KIPPRA, in collaboration with African Growth Initiative (AGI) – Brookings Institution, held a stakeholder workshop in Nairobi on 17thFebruary 2023 to launch the report of a study on “Urban Economic Growth in Africa – a Case Study of Nairobi City”.
Aimed at addressing challenges faced by the urban population in Nairobi, the study was based on three pillar frameworks — acessibility, business environment, and public sector governance. The study identified barriers and provided policy interventions to enhance accessibility and infrastructure, business environment, as well as public sector governance and finance.
In her opening remarks, KIPPRA Executive Director Dr Rose Ngugi noted that the report was timely, considering the Government is currently discussing on transformational agenda. Dr Ngugi also thanked all the participants for honouring the invitation to be part of the policy discussions on how to improve Nairobi.
The Board Chair Dr Benson Ateng’ explained that KIPPRA is mandated to provide quality public policy advice to the Government of Kenya, private sector, and other key stakeholders, adding that this is done mainly through conducting research and analysis on various areas that would ultimately spur economic growth and development.
The Board Chair noted that Nairobi’s population had grown five-fold since the 1970s, and the rate of development of the city had largely not kept at par with the rapid population growth, saying the recommendations from the report were timely and would accelerate the economic growth of the city as envisioned in the Government’s long-term blueprint, the Vision 2030 and county development plans.While presenting the findings of the study, Principal Policy Analyst Dr Humphrey Njogu said KIPPRA applied the AGI framework on “Urban Economic Growth Framework for African cities” to analyze Nairobi’s key challenges and propose possible solutions for growth and employment. He explained that the framework, which is aimed at understanding the barriers and unlocking the economic opportunities of urbanization, focuses on the three primary constraints limiting a city’s ability to benefit from agglomeration and generate productive jobs: accessibility, the business environment, and public sector governance.
The launch included a plenary session and panel discussions on the report. The panel consisted of County Executive Committee Members (CECMs) from Nairobi and Machakos counties who shared the experiences and ongoing developments. Researchers from Kenyatta University and KIPPRA Policy Analyst Ms Beverly Musili also gave their expert views on various aspects of the report. The panel was moderated by AGI Director Dr Aloysius Ordu.
The Administration Director at Nairobi City County Mr Lucas Ngaruiya represented the Governor H.E Johnson Sakaja, who was the chief guest.
