This archive report was first published on 18 July 2020.
As of May this year, Kenya's total public debt stood at KSh 6.6 trillion, a significant increase from KSh 6.4 trillion in April 2020 and KSh 6 trillion in February this year.
Despite the establishment of a Public Debt Management Office, Kenya's public debt continues to grow, with the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) reporting that the country's debt load has become increasingly heavy.
According to the CBK's latest weekly bulletin, the total cash borrowed from the domestic market stood at KSh 3.2 trillion as of May this year, while external borrowings reached KSh 3.49 trillion.
Commercial banks hold the largest share of government domestic debt instruments, accounting for 54.93% of the total, followed by pension funds at 29.01%, insurance companies at 6.04%, parastatals at 5.73%, and other investors at 4.29%.
Treasury Bonds remain the preferred instrument for the government when seeking funds from the domestic money market, making up 69.78% of government domestic debt as of July 10, 2020.
