World Bank tips Kenya on jobs to reverse flagging economic fortunes

Workers process avocados at Sanmark Ltd in the Athi River EPZ, the southeastern industrial hub of Nairobi, Kenya, May 28, 2026. Avocado processing is one of the areas identified as having huge potential for job creation. [AFP]

Kenya can create more than 80,000 direct jobs and mobilise up to Sh193.5 billion in private investment by fixing a narrow set of policy bottlenecks in three sectors, the World Bank Group said on Wednesday, offering a practical growth agenda at a moment of intense political pressure over jobs.

The Country Private Sector Diagnostic (CPSD), released in Nairobi, identifies avocado and mango production and processing, coastal tourism, and medical consumables manufacturing as the areas with the strongest near-term potential to attract private capital if specific regulatory, tax and planning constraints are removed.