Kenya in talks for fresh multilateral financing, central bank chief says

By Rae Wee BANGKOK, Oct 16 (Reuters) — Kenya is in discussions with several multilateral development banks to secure new financing that is expected to materialise in the current financial year, its central bank governor said on Friday. Governor ​Kamau Thugge said the government was in talks with the African Development Bank and the World Bank over potential budget support, including a World Bank Development Policy Operation (DPO). "They are looking at all kinds of financing... there's quite a number of sources that they are trying to access," Thugge said in an interview on the sidelines of ​the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund ⁠and World Bank in Bangkok.

"Between now and June of next year is when that external financing will be expected." A debt-for-food swap is among the options being considered by the East African nation, Thugge said, without giving further details as he was not directly involved in the discussions. Reuters reported last month that Kenya ‌is expected to receive about $400 million in emergency financing from the World Bank to help address risks including an Ebola outbreak in the region and El Niño-related disruptions.

An IMF team is expected to visit Nairobi in December for a regular Article IV consultation mission, Thugge told Reuters, adding that a new programme with the Fund would be part of the discussions. "The IMF funding is not in any of our planning. But obviously, were it to come in, it would help in several ways," said Thugge. "It's cheaper than the alternative financing, especially domestic financing.

It's concessional... and two, it also reduces the government's recourse to domestic borrowing, and maybe that can also help banks lend to the private sector a bit more." Monitoring Inflation Risks Thugge said there was still "enough time" to monitor developments in consumer price pressures, the ongoing Middle East war and weather conditions before deciding on its next rate move. The central bank last week maintained its benchmark lending rate at 8.75% for the fourth policy meeting in a row, saying it saw inflation staying within its target range in the short term.

But the country's energy regulator raised the maximum retail prices of petrol and diesel earlier this week, citing higher import costs linked to the Middle East conflict. Thugge said rising bond yields across developed markets could also contribute to inflationary pressures indirectly, by weighing on the domestic currency. "Definitely risks are tilted (to the upside)," said Thugge.

"Even if there is an increase in the fuel (prices), the food prices have actually been trending downward, so one will still need to wait and see what happens to the food prices, and does the decline in food prices offset whatever increase there might be on fuel inflation." He expected Kenya's economy to grow 5% this year and 5.3% next year, compared with IMF forecasts of 4.5% and 4.7%, respectively, citing tailwinds in agriculture, industry and services. "It's likely our projection is closer to the truth than the IMF one." (Reporting by Rae Wee, editing by Karin Strohecker and John Mair) ((mailto:Rae.Wee@thomsonreuters.com;)