Kenya's public debt portfolio has crossed notable milestones, driven heavily by obligations owed to major international lenders and domestic bondholders.
Figures released by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics and the Central Bank of Kenya show that Kenya's public debt accounted for 68.5 per cent of the country's Gross Domestic Product by June 2026.
Leading the list of top creditors, financial obligations owed to the World Bank officially crossed the Sh2 trillion threshold, reaching Sh2,045.55 billion by June 2026, up from Sh1,965 billion.
Furthermore, World Bank loans grew by 8.2 per cent in December 2025 compared to the same period in December 2024.
Sovereign bonds stand as the second-largest obligation, increasing from Sh1,022.67 billion to Sh1,361.43 billion by June 2026. Meanwhile, bilateral debt owed to China experienced a slight decrease, moving from Sh653.09 billion down to Sh616.90 billion.
Multilateral financing from the African Development Bank and African Development Fund (ADB/ADF) registered an upward adjustment, rising from Sh550.22 billion to Sh566.58 billion.
Conversely, obligations owed to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) saw a reduction, dropping from Sh478.78 billion to Sh442.50 billion over the comparative periods.
These shifting figures underscore the evolving structure of Kenya's external and domestic borrowing landscape as macroeconomic adjustments continue to unfold.
