Kenya’s economy grew by 5.8 percent in 2016, a slight increase from the 5.7 percent posted in 2015, Economic Survey 2017 indicates.
World Bank had projected that Kenya’s GDP growth would decelerate to 5.5 percent.
The economic survey also shows that the economy created some 832,900 new jobs in 2016, less than the 841,000 created in 2015.
Nine in 10 of the jobs were in the informal sector. Informal jobs in the manufacturing sector increased by 30,080.
While presenting the report by Kenya National Bureau of Statistics at the KICC in Nairobi on Wednesday, Devolution CS Mwangi Kiunjuri attributed the growth to good performance in the agriculture and tourism sectors.
He said the good performance was registered in the first three-quarters of the year.
Exports of tea increased to 473,000 tonnes in 2016 compared to 389,000 tonnes in 2015. Coffee rose to 46,000 tonnes from 41,600 tonnes the previous year.
According to the report, the manufacturing sector’s growth dropped to 3.5 percent in 2016 compared to 3.6 percent in 2015.
In the agriculture, forestry and fishing sectors, growth decreased from 5.5 per cent in 2015 to 4.0 per cent.
The building and construction sectors recorded slow growth and a reduction to 9.2 per cent compared to 13.9 per cent in 2015. The tourism sector bounced back recording a 13.5 per cent growth.
However, the tourism sector bounced back recording a 13.5 per cent growth. Total international arrivals increased to 1.34 million in 2016 from 1.18 million the previous year.
Tourism industry earnings increased to Sh99.7 billion, compared to Sh84.6 billion.
