IFC is the largest multilateral supporting the pri- assessment could be fully financed with industry fees. vate health care market and is now ramping up its Lessons can be learnt from the New Partnership for presence in the pharmaceutical sectors. In line with Africa’s Development’s current initiative to establish IFC’s health care strategy and IFC 3.0’s aim of cre- an African Medicines Agency. ating markets, there are growing opportunities for Effective information management systems (IMS) enabling systemic changes in the pharmaceutical are required at the national and regional levels to market to raise quality standards through a value aid information sharing, storage, and management. chain approach from manufacturing to retail. Support will be required for the final deployment of In manufacturing, IFC committed $10 million in the platforms and migration of the data from the old June 2018 to UCL, which is its first project in the manual systems. A regional system that will support pharmaceuticals subsector in the region outside of this information sharing, although developed, requires South Africa. The financing supports the manufac- links to national systems for easy and regular sharing ture of critical medicines as UCL is GMP-accredited of the required information among partners. One way and can access donor tenders, such as those put out of doing this is to develop interfaces, while another by the USAID and the United Nations Children’s 124 appendix bpharmaceuticals deep dive Fund for HIV/AIDS medications. In line with the largely informal, unregulated drug stores. Having a recommendations of the Kenya GMP Roadmap, there program to push for more regulation and supervision is further scope to continue investments in firms of retail pharmacies would continue to help improve that have been rated “A” in production capacity for the market and allow for efficient reorganization of physical site and QMS improvements. the market. As in manufacturing, there is scope for Given that high costs of credit for capital invest- competition to drive efficiency growth in the retail ments to upgrade quality remain a barrier to most sector. For instance, in 2016, IFC invested in private companies in the Kenyan and EAC markets, there equity backed by leading chain, Haltons Pharmacy, are lessons from Ethiopia’s pharmaceutical sector for expansion plans that mirror Goodlife’s desire development—supported by the highest levels of to target consumers and localities lacking access to government. The capital investment constraints licensed, high-quality retailers. It will be important that Kenyan firms face for meeting GMP and Good to continue business development in the region to Distribution Practice (GDP) standards may also be support the growth in health care spending, such reduced through the use of the SEZ legislation, as as among the 25 million members of the National Square Pharma is doing in Kenya’s SEZ. Favorable Health Insurance Fund. tax, licensing, land allocation, and regulatory and processing policies may reduce the perception of risk LEVERAGE TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS FOR QUALIT Y by banks. Ethiopia, for example, has recently estab- MANAGEMENT IN A STREAMLINED DISTRIBUTION AND lished a pharmaceuticals-dedicated industrial park RETAIL NETWORK to attract investment in the sector. With support In collaboration with industry stakeholders, there is from the World Bank,72 the Kilinto industrial park scope to leverage the World Bank Group’s TechEmerge (308 hectares) has been designated as pharmaceuti- matchmaking platform between proven technology cal-specific, targeting firms from China and India in providers and firms for solving challenges faced by generics drug manufacturing. Local firms that will manufacturers, distributors, pharmacies, clinics, and relocate will benefit from links with multinational drug shops. TechEmerge already has programs in companies. As a result, over 27 foreign companies India and Brazil and is now looking towards the East invested since 2011,73 while seven companies have African health care market, which could include the expressed interest to lease land in the industrial park, pharmaceutical sector. Kenya has already developed of which four have signed memorandum of under- e-health solutions to provide consumers with lower standings with the Ethiopian government. A review cost options and assist firms along the value chain comparing the benefits of the Ethiopian industrial increase quality, such as Maisha Meds, Livia Dawa park versus the Kenyan special economic zones might App, and MyDawa.74 be helpful in assessing if further changes are needed. Examples such as MyDawa illustrate how empower- In logistics, the 2017 investment in the Africa ing consumers directly can reduce fragmentation, safety Logistics Properties Holding together with the United risks, and prices in the delivery network. Consumers Kingdom is supporting development of modern browse a range of medicines from accredited manu- high-quality warehousing in Kenya. Quality ware- facturers, mostly from India, purchase using M-Pesa housing is critical for product quality and security mobile platform, and are notified by text messages in medicine storage. There is scope to assess links that the product is available for collection from a for the pharmaceutical sector, potentially through pharmacy of their choice. This model illustrates how a prelease with a distributor to build specifications, Kenya can tackle substandards and counterfeits through such as temperature-controlled facilities that are GMP better traceability and authentication along the supply or GDP compliant. Again, a push for ensuring qual- chain. Consumers can authenticate the products they ity by the Kenyan government and taking degraded purchase by sending a text message of a short code or fraudulent medicine out of the supply chain will from the tamper-proof seal to verify what they have incentivize distributors to use better quality logistics ordered. They also benefit from below market prices for to maintain quality of their product. MyDawa branded products and third-party products In retail, IFC’s commitment to bring access with savings of up to 40 percent. Another example high-quality medicines likely to be increasingly of using technology to streamline the supply chain is demand in the market has been demonstrated by mPharma, which works with pharmacies in Ghana its 2015 investment in Goodlife’s early-stage growth. and Nigeria on inventory management to accurately A second investment in 2018 will support expansion forecast demand and build up bargaining power with to underserved and lower-income markets, served by suppliers to lower costs to consumers by up to 30 KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 125 percent. Both models help eliminate unnecessary steps development strategy to support the quality upgrades in the long, fragmented supply chain from manu- and growth of the sector particularly in the face of facturer to consumer through greater transparency automation, innovation, and R&D. and lower costs. There are opportunities to leverage A skills development strategy for the sector may technology with existing operations in Kenya, such as also be informed by the assessment. There are different with MedSource—the first group-purchasing organi- approaches for consideration within the Kenya and zation in the country that negotiates discounts with EAC context that may include: manufacturers, distributors, hospitals and clinics, and pharmacies. MedSource works with over 300 • Strengthening a coordination mechanism to ensure distributors and members to monitor the availability that all relevant stakeholders work together to of high-quality products. develop appropriate skills solutions for the needs IFC could identify commercially viable models for of the pharmaceutical industry; ensuring quality and best prices for consumers through • Ensuring standards, certifications, and quality comparison shopping and for providing incentives assurance mechanisms are in place so that the skills for pharmacists to provide credible consultations developed are in line with international standards; to repeat consumers. This may include initial work • Aligning workforce skills development approaches with technology providers through advisory support that considers upskilling, reskilling, and continu- to determine investment readiness. ous professional development needs of the indus- try and their oversight bodies; DEVELOP A PIPELINE OF SKILLED LABOR TO SUPPORT • Identifying suitable training providers to meet QUALIT Y UPGRADING the needs of the industry and its regulator; and An in-depth stakeholder consultation is first required • Introducing new financing mechanisms and incen- to deepen the collective understanding of specific tives to encourage more students to enter the sector. requirements of the sector and to support the level of growth anticipated. The World Bank has experience While the focus is on the pharmaceutical sector leading such inclusive consultations in the health in Kenya, this approach is relevant in other countries sector, such as with the Kenya Medical Practitioners, in the region and for other manufacturing sectors. which could be leveraged to assess needs along the For instance, there are potential spillovers and ben- value chain. A structured set of technical meetings efits to other sectors where occupations and skills with manufacturers, retailers, training institutions, are shared across industries within manufacturing, regulators, and civil society could lead to a frame- such as engineers (for example, electrical, chemical, work for priority actions that would inform a skills mechanical) (box B.3). BOX B.3 INDUSTRY-ORIENTED SKILLS FOR PHARMACISTS: LESSONS FROM SOUTH ASIA Bangladesh is an example of a country that is transition- production, quality control, and marketing) within the ing from being dependent on imports to being 97 percent industrial sector where jobs are well-defined and the pay self-sufficient to manufacture pharmaceuticals, in part is attractive. They also can be appointed to drug regula- because of its strong base of skilled labor. Its pharmaceu- tory agencies or quality control laboratories by the state ticals industry employs the most white-collar profession- or central government. Many MPharm graduates entering als in the country, over 115,000 workers as of 2014.a Rapid the pharmaceutical industry work in areas such as sector development is illustrated by the fact that local research, formulation development, and clinical manufacturers began initiated production of biopharma- trials.c These trends in both countries are unlike those in ceuticals and anticancer drugs led by a highly-skilled the United States, Europe, and Africa, where more workforce.b Similarly, in India, pharmacy education has graduates are in industry over clinical practice—a skills been developing faster than anywhere in the world; challenge in reverse of what is observed in East Africa. BPharm and MPharm levels are taught as industry- and product-oriented professions and are taught mostly in private colleges and universities. Most pharmacists with a a. Hossain and Shoaib (2014). b. Mazid and Rashid (2011). BPharm degree normally seek positions (such as c. Subal and Dondeti (2010). 126 appendix bpharmaceuticals deep dive There are examples from India of industry-led would need to be informed by the Kenyan industry, training solutions in collaboration with global stan- including the Federation of Kenyan Pharmaceuticals dard-setting organizations that may be adapted for Manufacturers (FKPM), the Hospital Pharmacists Kenya. The USP, which is implementing the PQM Association of Kenya, the Pharmaceutical Society of program in Ghana, has recently launched education Kenya, and the Kenya Pharmaceutical Association, for courses with a training institute in India to support standardization and to ensure relevance of training prior manufacturers build technical capacity. Courses cover to on-the-job learning. Leveraging the TechEmerge applications of quality control, quality assurance, platform may assist in identifying suitable solutions quality risk management, corrective and preven- providers to develop such a platform for the Kenyan tive actions, good documentation practices, and and regional market. other technical skills, including the specific require- Finally, it is important to note that a coordinated ments of GMP. Scientists that have helped develop approach is needed through a package of interven- global pharmacopeia standards teach the courses tions to support Kenya’s and the region’s efforts to with real-world case studies on standard operating increase the role of the private sector in supplying high procedures and hands-on practice. Students are a quality, affordable medicines, financing options may mix of workers with an average of two years of include the World Bank Group’s Creating Markets industry experience sponsored by their employers Advisory Window75 and/or the support of initiatives to build technical expertise and recent graduates such as the Global Financing Facility in Support of keen on job placement in the industry. The USP’s Every Woman Every Child (GFF) that aim to lever- Hyderabad Training Institute is housed in a local age private sector for improving quality, accessibility pharmacy college with the required licenses and and affordability of essential health services and infrastructure, including laboratory equipment. products (including pharma) for women, children The use of applications-enabled learning in course and adolescents.76 Taking the recommendations for- work facilitates regular student access to materials, ward for raising quality standards in Kenya’s and quizzes, and reporting to employers on test scores the region’s pharmaceutical manufacturing sectors and improved knowledge of methods for quality will likely require a minimum five-year time horizon manufacturing. Initiatives such as this and plans and a package of World Bank Group lending, advi- for meeting sectorwide needs may be assessed for sory, and investments. There is significant potential commercial viability, potential scale, and alignment to leverage existing efforts with the UNIDO, the with regulatory guidelines for the Kenyan and, per- PPB, the FKPM, and the EAC Secretariat, and other haps, the EAC context in collaboration with industry industry stakeholders. associations and IFC clients. The key to change and growth in this sector lies Solutions for upgrading skills at the retail level may with the government’s ability to ensure medicine quality leverage e-learning and/or distributor and retailer acad- are met through more rigorous application of stan- emy platforms that have largely not yet been adapted dards and enhanced market surveillance and testing. for the pharmaceutical sector. Technology start-ups Such a program would have unambiguously positive that train software developers in the region through impacts on the health of Kenyans. Fortunately, there technical boot camps for full-time roles at leading firms are new technologies that can rapidly assist in this could serve as a model for continuous medical education and can be identified by TechEmerge. It is important among pharmacists and pharmaceutical technologists. to recognize, however, that this policy change will IFC’s Distribution Excellence Program and Retailer have both positive and negative impacts on Kenyan Academy models have been used in agribusiness primarily firms in the sector. Those that can meet the quality for demand-driven training with firms for improved standards will have the opportunity to grow and business and advisory skills. For example, working expand, including in the donor and export markets. with Swiss-based Novartis to improve business skills Those that cannot or will not meet these standards of pharmacy owners in the Arab Republic of Egypt will be forced to exit the market and some assistance showed early results of stronger business relationships in this transition for the firm and its workers might with reputable distribution partners as well as finan- be an important element in ensuring public support cial returns on the investment. The specific curricula and reducing resistance in the sector. KENYA COUNTRY PRIVATE SECTOR DIAGNOSTIC 127 Proposed Action Plan for Kenya’s cals sector. Interventions refer to World Bank Group Pharmaceuticals Sector lending, advisory, and investments. Potential impact is assessed through stakeholder consultations within Table B.2 lays out the recommendations and proposed the Bank Group and with the government, donors, interventions to help address the constraints affecting and industry based on impact on public health of private sector development in Kenya’s pharmaceuti- improved medicine quality, affordability, and access. TABLE B.2 PROPOSED ACTION PLAN FOR KENYA’S PHARMACEUTICALS SECTOR Recommendation Intervention 1.1. Strengthen regulatory capacity for quality • Implement the GMP Roadmap to enhance the credibility of standards assurance and enforcement the local industry’s product safety. • Enforce GMP compliance and adherence to corrective and preventive actions. • Conduct frequent, ongoing testing across the value chain, including of imports, for medicine quality and safety and consumer confidence. • Technically assist the PPB to adapt best practices and operating procedures used by stringent regulatory authori- ties globally for regulatory excellence. 1.2. Assess constraints to achieving scale, for example, • Establish a semiautonomous and financially sustainable through EAC Regional Harmonization and Common regional health care products agency to implement joint Market protocols initiatives effectively. • Support the deployment of effective information management systems at the national and regional levels to aid information sharing. 1.3. Utilize technology solutions for market surveil- • Utilize handheld technologies for real-time field quality lance of quality and business intelligence testing, for example, TruScan (with USAID). • Implement drug supply chain security measures for tracking medicine at the unit level, for example, track-and-trace system (with USAID). • Establish business intelligence systems, such as Good Pharmacy Practice, for data management of inspections conducted by regulators and management of health facility inventory (with USAID). 2.1. Conduct in-depth skills assessment of current and • Assess current and future skills needs across occupations in future skills needs and advisory solutions for skills manufacturing for GMP and along the distribution retail across the value chain channels for GDP. • Develop a skills development strategy for the sector. • Implement solutions based on the assessment and strategy such as industry-led training or e-learning platforms. 2.2. Support investments in the sector to promote high-quality manufacturers, retail chains, and consolidation in distribution and logistics Note: GDP = good distribution practices; GMP = good manufacturing practices; PPB = Pharmacy and Poisons Board; USAID = U.S. Agency for International Development. 128 Notes 36. EAC Secretariat (2017). 1. Based on spending of major procurers of products classified 37. International Monetary Fund, International Financial under code 30 in the Harmonized System and a 25 percent share Statistics, and data files; https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/ of medicines being local. FR.INR.LEND. 2. Based on expected growth by retailers. 38. Mackintosh and others (2015). 3. United Nations Comtrade database; Kenya, National Treasury 39. Asoko Insight (2018); UNIDO (2010). (2018); IHME (2018); EIC (2016); interviews with local manu- 40. Rosen and Rickwood (2014). facturers and multinational pharmaceutical company affiliates. 41. Most donor medicines in Kenya are procured by KEMSA. 4. Holt and others (2015). Although in practice, the organization acts as the procurement 5. EAC Secretariat (2017). services agent and primary recipient, it has little control over which manufacturer they purchase from. When using donor funds, 6. EAC Secretariat (2017). KEMSA must follow the procurement rules laid out by the donor. 7. Asoko Insight (2018); United Nations Comtrade database; 42. UNIDO (2010). UNIDO (2010). 43. Mackintosh and others (2015); interviews with stakeholders. 8. Asoko Insight (2018); Vugigi (2017); EAC Secretariat (2017). 44. KNBS (2009); Medpages database. 9. Antiprotozoal drugs are used to treat infections caused by protozoan parasites. 45. Rosen and Rickwood (2014); Maisha Meds Point of Sale database. 10. UNIDO (2010); Vugigi (2017). 46. The drug regulator was established under the Pharmacy 11. United Nations Comtrade database. and Poisons Act, Chapter 244 of the Laws of Kenya. 12. Asoko Insight (2018); Mackintosh and others 2015; Wamae 47. In 2012, a cross sample of seven companies (20 percent of and Kariuki 2014. the sector) were selected by UNIDO to represent the local industry 13. International Trade Statistics; United Nations Comtrade and were assessed as part of the GMP Roadmap development. database. 48. Financial institutions charge between 14 and 21 percent 14. Asoko Insight (2018); UNIDO (2010). interest rate, with the rates being pushed up by their fees, despite the introduction of a law to cap commercial banks’ interest at 4 15. Mackintosh and others (2015). percent above the Central Bank rate. Since the introduction of 16. UNIDO (2010). interest caps, there has been a decline in access to credit, with the private sector credit growth hitting an eight-year low of 17. Mackintosh and others (2015). 2.1 percent in May 2017 compared to a five-year average of 18 18. UNIDO (2010). percent (Tumo 2017). 19. United Nations Comtrade database; Asoko Insight (2018). 49. The term “quality management system” is applied to all documentation systems and procedures used by a company to 20. Ewen, Kaplan, and Justin-Temu (2016), based on five prod- ensure GMP compliance (UNIDO 2014). ucts with enough manufacturers’ data. 50. Interviews with stakeholders. 21. Baratta, Germano, and Brusa (2012). 51. UNIDO (2014). 22. Renschlerand others (2015). 52. FEAPM (2015). 23. The sector’s employment levels have remained relatively constant with 3,400 jobs in 2008. 53. Republic of Kenya v. Kenya Revenue Authority, Ex Parte Cooper K Brands Limited, miscellaneous application number 24. Interviews with stakeholder. 458 of 2013, http://kenyalaw.org/caselaw/cases/view/122923. 25. Based on IFC estimates. 54. The limited demand for local packaging is based on the 26. Hidalgo and Hausmann (2009). relatively small size of Kenya’s pharmaceuticals manufacturing market, inconsistent quality (for example, faded ink or blurred 27. Vugigi (2017). images when printing, which undermines brand marketing), 28. Ibid. and the cost of imports are significantly less expensive. One interview with a stakeholder in May 2018 revealed that inputs 29. CHAI (2016). such as wood pulp needed for packaging incurs VAT in addition 30. APIs are any substance or mixture of substances that is to higher cost of electricity and labor, local packaging is less the active ingredient of the drug (USFDA 2001). competitive than imports. 31. Vugigi (2017). 55. World Bank (2018). 32. Mackintosh and others (2015). 56. IFC (2017). 33. Local producers of packaging for pharmaceuticals have an 57. Rosen (2018). advantage mostly in plastic bottles and outer cartons. 58. IFC (2017). 34. Mackintosh and others (2015); Wamae and Kariuki Kungu 59. IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics (2018). 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