Kenya's Equity Market receives major boost after classification upgrade by FTSE Russel Index

This upgrade follows an interim review of Kenya's equity market against technical criteria by the FTSE, which cleared previously reported delays in institutional investors' ability to repatriate capital from Kenya.

As a result, restrictions on implementing index changes for Kenyan securities within FTSE Russell equity indices were lifted, effective September 2023.

The classification and assessment process involved input from FTSE Russell's external advisory committees and the FTSE Equity Country Classification Advisory Committee, comprising market practitioners with expertise in trading, custody, and investment management.

The FTSE Russell Policy Advisory Board, representing leading global investors, also contributed insights into investing in equity markets worldwide.

FTSE Russell's market cap-weighted equity indexes, including the flagship FTSE Global Equity Index Series (FTSE GEIS), FTSE UK Index Series, and the Russell US Indexes, are widely used by investors worldwide for asset allocation decisions, portfolio construction, and risk and performance analysis.

This comprehensive offering of global and domestic equity market indexes caters to the diverse needs of clients for both global and local market investing.

David Wainaina, Acting Chief Executive of the NSE, expressed satisfaction with the reclassification, highlighting it as evidence of Kenya's improving equity market and the growing confidence of international institutional investors in the market.

FTSE Russell's market cap-weighted equity indexes, including the flagship FTSE Global Equity Index Series (FTSE GEIS), FTSE UK Index Series, and the Russell US Indexes, are widely used by investors worldwide for asset allocation decisions, portfolio construction, and risk and performance analysis. 

This comprehensive offering of global and domestic equity market indexes caters to the diverse needs of clients for both global and local market investing.