Kenyan economy grew 5.1% in the second quarter of 2026, up from 4.9% a year earlier
Kenya's economy grew 5.1% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026, with transport and storage up 4.4% and accommodation and food services up 7.4%, Reuters and Capital FM reported on 16 October 2026.
Kenya's economy grew 5.1% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026, up from 4.9% in the same quarter of 2025, Reuters reported on 16 October 2026, citing the statistics office.
Reuters said growth was driven mainly by transport and storage and by accommodation and food services. Transport and storage grew 4.4%, against 3.3% in the second quarter of 2025. Electricity, information and communication technology, financial services and construction also posted notable growth.
Capital FM, a Kenyan news site, reported the same day that the growth came despite higher global oil prices.
In the quarter, electricity and water supply grew 7.7%, accommodation and food services 7.4%, information and communication 7.2%, financial and insurance activities 6.1%, and construction 6%.
Agriculture, forestry and fishing grew 3.5%, down from 4% in the second quarter of 2025. Capital FM linked the slowdown partly to an early end of the long rains.
The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) quarterly GDP report put first-quarter growth at 5.3%, the Kenyan news site Kenyans.co.ke reported on 10 July 2026. Accommodation and food services grew 14.7% in that quarter.
Drafted and translated with AI assistance; reviewed and published by editor Fengyan Du. How we use AI
Sources
Reporting Desk research, human-reviewed Sources 3 Published 16 Oct 2026 Corrections none How we check
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