Kenya: Evaluation of the AfDB Country Strategy and Program (2014- 2023)

Independent Development Evaluation (IDEV) conducted an evaluation of the African Development Bank Group's (AfDB or "the Bank") Country Strategies and Programs (CSP) in Kenya for the period of 2014-2023. The primary purpose of the evaluation is to provide recommendations for the design of the next CSP (2024–2028).

Over this period, the Bank formulated two Country Strategy Papers (CSPs): CSP 2014–2018 and CSP 2019–2023, and its interventions were mainly comprised of sovereign operations, which represented 78 percent of the portfolio (around 3 billion USD), while non-sovereign operations accounted for the remaining 22 percent (around 847 million USD), spread across seven sectors.

The Bank’s goals were found to be aligned with Kenya’s Vision 2030’s objective to revitalize the economy by developing infrastructure and supporting the Small Medium Enterprise sector (economic pillar of Vision 2030). Overall effectiveness was rated satisfactory as the Bank was found to have made reasonable contributions at the sector, pillar, and CSP levels. Most of the Bank’s interventions encountered delays in project start-ups and during implementation. In addition, little evidence was found on cost-benefit analysis after project completion, interviews with partners expressed general concerns over the high cost of investment in infrastructure projects.

Among others, the evaluation recommended the adoption of a holistic orientation in designing the Bank’s country strategy, review, and redefinition of the Bank’s approach to gender in Kenya, and strengthening of intersectoral coordination to obtain higher-level development results more effectively and efficiently.

Task Manager: Girma Earo KUMBI, Chief Evaluation Officer