World Bank boss denies dishing out loans to Kenya in secret

World Bank Country Director for Kenya, Qimiao Fan, has stated that every cent loaned to Kenya is publicly documented and tied to visible results.

Speaking during an interview on local TV on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, Fan defended the bank’s lending approach, stating that “there’s nothing that’s opaque about World Bank financing to Kenya.” He explained that all the details, including loan terms, conditions, and durations, are available on the World Bank’s website for public scrutiny.

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“Every single penny, every cent of loan we make to Kenya is made public. All the terms, the duration of those loans are on our website,” he said.

Fan further revealed that since Kenya joined the World Bank in 1964, the institution has provided over Ksh3.24 trillion in loans, credits, and grants, most of which are long-term and carry little to no interest.

“The financing provided by the World Bank to Kenya is the best you can get from anywhere,” he added. “These are loans made to invest in Kenya’s long-term development, in education, healthcare, energy, agriculture, and transport.”

Three-pronged funding approach

To dispel myths about loan conditions, Fan explained that the World Bank uses three main instruments. The first is investment project financing, which targets specific projects such as school infrastructure and roads.

“We’ve helped finance over 30,000 classrooms and thousands of kilometres of paved roads,” he said, citing the Nairobi-Mombasa road and the Tana River hydropower plant as key examples.

The second type is programme-for-results, where funding is released based on measurable milestones, like increased school enrolment or improved learning outcomes.

“We pay for results that the country achieves,” Fan said. “That ensures financing actually goes towards what it was meant to achieve.”

The third instrument is development policy financing, often referred to as budget support. Here, funds are released after the government commits to certain policy reforms–such as public finance improvements or digitised procurement systems.

On how projects are selected, Fan clarified that it is a collaborative process between the World Bank and the Kenyan government.

“Everything we support must be a priority for the country,” he said. “We look at what Kenya needs, and where we have the expertise and capacity to help.”