NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 23 – Uasin Gishu County has emerged as the most business-friendly devolved unit for small traders in Kenya, outperforming Nairobi, according to a new report by Viffa Consult.
The Kenya County Business Support Index places Uasin Gishu at the top with an overall score of 87 percent, followed by Machakos (76 percent) and Nairobi (67 percent).
Other high performers include Nakuru (67 percent), Bungoma and Mombasa (61 percent), and Kiambu and Murang’a (60 percent).
The study assessed 15 counties based on key indicators such as infrastructure, cost of doing business, industry support, and general trade facilitation.
“Bungoma ranks higher than Mombasa because it had a higher ranking in cost of business licenses in both general trade and industry,” the report noted.
“Kiambu ranks higher than Murang’a because its aggregate cost of general trade and industry licenses is lower.”
According to the findings, Uasin Gishu performed strongly across most parameters, offering better infrastructure, more efficient licensing processes, and stronger business support systems.
At the lower end of the ranking, Kisii County recorded the weakest performance with 42 percent, citing poor infrastructure and limited support for small businesses. Kakamega, Nyandarua, and Kajiado also ranked among the bottom three counties.
