Kenya Wins Award in Washington DC

Kenya has been awarded the Human Capital Champion Award in recognition of its sustained progress in building human capital.

In a statement on Friday, April 17, the National Treasury said the award was presented during a high-level country celebration hosted by the World Bank Group in Washington, D.C.

Treasury Principal Secretary Chris Kiptoo received the award on behalf of the country during the celebration.

“Kenya has been awarded the Human Capital Champion Award at a high-level country celebration hosted by the World Bank Group in Washington, D.C., in recognition of its sustained progress in building human capital.

“The PS for the National Treasury, Dr. Chris Kiptoo, received the award during the Human Capital Country Celebration held on the sidelines of the IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings,” read the statement in part.

World Bank Group Vice President for People, Mamta Murthi, who presented the award, commended Kenya for its measurable progress under the expanded Human Capital Index Plus (HCI+).

This framework evaluates both the accumulation of human capital and its effective utilization within the economy.

According to the treasury, the award now places Kenya among the top-performing countries globally relative to its income level.

“Kenya’s performance has been supported by tangible gains across key indicators, including a 16 percent reduction in child stunting and a significant expansion in access to tertiary education. These improvements reflect sustained policy reforms and targeted government interventions aimed at strengthening human development outcomes,” the treasury stated.

Further, the treasury said the recognition consolidates Kenya’s position as a leading reformer in human capital development and signals growing international confidence in its policy trajectory towards long-term economic resilience.

The ministry highlighted that Kenya’s HCI+ performance remains above the Sub-Saharan Africa average (126) and the average for lower middle-income countries (153).

This comes months after the Affordable Housing Programme (AHP) received international recognition for promoting urbanization and improving access to decent housing.

Housing PS Charles Hinga received the Certified Bronze Gigacity award on behalf of the government during a ceremony held in Cape Town, South Africa, in November 2025.

PS Hinga was also recognised for his contribution to the growth of megacities in the country through the smart cities initiative.