Kenya ranked 98th in global governance index, trails regional peers in leadership and strong institutions

Kenya has ranked among the lowest-performing countries in the world on matters of governance, according to the Chandler Good Government Index (CGGI) 2025.

The report, which assessed 120 national governments, placed Kenya at position 98 globally, highlighting major gaps in leadership, institutions, and service delivery.

The CGGI evaluates governance using 35 indicators grouped into seven key pillars, measuring both government capacity and real-world outcomes. It emphasizes whether governments are structured to “help people rise,” a crucial benchmark for developing nations like Kenya.

Kenya’s weakest performance came in the Leadership and Foresight pillar, where it ranked 111th. This category measures ethical leadership, long-term planning, adaptability, and innovation. The country also struggled in Strong Institutions, ranking 102nd, reflecting weaknesses in public sector capacity, data use, and bureaucracy.

In the Marketplace pillar, which looks at investment climate, property rights, infrastructure, and regulatory stability, Kenya stood at 101st, underscoring persistent hurdles to business growth.

Kenya scored 95th on citizen outcomes, which measure access to education, healthcare, safety, income equality, and environmental sustainability. Legal and regulatory governance placed the country 96th, while its global influence and reputation fared slightly better at 93rd.

The only relatively strong performance came in Financial Stewardship, where Kenya ranked 85th—a sign that despite economic pressures, the government is managing debt, budgets, and public spending better than many peers.

The report noted that Africa recorded the lowest average governance score globally, with only Tanzania and Rwanda showing improvements since 2021. The rest, including Kenya, either stagnated or slipped back.

Globally, Singapore topped the rankings, followed by Denmark, Norway, Finland, and Sweden, while Mauritius led Africa at 51st worldwide. Other strong African performers included Rwanda (63rd), Botswana (66th), Morocco (75th), and South Africa (77th).

Kenya’s 98th position places it below regional peers like Tanzania (78th), Ghana (89th), and Côte d’Ivoire (93rd), highlighting the governance challenges Nairobi continues to face in delivering quality leadership and services.