Editor's Review
Kenya has improved its position in the 2026 Global Innovation Index (GII), rising five places to rank 97th globally.
Kenya has improved its position in the 2026 Global Innovation Index (GII), rising five places to rank 97th globally.
In a statement on Wednesday, September 30, the Kenya National Innovation Agency (KeNIA) said the country moved up from position 102 in the 2025 Global Innovation Index.
KeNIA attributed the progress to collective efforts across Kenya’s innovation ecosystem and strengthened coordination among institutions involved in advancing innovation.
"We celebrate this progress and the collective effort of Kenya’s innovation ecosystem. The establishment of the multi-agency Global Innovation Index Steering Committee has strengthened shared responsibility for this work, bringing institutions together to align data, policy and action.
"Kenya’s hosting of WIPO Director General Daren Tang, including his engagement with H.E. the President and participation in our Kenya Startup Festival, further deepened collaboration on intellectual property and innovation commercialisation," the statement read.
Read More
KeNIA said the measures taken to improve coordination were aimed at building stronger partnerships and creating a more coordinated approach to innovation development.
"These intentional steps are building the partnerships and coordination needed to advance Kenya’s innovation ambitions," the statement added.
Despite the improvement in the rankings, KeNIA said Kenya still has significant work to do to strengthen its position globally and achieve its longer-term innovation targets.
"As we celebrate this improvement, we know there's still significant work ahead. Our ambition is to position Kenya among the world’s top 50 innovation economies," the statement further read.
KeNIA said achieving the target would require continued investment in research and stronger collaboration between academic institutions and industry.
"Achieving this requires sustained investment in research, stronger links between academia and industry, greater support for innovators and reliable data that captures our national progress," the statement concluded.
Meanwhile, Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has licensed 29 additional Digital Credit Providers (DCPs), bringing the total number of licensed digital lenders in the country to 281.
In a statement, the regulator said the latest licensing was undertaken pursuant to the Central Bank of Kenya Act.
"The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) announces the licensing of an additional 29 Digital Credit Providers (DCPs). This is pursuant to Section 59(2) of the Central Bank of Kenya Act (CBK Act). This brings the number of licensed DCPs to 281 following the licensing of 25 DCPs announced in July 2026," the statement read.
CBK said it has received more than 900 applications from firms seeking digital credit provider licences since March 2022.
The regulator has been working with applicants to review their applications, with the engagements focusing on business models, consumer protection and the fitness and propriety of proposed shareholders, directors and management.
The regulator said the review process is aimed at ensuring that applicants comply with applicable laws while protecting consumers using digital credit services.
"This is to ensure adherence to the relevant laws and importantly that the interests of customers are safeguarded. We acknowledge the efforts of the applicants and the support of other regulators and agencies in this process," the statement added.
CBK explained that Digital Credit Providers predominantly conduct their lending activities through digital platforms, including Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) codes.
Their loan products include education loans, development loans, short-term personal loans, asset-financing facilities and business loans.
CBK said licensed DCPs had granted 9,596,509 loans valued at Ksh165.1 billion as of August 2026, highlighting the scale of digital lending activity in the country.
The regulator said the licensing process for other applicants was still ongoing, with some firms at different stages of review.
"Other applicants are at different stages in the process, largely awaiting the submission of requisite documentation. We urge these applicants to submit the pending documentation expeditiously to enable completion of the review of their applications," the statement further read.
