The World Bank has provided Kenya with over Ksh3.24 trillion in loans, grants, and credits since the country joined the global financial institution in 1964, according to Country Director Qimiao Fan.

Speaking during a local TV interview on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, Fan said the World Bank’s financial support to Kenya has always been guided by transparency, long-term development goals, and evidence-based results.

“Since Kenya joined the World Bank back in 1964, the World Bank has provided a total of some $25 billion (Ksh3.24 trillion) of loans, credits, and grants,” Fan stated.

“These credits are some very low-interest or even zero-interest credits and grants,” he added.

Fan said that all loans to Kenya are published on the World Bank website, including their terms, duration, and any required reforms.

“Every single penny, every cent of loan we make to Kenya is made public. There’s nothing opaque about our financing,” he said.

He added that World Bank loans are typically long-term, targeting sectors like education, healthcare, agriculture, transport, and energy, and are structured to support Kenya’s own development priorities.

“These loans are not forced upon Kenya. We support what the government prioritises in its development strategy,” Fan explained.

Three main types of financing

To ensure transparency and effectiveness, Fan said the World Bank uses three main types of financing:

Investment project financing: Funds specific infrastructure or social projects such as schools, roads, and power plants.

“We’ve helped finance over 30,000 classrooms and thousands of kilometres of roads, including the Nairobi-Mombasa highway,” he said.

Programme-for-results: Releases funds only after Kenya meets set development milestones, such as improved school enrolment and retention.

“We pay for results that the country achieves,” he noted.

Development policy financing (budget support): Supports policy reforms like public finance systems and digitised procurement, once pre-agreed actions are taken.

Fan clarified that project selection is a collaborative process with the Kenyan government, guided by both the country’s needs and the World Bank’s technical capacity.

“Everything we support must be a priority for the country, and we work only where we have the expertise to add value,” he said.