Kenya's National Policy Intelligence Platform
About KIPPRA

Kenya's independent engine for better public policy.

The Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA) is a statutory body established by an Act of Parliament to improve the quality of public policy in Kenya through rigorous, independent, and evidence-based research and analysis.

Meet the Leadership Our Strategic Plan 2023–2027 →
Mission and Vision
Who we are and why we exist
Mission
To improve the quality of public policy in Kenya through rigorous, independent, and evidence-based research, analysis, and advisory services that inform government decision-making at national and county levels.
Vision
A Kenya where all public policy decisions are grounded in reliable evidence, delivered through a world-class national policy intelligence platform that serves every level of government.
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Years of policy research excellence
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Research publications since founding
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Government clients and partners
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Policy documents informed by KIPPRA research
Our Values
What guides our work
Rigour
We apply the highest standards of analytical and methodological rigour to every research engagement. Quality is non-negotiable.
Independence
Our conclusions follow the evidence, not funder preferences or political convenience. We operate under a statutory independence mandate.
Relevance
Research must address real policy questions facing Kenya's government and people — not just academic puzzles. We stay close to the policy process.
Accessibility
Evidence should be available to all who make and implement policy. We publish research publicly and communicate findings in plain language.
Collaboration
We partner with universities, international research institutions, and government agencies to expand the evidence base available to Kenya's policymakers.
Impact Orientation
Research that does not reach a decision-maker is research that has not fulfilled its purpose. We track and document our policy influence.
Leadership
KIPPRA's senior management team
The team responsible for KIPPRA's research quality, institutional operations, and stakeholder relationships
Prof. Anzetse Were Kamau
Executive Director

Leads KIPPRA's strategic direction, stakeholder relations, and institutional development. Former Director of Research at a pan-African economic think tank and former advisor to the EAC. PhD Economics, University of Nairobi.

Dr. David Muthaka
Head, Macroeconomic Division

Leads KIPPRA's public finance and macroeconomic research programme. 15 years at KIPPRA. PhD Economics, University of Nairobi; MSc, London School of Economics.

Dr. Wanjiku Kamau
Head, Devolution & County Governance

Directs KIPPRA's county governance research and advisory programme, serving all 47 county governments. PhD Public Administration, University of Nairobi.

Peter Njoroge
Head, Digital Economy Programme

Leads KIPPRA's digital economy and ICT policy research. Former senior analyst at the Communications Authority of Kenya. MSc Development Economics, University of Oxford.

James Mutuku
Head, Governance & Public Sector Reform

Directs KIPPRA's governance, procurement, and accountability research. Former Parliamentary Budget Office analyst. MA Public Administration, Strathmore University.

Margaret Waweru
Head, Climate & Environmental Policy

Leads KIPPRA's climate finance and environmental policy research. Former Kenya Forest Service economist. MSc Environmental Economics, University of Leeds.

Governance
How KIPPRA is governed

KIPPRA is established by the KIPPRA Act, Cap 542B of the Laws of Kenya, as a statutory body under the State Corporations Act. The institute is governed by a Board of Directors appointed by the Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury and Economic Planning, comprising independent experts from academia, the private sector, and civil society.

The Board provides oversight of research quality, institutional strategy, financial management, and ensures KIPPRA's independence from political and commercial interference. The Executive Director is accountable to the Board and is responsible for day-to-day management.

KIPPRA is funded through a combination of Government of Kenya core grants, approved under the national budget, and project-based funding from development partners. All project funding is subject to an independence protocol that prohibits funders from directing research findings or publication decisions.

Board of Directors
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Dr. Caroline Mwangi
Chairperson · Former PS, Ministry of Finance
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Prof. James Ochieng
Board Member · Professor of Economics, UoN
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Susan Kariuki
Board Member · Private Sector Representative
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Benjamin Mutua
Board Member · Civil Society Representative
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Dr. Agnes Tarus
Board Member · County Governments Representative
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Robert Ndegwa
Board Member · National Treasury Representative
Strategic Plan 2023–2027
Five-year institutional direction
KIPPRA's fourth strategic plan sets out four pillars for deepening Kenya's national policy intelligence capability

KIPPRA's 2023–2027 Strategic Plan is anchored on the overarching ambition of becoming Kenya's National Policy Intelligence Platform — moving beyond a research archive toward a dynamic, data-driven system that provides real-time policy intelligence to government at every level. The plan responds directly to the Kenya Kwanza government's Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda and the 2023 Medium-Term Fiscal Framework.

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Research Excellence
Strengthen methodological rigour, expand peer review processes, increase international publication output, and build KIPPRA's position as the most credible economic research institution in East Africa.
02
Platform Intelligence
Build Kenya's National Policy Intelligence Platform — a digital ecosystem connecting research, data, expert knowledge, and county intelligence into a single accessible resource for all levels of government.
03
Advisory Impact
Scale KIPPRA's advisory services to reach all 47 counties and all key national ministries, with structured engagement models, documented impact tracking, and expanded capacity building programmes.
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Institutional Sustainability
Diversify KIPPRA's revenue base, strengthen institutional systems and governance, build a high-performance research culture, and reduce dependency on single funding streams.
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Devolution Intelligence
Develop KIPPRA into the definitive data and intelligence resource for devolved governance — county fiscal dashboards, CFSP support tools, and county comparative analytics for all 47 counties.
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Climate & Emerging Priorities
Build dedicated research capacity on climate finance, green economy transition, digital economy governance, and other emerging policy priorities identified in the Kenya Kwanza agenda.
Our History
A timeline of KIPPRA's institutional journey
1997
KIPPRA established by Act of Parliament
The Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis is created under Cap 542B of the Laws of Kenya, with a mandate to provide independent economic analysis to inform government policy. Initial team of 12 researchers based in Nairobi.
2002
First Kenya Economic Report published
KIPPRA launches the annual Kenya Economic Report, which becomes the authoritative reference document on Kenya's macroeconomic performance and is cited in every subsequent Budget Policy Statement.
2010
Devolution research mandate expanded post-Constitution
Following the promulgation of the 2010 Constitution and the creation of 47 county governments, KIPPRA establishes a dedicated Devolution and County Governance research division.
2013
County Intelligence Programme launched
KIPPRA begins systematic collection and analysis of county fiscal data, establishing the datasets that now underpin the County Intelligence Center on this platform.
2018
Digital Economy Programme established
In response to Kenya's rapid ICT sector growth, KIPPRA creates a dedicated Digital Economy Programme, producing Kenya's first systematic analysis of fintech, digital skills, and ICT policy.
2020
COVID-19 Policy Response — rapid evidence briefs
KIPPRA produces 14 rapid evidence briefs during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing real-time analysis of economic impacts, fiscal implications, and policy response options. Downloads exceed 40,000 in 2020.
2023
KIPPRA 2030 Platform Strategy adopted
KIPPRA's Board approves the ambition to build Kenya's National Policy Intelligence Platform — a digital transformation of how research, data, and advisory services are delivered to government at national and county level.
2025
KIPPRA 2030 Platform launched
This platform — Kenya's National Policy Intelligence Platform — goes live, providing integrated access to KIPPRA's research library, policy data center, county intelligence dashboards, expert network, learning academy, and advisory services.
Partners and Affiliations
Kenya's policy research community
Funding Partners
Government of Kenya World Bank Kenya UK FCDO GIZ Kenya African Development Bank USAID Kenya Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation IDRC
Research Partners
University of Nairobi Strathmore University ODI London OECD Dev Centre IMF Institute African Union Commission
Contact KIPPRA
Physical Address
Upper Hill Chambers, 3rd Floor
Upper Hill Road, Nairobi, Kenya
P.O. Box 56445 — 00200
Telephone
+254 20 2734800 / 2734898
Email
admin@kippra.or.ke
Website
www.kippra.or.ke
Advisory Services
advisory@kippra.or.ke
Media Inquiries
media@kippra.or.ke