Institute of Economic Affairs Kenya

What Institute of Economic Affairs Kenya does

The Institute of Economic Affairs Kenya (IEA Kenya) is an independent, non-profit policy think-tank founded in 1994 and headquartered in Nairobi. It provides a platform for informed public-policy debate in Kenya and the wider East Africa region, conducting research and public education on economic and topical policy issues across six focus areas: Public Finance Management, Constitution/Law and the Economy, Economic Regulation and Competition Policy, International Trade and Development, Strategic Foresight, and Special Programmes. Its work targets government and policy makers as the primary audience, with civil society and researchers as secondary audiences.

Name

Institute of Economic Affairs Kenya

Legal name

Institute of Economic Affairs Kenya

Website

https://ieakenya.or.ke

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

IEA Kenya is a 1994-founded, Nairobi-based non-profit think-tank that produces policy research, publications, and real-time fiscal dashboards (Public Debt Counter, Social Economic Trends, PPIP) for government, civil society, and researchers in Kenya and East Africa.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Policy Research and Think Tank Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAHALAF

Policy, Regulatory & Public Affairs Research

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Research, Analytics & Expert Services

SECONDARYBPADAMAJ

Economic Research, Statistics & Policy Advisory

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/International Trade & Economic Development

SECONDARYBPAIAAAB

Central Government Policy, Strategy & Performance (incl. OMB-style functions)

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Central/Federal Government Administration

Keywords

• Policy research services
• Public finance analysis
• Economic policy think tank
• Government policy advisory
• Economic data dashboards

Headquarters

HQ city

Nairobi

HQ country

Kenya

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

IEA Kenya is a think-tank that undertakes research and public education on key economic and topical issues in public affairs in Kenya and the region, and uses research outcomes for policy dialogue and to influence policy making. It sells/distributes research publications (bulletins, briefs, research papers, books, presentations, newsletters) covering public finance management, economic regulation, trade, and constitutional law, and operates interactive real-time data dashboards on Kenya's public debt, socioeconomic trends, and public procurement risk.

Product overview

IEA Kenya operates as a public policy think-tank offering a portfolio of research products, interactive data dashboards, and engagement platforms. The core offerings include Publications (Bulletins, Research Papers, Books, Newsletters), the Public Debt Counter (real-time debt tracking dashboard), Social Economic Trends Dashboard, and Public Procurement Risk Index (PPIP) Dashboard. The organization supplements these with Events and Webinars on policy topics, a Policy Blog for ongoing analysis, and the Pre-Budget Forum for citizen participation. An Open Contracting Portal, developed in partnership with Nation Media Group, provides public procurement data transparency.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Public Debt Counter: Real-time dashboard tracking Kenya's national debt growth
• Kenya Urban Areas Performance Index
• Open Contracting Portal

Products and services

• IEA Kenya Publications Research outputs including Bulletins and Briefs, Research Papers, Books, Presentations, and Newsletters covering public finance, economic regulation, trade, and constitutional law topics, distributed to government, civil society, and academic audiences.
• Public Debt Counter Real-time online dashboard tracking Kenya's national debt growth, providing live estimates of public debt stock and accumulation rate for policy makers, researchers, civil society, and the public.
• Social Economic Trends Dashboard Interactive dashboard providing real-time visualization of Kenya's social economic trends and indicators for researchers, policy makers, and the public.
• Public Procurement Risk Index (PPIP) Dashboard Dashboard providing risk analysis and monitoring of public procurement processes in Kenya to support transparency, oversight, and anti-corruption analysis.
• IEA Kenya Events and Webinars Virtual and in-person policy forums, training sessions, and webinars on economic and public policy topics including debt, trade, health insurance, and fiscal policy, delivered to government, civil society, and academic audiences.
• Pre-Budget Forum Annual platform facilitating citizen and civil society participation in Kenya's government budget formulation process, providing opportunities to submit policy proposals and engage budget-makers.
• Open Contracting Portal Collaborative portal with Nation Media Group providing open data on Kenya's public procurement to enhance media story linkages, data-backed journalism, and citizen access to procurement information.
• IEA Kenya Membership Program Membership program for individuals and organizations providing regular engagement with IEA Kenya's research outputs, policy dialogue events, and pre-budget forum participation in exchange for membership fees.

Quantifiable outcome

• Real-time Public Debt Counter tracking Kenya's national debt growth
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Nation Media Group (NMG)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 July 2019MoU signed on July 22, 2019, for collaboration on establishment of an Open Contracting (O.C) portal providing open data on public procurement to the public. The portal enables visibility for media story linkages, data-backed storytelling, and access to public procurement information.
• SNV NetherlandscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on budget process guides and animations to help citizens understand the budget formulation stage. Also collaborated on voice for change program focusing on evidence-based advocacy on sanitation and other public policy issues.
• National Democratic Institute (NDI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for media briefings on national government budget implementation, including discussions on gaps and deviations in FY 2019/20 budget. Focus on budget oversight and evidence-based analysis.
• Office of the Controller of Budget (OCOB)coreOthersUses OCOB budget implementation reports as primary data source for budget analysis and publication. References OCOB data extensively in budget pulse reports and fiscal analysis.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Tax Justice Network Africa: Africa-focused advocacy and research organization on tax policy, public finance, and illicit financial flows. Comparable niche overlap with IEA Kenya's public finance management and trade focus.
• Africa Policy Research Institute: Emerging pan-African policy think tank producing research on governance, economic policy, and development. A newer peer with overlapping Africa-focused policy research and similar target audience.

Broad incumbents

• Overseas Development Institute (ODI): Major UK-based international development think tank with a global footprint including Sub-Saharan Africa. ODI is a broader incumbent with overlapping economic policy, public finance, and governance research, but at significantly larger scale.
• Brookings Institution: Prominent global policy research organization with a substantial Africa Growth Initiative. Brookings is a broader incumbent that produces economic policy research, public finance analysis, and convenings addressing challenges similar to IEA Kenya's mandate.
• Center for Global Development (CGD): Washington-based think tank producing research on global development, debt sustainability, and aid effectiveness. CGD is a broader incumbent with substantial research on African fiscal and economic policy issues overlapping IEA Kenya's focus areas.

Direct peers

• African Centre for Economic Transformation (ACET): Pan-African economic policy think tank focused on research, policy advisory, and economic transformation. ACET is closely comparable to IEA Kenya in mission, target audience (African policymakers and donors), and product mix (research papers, dashboards, convenings).
• South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA): Leading African policy research institute producing analysis on governance, trade, and economic policy. SAIIA is a strong regional peer with a similar not-for-profit, membership-supported model and publications-driven engagement.
• Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA): Kenya's government-affiliated economic policy research institute. KIPPRA is the most direct domestic counterpart to IEA Kenya, both producing research on public finance, fiscal policy, and economic planning for Kenyan policymakers.
• International Growth Centre (IGC): UK-funded research centre providing evidence-based advice on growth and governance in developing countries, with active Kenya programming. IGC is directly comparable in research areas (public finance, regulation, trade) and donor-funded operating model.

Regional players

• National Institute for Economic Policy (NIEP): Namibian economic policy think tank providing research and policy advice on fiscal and economic issues. A regional African peer with a similar think-tank structure and policy research mandate, though focused on Namibia.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ieakenya
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institute-of-economic-affairs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Institute of Economic Affairs Kenya