Kenya Quarterly Gross Domestic Product Second Quarter 2019

Provisional estimate of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the second quarter of 2019 indicate that the economy expanded by 5.6 per cent, which was lower than 6.4 per cent growth registered during the same quarter in 2018 as shown in Figure 1. A number of sectors posted impressive performances but the overall growth was curtailed mostly by a slowdown in activities of agriculture, manufacturing and transportation. Macroeconomic environment remained largely conducive for growth throughout the quarter under review. Agriculture’s performance as well as that of electricity and water supply were mostly hampered by a delay in the onset of the long rains. Transportation industry was negatively impacted on by rise in prices of fuel. On the other hand, accommodation and food services; information and communication; wholesale and retail trade; and construction industries maintained high growths and thereby supported the overall GDP growth. Information and communication sector posted the fastest growth of 11.6 per cent during the review quarter followed by accommodation and food services and construction which recorded growths of 10.6 per cent and 7.2 per cent, respectively. Financial and insurance sector registered the most improved growth of 2.1 percentage points followed by construction sector whose growth improved by 1.8 percentage points.