Kenya IMF Program Talks Likely to Drag Beyond 2027 Elections

Kenya’s quest to secure new funding from the International Monetary Fund will likely be drawn out as both sides need to thrash out fresh reform parameters, and money may only begin flowing after 2027 elections, analysts say.

An IMF team is expected in Nairobi this month to review the East African nation’s risk of debt distress and begin talks on renewed financing. The IMF may require the government to repay part of its existing debt before a substantive new financing program can be considered, with an agreement unlikely to be reached before the elections, said Razia Khan, chief economist for Africa and the Middle East at Standard Chartered Plc.