Government Incentives in Kenya

kenya-vision-2030

Kenya’s Vision 2030 will see the implementation of four major programs: business process outsourcing (BPO), national ICT infrastructure, e-government strategy and the development of local digital content. Recent laying of optical fiber has slashed bandwidth costs by 90 percent in just 12 months. Public-private partnerships with universities have spurred new certification courses and centers of excellence to address skill deficits. A recently passed law on data protection favors businesses and will help increase trust from privacy-sensitive industries.

Avasant did a great job of summarizing current incentive structures:

  • The Export Processing Zones (EPZ) program, which offers attractive incentives to export-oriented investors, and the Investment Promotion Centre (IPC) to promote all other investment in Kenya.
  • Double taxation, bilateral investment trade agreements
  • The liberalization policy allowing for sector participation in the ICT sector.
  • Reduced taxes on computer hardware and software
  • Removal of licensing requirements on information and broadcasting services