Nairobi, Kenya. 31 October 2025
The Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry (MITI) has officially launched the County Competitiveness Index (CCI) 2024 Report, aimed at enhancing Kenya’s competitiveness and fostering balanced regional development.
Kenya has launched its first-ever County Competitiveness Index (CCI), a data-driven tool that ranks all 47 counties on their investment and business environments, revealing that while governance and infrastructure remain partial national strengths, business efficiency and innovation lag behind.
Developed by MITI through the Directorate of Business Reforms and Transformation (DBRT) in partnership with TradeMark Africa (TMA) and with funding from the European Union, the report introduces a globally comparable framework that localises the concept of ease of doing business to Kenya’s devolved context. According to the report Kenya’s competitiveness is administratively strong but entrepreneurially fragile, signalling the need to strengthen business efficiency, innovation, and access to finance. It also identifies green investment, governance quality, and infrastructure connectivity as key catalysts for inclusive growth.
Speaking during the launch, MITI Cabinet Secretary Hon. Lee Kinyanjui, said the report provides investors with granular data needed to make informed decisions on where to put their money.
“What may appear as a missing link in a county is, in fact, an opportunity for investment. The report contains valuable insights that both the private sector and government can use to enhance the competitiveness of individual counties,” said the CS.
Lillian Mwai-Ndegwa,Kenya Country Director at TradeMark Africa added, “This is Kenya’s first attempt to create a subnational competitiveness index comparable to global benchmarks, effectively localising the concept of ease of doing business to the realities of devolution. The CCI appreciates the development we have achieved so far, but more importantly, it points to where the next opportunities lie.”
Counties with high renewable energy potential, climate-smart agricultural capacity, and strategic trade locations, particularly in arid and semi arid regions, emerge as Kenya’s new frontiers of opportunity and present significant prospects for investors, policymakers, and development partners.
MITI, KenInvest, and partners plan to convene county representatives to enhance investor readiness and help each county articulate its comparative advantage.
The County Competitiveness Index 2024 is expected to serve as a key reference for policymakers, investors, and development partners working to shape a more balanced and sustainable growth agenda across all regions.