Kenya Investment Authority has concluded the inaugural County Investor Readiness Forum with a national commitment to coordinated reforms, bankable project pipelines and stronger county capacity to attract and retain investment.
Kenya Investment Authority (KenInvest) has announced a major step forward in aligning county governments, national agencies, and private sector partners to improve investor readiness across the country. The move follows the conclusion of a three-day County Investor Readiness Forum, the first national platform dedicated to strengthening subnational investment promotion frameworks.
The forum, hosted in partnership with county leaders and development actors, focused on removing barriers that restrict investment and ensuring all 47 counties can position themselves as competitive destinations for both domestic and foreign capital. Participants agreed to a set of structured reforms designed to deepen investor confidence and accelerate project delivery across key growth sectors.
Speaking at the event, KenInvest officials said the unified commitment demonstrated at the forum marks a critical shift toward a coordinated national investment approach.
“Counties hold some of Kenya’s most strategic untapped opportunities. By strengthening facilitation systems and improving investor aftercare, we can drive capital flows to areas with high potential for job creation and sustainable industrial growth,” a senior official noted.
County Investment Action Plans to Drive Reform Momentum
One of the flagship outcomes of the forum is the development of County Investment Action Plans, which will:
• Identify priority sectors with high growth potential
• Outline simplified regulatory processes to ease investor navigation
• Integrate climate-smart and gender-responsive approaches in project planning
Counties are expected to work closely with KenInvest, ministries and private sector partners to ensure each action plan is implementable and aligned to national development priorities such as affordable housing, agro-industrial expansion, renewable energy and manufacturing.
Policy experts say aligning county ambitions with national trade and industrialization strategies will support balanced growth and remove investment duplication.
Coordinated Facilitation to Reduce Bureaucratic Hurdles
Investors have long cited regulatory delays, fragmented approval processes and inconsistent requirements between counties as leading deterrents to investment. To address this, the forum endorsed stronger inter-agency coordination, including:
• Institutionalized county-national-private sector task forces
• Joint facilitation mechanisms for investors
• Integrated digital systems for faster approvals and feedback
These measures are expected to improve the ease of doing business at county level and reduce costs associated with navigating multiple offices for permits and licenses.
Business associations welcomed the shift, noting that predictable rules and faster turnaround times are central to sustaining Kenya’s competitiveness within the East African region.
Bankable Project Pipelines to Anchor Investment Mobilization
Counties will build feasible, investor-ready project pipelines supported by:
• Professional feasibility studies
• Clear financing structures
• Partnerships with local and international institutions
• A centralized national repository of opportunities hosted by KenInvest
The approach will help investors assess commercial viability more quickly and reduce financial risk during early project evaluation. Emphasis will also be placed on sustainable and export-oriented industries such as agro-processing parks, renewable energy clusters, logistics hubs, tourism facilities and water and sanitation infrastructure.
KenInvest said this pipeline development is essential for tapping into capital aligned to green financing, climate funding and blended project financing.
Investor Aftercare Becomes Core Policy Priority
In addition to attracting new capital, the forum recognized the need to support existing investors through structured aftercare systems that encourage reinvestment.
Counties committed to:
• Deploying dedicated investor liaison officers
• Establishing continuous feedback mechanisms
• Improving service delivery and approvals for established firms
This aligns with global investment promotion best practices, where investor retention contributes a majority of capital flows and job creation.
Capacity Building and Monitoring for Accountability
To ensure sustainability of reforms, counties will receive continuous training in investor engagement, negotiation skills, public–private partnership structuring and investment promotion techniques.
Progress will be monitored through key performance indicators and periodic reporting shared with KenInvest. The authority will review these reports to identify areas requiring policy adjustments or further technical support.
Development partners indicated willingness to co-finance capacity enhancement programs and provide technical expertise to high-priority regions.
Public–Private Partnerships Central to Future Growth
The forum also reaffirmed the central role of the private sector as a key co-creator of county development.
Enhanced collaboration frameworks will:
• Support capital mobilization for priority county projects
• Strengthen local value chains, particularly in agriculture and manufacturing
• Leverage opportunities under AfCFTA to increase export-oriented investments
Experts highlighted that counties must develop risk-sharing mechanisms and transparent procurement frameworks to scale PPP delivery, especially in infrastructure and industrial estates.
Annual County Investment Forum to Ensure Momentum
To maintain progress, participants agreed to institutionalize the County Investor Readiness Forum as an annual event. The platform will track achievements, share best practices, and showcase emerging investment opportunities to global markets.
KenInvest described this institutionalization as a foundation for long-term economic transformation.
“We are proud of the collective commitment demonstrated over the past three days, and even more energized by the transformative possibilities ahead. Together, we are positioning Kenya’s counties as competitive, investor-ready destinations.”
Broader Economic Impact in Context
County-led investment is increasingly seen as a pillar for national economic resilience. With rising population growth outside major cities and emerging opportunities in green value chains, decentralized investment can spur:
• Job creation for youth and women
• Expansion of local manufacturing
• Improved agricultural productivity and value addition
• Balanced regional development
• Increased local revenue mobilisation
Economists say Kenya’s ability to attract and retain capital across all counties will significantly influence long-term targets under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), particularly in industrial parks, agribusiness commercialization and infrastructure expansion.
With counties now walking a more coordinated path, attention turns to implementation, delivery and investor confidence in the reforms that follow.
