IMF concludes Nairobi visit, opens talks on Kenya’s next economic reforms
By Joel Masibo, October 10, 2025A staff team from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) led by Haimanot Teferra pitched camp in Nairobi from Thursday, September 25, to Thursday, October 9, 2025, to assess Kenya’s current economic situation and initiate discussions on the government’s forward-looking policies and strategy that could be supported through an IMF program.
The IMF visit comes at a time when Kenya is struggling with a debt burden. Earlier reports indicate that the country has been borrowing Ksh2.29 million per minute, Ksh137.5 million per hour, and Ksh3.3 billion per day for the past three years since President William Ruto came into office.
Earlier, Ruto said that the IMF had stated Kenya’s economy is now the sixth-largest in Africa.
During the duration, the team held meetings with Ruto, the Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi Ng’ongo, the Central Bank of Kenya Governor Kamau Thugge, and their respective teams.
The IMF team also engaged with members of Parliament, officials from various government agencies, and representatives from civil society organisations, private businesses, the financial sector, and development partners.
Economic reforms agenda
At the conclusion of the visit, Teferra issued the following statement:
“The IMF staff team made progress in taking stock of the latest macroeconomic and financial sector developments, assessing the economic outlook, and holding initial discussions with the Kenyan authorities and other stakeholders on a reform agenda that could pave the way for an IMF-supported program,” she said.
The policy priorities include measures to enhance fiscal policy credibility, ensure sustainability of public finances and debt, and minimise fiscal, financial, and external sector risks, as well as ways to enhance governance, transparency, and efficiency in the public sector.
“The team will return to Washington, D.C. to further its technical work. The discussions with the authorities will continue during the upcoming IMF Annual Meetings. We welcome the Kenyan authorities’ candid engagement and remain steadfast in our commitment to partnering with Kenya to secure a more robust, sustainable, and inclusive economic future for all Kenyans. We thank the authorities and all our partners—representatives of the private sector, civil society, development partners and other stakeholders in Kenya—for their hospitality, and the constructive discussions and support during the visit.” Teferra added.
Meanwhile, President William Ruto has so far borrowed Ksh3.5 trillion. Economists now warn that the rising debt is unhealthy, based on the present economic status of the country.