KNBS director general, Macdonald Obudho at a past event / FILE

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Ministries, Departments and Agencies will now be required to allocate funds for data collection and statistics in their annual budgets, a slight shift away from the current format where the mandate falls squarely on the National Treasury.

Under the new plan that will cost the government an estimated Sh19 billion over the next five years, public institutions will be the primary data collection points.

The details contained in the Second Kenya Strategy for the Development of Statistics (KSDS II) for the period 2023/24 – 2027/28, shows that the first phase, in this 2025-26 financial year, will cost an estimated Sh5.8 billion.

Principal Secretary for Economic Planning Bonface Makokha defended the new framework, noting that it will strengthen Kenya’s national statistical system (NSS) by ensuring that ministries, departments, agencies, and county governments (MDACs) integrate statistical planning into their core operations.

"Statistics is a public good. The responsibility for producing and disseminating quality data lies squarely with the institutions that generate it,” said Makokha.

“All MDACs will be expected to develop statistics plans aligned to the KSDS II and embed the cost of implementation within their institutional budgets.”

The strategy aims to address long-standing funding gaps in the country’s data ecosystem.

“The underutilization of these emerging data sources, limitations in data disaggregation and inadequate investment in statistical infrastructure have underscored the urgency for a more transformative, agile, integrated and demand-driven statistical system,” added Makokha.

For instance, in the 2024/25 financial year, KNBS received approximately Sh867 million for general statistical operations, with another Sh119 million allocated for census and survey evaluations.

PS Makokha said that, while government allocations will fund part of the initiative, partnerships with development agencies will be needed to close resource shortfalls.

The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) will also lead efforts to mobilise additional resources across the NSS.

He added that the long-term goal is to establish a dedicated National Statistics Fund, as recommended in the African Charter on Statistics, to provide sustainable financing for the sector.

“KSDS II fosters enhanced utilization of administrative data across governments and businesses, integrates key advancements such as adopting a data maturity model, advancing innovation in data science, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML) to align with Kenya’s AI readinessm,” said KNBS Director General, Macdonald Obudho.

The new report embraces emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data science, to improve the accuracy, relevance, and timeliness of official statistics.

The framework emphasizes integration of economic, social, and environmental data to inform policy and development planning.

Makokha also reiterated the government’s commitment to reforms that will enhance statistical quality, including better coordination across agencies, legal reforms, and expanded investment in statistical infrastructure.

In conclusion, he called on civil society, private sector, and international partners to support the strategy and treat data as a national asset. “Let us take ownership of this data, invest in it, and ensure it reflects the realities and aspirations of all Kenyans,” he said.

This Kenya Strategy for the Development of Statistics is the second to be developed after the implementation of the first KSDS, 2019 - 2023.

Obudho said that the report comes at a pivotal moment when the global statistical landscape is undergoing rapid transformation.

“In order to keep pace, Kenya’s Statistical System must evolve through modernization and reform. The development of KSDS II adopts a top-down approach where members of the NSS and stakeholders of the data ecosystem identify the high-level priority areas of the statistical system and how they will be achieved,” said Obudho.

“In turn, all producers of data and statistics are expected to align their data and statistics plans to the priority areas of KSDS II.”