The analysts also see recovery in service sectors boost growth this year after slowing down to a five-year low. “Risks to growth (in 2018) include protracted low private sector credit growth and public finance skewed to recurrent expenditure,” said Genghis in a macroeconomic outlook report. Barclays Africa Group chief economist Jeff Gable and Stanbic Bank economist for East Africa Jibran Qureishi have projected 5.6 per cent and 5.5 per cent growth, respectively. World BankWorld Bank Group and African Development Bank have projected a growth of 5.5 and 5.6 per cent, respectively. A monthly consensus forecast by FocusEconomics — a Barcelona-based economic analysis firm which tracks growth projection from 11 top global banks, consultancies and think-tanks — on Tuesday last week put Kenya’s growth outlook at 5.3 per cent.

Source: Daily Nation February 01, 2018 06:33 UTC