Kenya imports hit Sh2.5trn on costly fuel, foodstuff

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Some of the metal rods manufactured at a steel mill in Kenya. FILE PHOTO | KEVIN ODIT | NMG

Kenyan importers spent an equivalent of three-quarters of the country’s annual budget to bring in goods from abroad, hurting job opportunities for growing skilled youth and exerting pressure on the shilling against major global currencies.

Expenditure on imports rose 16.21 percent to Sh2.49 trillion on the back of the increased cost of importing fuel and food, official data collated by the Central Bank of Kenya shows.

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