Kenya’s recent efforts to empower local entrepreneurs, boost sustainable development and attract foreign investment are bearing fruit, the country’s President-elect, Uhuru Kenyatta has said.
The East African nation moved up 12 spots to rank at number 80 in the 2018 World Bank’s global Doing Business rankings. The country, often touted as the region’s economic powerhouse, was ranked 92 last year and 136 in 2013.
The report, dubbed ‘Doing Business 2018: Reforming to Create Jobs’, is the 15th in a series of annual reports measuring the regulations that enhance business activity and those that constrain it.
“Being ranked third most reformed country in Sub-Saharan Africa shows that government efforts to enhance the business environment are bearing fruit,” Kenyatta said in a statement on November 1st, 2017.
“This is our country’s best performance in 15 years. Cumulatively, Kenya has moved up 56 spots over the past 3 years,” he continued.
President Kenyatta’s administration has been aggressively working to boost investment in the country despite a number of failures and hurdles that have left his government open to constant criticism.
His ruling Jubilee Party is responsible for either supporting or spearheading a number of development initiatives, including a program aimed at providing Kenya’s farmers with subsidized fertilizer to ensure food security.
The State has also ensured the construction of Kenya’s Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), which is arguably the most transformative project of the Jubilee administration. The Railway transport system has cut the length of the journey from the capital of Nairobi to the Coast of Mombasa by several hours. According to Kenyatta, the system is set to create thousands of employment opportunities for Kenya’s citizens.
In a recent speech, Kenyatta noted that his government was responsible for a marked improvement in Kenya’s infrastructure, including the country’s roads.
Kenyatta, whose recent re-election is currently being contested by his rival and opposition party leader, Raila Odinga, stated that under his regime, Kenya’s hospitals have been fitted with modern diagnosis equipment, adding that thousands of Kenyans now have access to electricity via the national power grid.
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