This archive report was first published on 24 October 2019.
On October 24, 2019, Kenya made a significant leap in the Ease of Doing Business ranking, moving up five places to position 56 out of 190 countries.
This achievement places Kenya 4th in Africa, behind Mauritius, Rwanda, and Morocco, which ranked 13th, 15th, and 23rd respectively.
The World Bank's Ease of Doing Business report highlights several key factors that contributed to Kenya's improved ranking, including the ease of acquiring construction and property permits, as well as the ease of credit access.
Additionally, the report notes that a reduction in fees levied on building permits has attracted more investors to the construction sector, further boosting Kenya's ranking.
Kenya's improved ranking was also influenced by the modernization and improvement of existing power lines, the inauguration of new electricity substations, and the connection of more customers to the national power grid.
Furthermore, the report highlights the government's efforts to streamline the registration of permits, which now takes a minimum of 12 days, down from 72 days five years ago.
Kenya has also strengthened access to credit by introducing online registration, modification, and cancellation of security interests, as well as public online searches of the collateral registry.
Additionally, the report notes that Kenya has improved in protecting minority investors by requiring shareholders to approve the election and dismissal of an external auditor.
The Ease of Doing Business report reviews the ease of starting a business in a country, cross-border trading, and the level of enforcing contracts.
