Kenya’s economy expands by 5.6pc

The economy grew by 5.6 percent last year mainly driven by agriculture that performed well due to good rains received during the year.

The growth is higher than the 5.3 percent registered in 2014. Agriculture grew 5.6 percent in 2015 from 3.5 percent the previous year, driven by abundant rainfall.

Most economic sectors also expanded except tourism, which continued to bear the brunt of travel advisories by key source markets and worries about insecurity.

Tourist arrivals dropped 12.6 percent to 1.35 million during the year while earnings edged down 2.9 percent to 84.6 billion shillings.

Agriculture, which contributes nearly a quarter of Kenya’s economic output, grew 5.6 percent in 2015 from 3.5 percent the previous year, Zachary Mwangi, the director general of the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, told a news briefing.

“This was partly influenced by abundant rainfall characterised by the el Nino weather phenomenon,” he said.

Kenya relies heavily on exports of tea and coffee, as well horticultural produce, such as cut flowers.

Several other economic sectors also expanded except tourism, which continued to bear the brunt of worries about security after a spate of attacks in the past two years or more by Islamist militants, Mwangi said.