This paper presents results from the first randomization of a regulatory reform in the health sector. The reform established minimum quality standards for patient safety, an issue that has become increasingly salient following the Ebola and COVID-19 epidemics. In the experiment, all 1,348 health facilities in three Kenyan counties were classified into 273 markets, and the markets were then randomly allocated to treatment and control groups. Government inspectors visited health facilities and, depending on the results of their inspection, recommended closure or a timeline for improvements. The intervention increased compliance with patient safety measures in...

Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) are abundant in Kenya comprising eighty percent of businesses, but their contribution to gross domestic product (GDP) remains limited. Increasing MSME productivity will drive economic recovery in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic over the short term, and has the potential to unleash sustained economic growth in time. However, MSME productivity remains constrained by numerous barriers including insufficient access to finance. Scaling supply chain finance (SCF) has the potential to expand access to financing for MSMEs, particularly small and medium sized enterprises in well-integrated supply chains. This IFC assessment...

Interview with Mr. Abel Kamau, Kenya Association of Manufacturers

Kenya’s textile and apparel sector has the potential to play a key role in anchoring the country’s deeper movement into middle income status and in serving as a source of gainful employment for its fast growing, young population. As a manufactured good, it offers opportunities for increased value capture and streamlined trade logistics and for the building of skills and experience from the factory floor to management level. Based on these foundations, it therefore serves as a potential gateway to other manufactured goods, offering opportunities for Kenya to capture an increasing share of global trade and...

The energy sector is a crucial enabler to economic growth in many countries. Consequently, there are a number of private firms, governments and development partners who are heavily investing huge amounts of money on energy projects. Due to the nature of these projects, few foreign firms have the requisite resources and technical capacity to handle mega energy investments. In most cases, local firms lack capacity to undertake the projects. Additionally, as countries exploit resources they have, they are mindful of the gains the local communities would accrue from energy projects in terms of skills and technology transfer, employment and building...