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- Kenya’s Pension System Receives C Grade in First-Ever Global Pension Index Assessment;
Kenya is among three new retirement income systems included in the 2026 Index, alongside the Dominican Republic and Qatar.
The addition brings the number of systems assessed by the Index to 55, covering more than 66% of the world’s population.
The results point to a significant disparity between the adequacy of retirement income and the integrity of the pension system.
While Kenya’s B+ integrity score indicates a comparatively strong performance in areas relating to governance, regulation, protection and communication,the D score for adequacy highlights challenges in ensuring that retirement income is sufficient to meet people’s needs in retirement.
The findings come at a time when retirement systems globally are facing growing pressure from demographic and workforce changes.
The 2026 Index’s special chapter examines the impact of aging populations on pension systems, noting that increasing life expectancy means people are spending longer periods in retirement.
For Kenya, the report notes that life expectancy at age 65 has increased by 2.9 years since 1950, underscoring the importance of ensuring that retirement savings are sufficient to support longer lives.
Octagon Africa’s Group CEO Fred Waswa, whose organisation helped to provide the local context lauded the inaugural assessment of Kenya into the index, adding that it was an important opportunity for Kenya to take stock of our retirement systems.
“Kenya’s pension system continues to evolve, and the inclusion of the country into this index is an important benchmark to see where we stand and what needs to be done better.
The findings give us an opportunity to have a more informed conversation about retirement adequacy,sustainability and the long-term financial security of Kenyans,” said Fred Waswa.
The Index provides a comparative framework for examining retirement systems through adequacy, sustainability and integrity.
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