Top 10 counties where entrepreneurs see the most opportunity

Nandi, Kisumu and Nyamira are among the counties where entrepreneurs see the strongest opportunities to grow their businesses.

This is according to the newly released Kenya Opportunity Index 2026, which ranks counties based on how ready their local economies are to support enterprise growth. 

The report, based on responses from 2,939 entrepreneurs across 44 counties, places Nandi at the top with a score of 61.2, followed closely by Kisumu at 61.0 and Nyamira at 60.7.

The index, developed by entrepreneur and researcher Eunice Maina-Mburu, measures what it calls “opportunity readiness”, which means how clearly entrepreneurs can access markets, predict demand, and grow their businesses within local economic systems. 

Scores are calculated on a scale of 0 to 100, based on a 12-question survey examining factors such as demand stability, market reach, access to programs and business organisation.

Alongside Nandi, Kisumu and Nyamira, the rest of the top ten counties are Tana River (59.9), Vihiga (59.7), Mombasa (58.5), Lamu (58.2), Laikipia (57.5), Turkana (57.4) and Murang’a (52.0). 

Most of these counties fall within what the report describes as a “transition economy,” where entrepreneurs are beginning to experience clearer market signals and more structured opportunities for growth.

Overall, Kenya scored 47.4 out of 100 on the national “Hustle-to-Structure Index”, suggesting the country still largely operates in what the report calls a “hustle economy”, an environment where entrepreneurs work hard but face fragmented markets and unpredictable demand.

For example, Nandi, the highest-ranked county, sits within the report’s “structured opportunity” category, meaning entrepreneurs there report clearer demand signals and better ability to scale businesses.

By contrast, counties lower on the scale illustrate the challenges many businesses face.

In Bomet, which scored 36.7, most respondents described their economic outlook as focused on daily survival, with enterprises operating in small, local markets and struggling with limited sales and marketing capacity.

The report argues that the main barrier to enterprise growth in Kenya is not a lack of entrepreneurial effort but weak market systems. 

Entrepreneurs across the country are active and adaptive, but often operate in fragmented local markets without stable demand or clear pathways to larger value chains.

This matters because small businesses form the backbone of Kenya’s economy. The country has about 7.4 million micro, small and medium enterprises employing roughly 14.9 million people and contributing about 40% of GDP, according to figures cited in the report.

Researchers say strengthening structured markets, from agricultural value chains to housing supply chains and digital platforms, could help convert Kenya’s strong entrepreneurial culture into more stable economic growth.

The index is expected to serve as a baseline for future measurements, tracking whether counties are improving their ability to support entrepreneurs and connect them to larger economic opportunities.

At the launch, Principal Secretary for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, Susan Auma Mang’eni welcomed the report’s findings, saying the insights come at a crucial time as the government reviews the national MSME policy framework.

She posed several key questions arising from the discussion, including how markets can be better structured for sectors such as boda boda operators and how informal traders, including hawkers, can be integrated into more organised market systems.

The PS also emphasised the importance of ensuring that insights from the Fursa Index inform the ongoing MSME policy review, noting that effective policy must reflect the real experiences and challenges faced by entrepreneurs.