95% of Kenya’s $27.5 billion in FDI came after 2007, with inflows peaking at $2.23 billion in 2011

Key Takeaways

  • Kenya recorded $27.5B total FDI between 1990 and 2024, with most inflows occurring after 2007.
  • From 1990 to 2006, Kenya averaged just $0.04B annually, a sign of limited foreign investor confidence in early years.
  • A major turnaround began in 2007, with FDI jumping from $0.05B to $0.90B, and peaking at $2.23B in 2011.
  • Between 2007 and 2024, Kenya received over 92% of its total FDI, a sharp shift in its investment profile.
  • FDI has stayed above $1B annually since 2009, signalling consistent investor interest in Kenya’s growing economy.

From 1990 to the early 2000s, Kenya’s FDI performance was extremely modest, barely crossing $0.1B annually. Between 1990 and 2006, inflows totalled just $0.63B, less than 3% of the country’s entire 35-year FDI. This drastically changed in 2007, when FDI jumped to $0.90B and began a consistent upward trend. By 2011, Kenya hit its all-time high of $2.23B, followed by a strong decade of steady investment.

Between 2011 and 2024 alone, Kenya attracted over $22B, showing its emergence as a reliable FDI destination in East Africa. The data reflects a clear shift in investor sentiment, aligning with reforms, infrastructure projects, and a stable investment climate.

Source:

UNCTAD

Period:

1990 - 2024
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