Nairobi, Kiambu top wealth rankings as arid counties lag

Report highlights deep disparities in wealth, infrastructure and business opportunities

The Capital Centre of Kenya, Nairobi Central Business District/EZEKIEL AMING'A

Nairobi contributes more than a quarter of Kenya’s economic output, while Wajir, Mandera and Turkana remain at the bottom of the county economic rankings.

The findings are contained in the 2026 County Development Index (CDI) report, which ranks Nairobi as the country’s strongest county economy, followed by Kiambu, Nakuru and Mombasa.

Nairobi scored 0.96, with a Gross County Product (GCP) estimated at more than Sh4.1 trillion, accounting for 27.5 per cent of Kenya’s gross domestic product.

Kiambu ranked second with a score of 0.89 and an economy valued at Sh819.8 billion. Nakuru followed with 0.87 and Sh771.8 billion, while Mombasa scored 0.84 with an estimated GCP of Sh711 billion.

Nyeri completed the top five with a score of 0.81 and an economy valued at Sh265 billion.

Source: The Star