Reforms could propel EA to middle income economy in shortest period

Outgoing Africa Development Bank director general for the East Africa regional development and business delivery office Gabriel Negatu spoke to Njiraini Muchira on his three-year tenure in the region.

How would you sum up your time as AfDB’s point man in East Africa?

I am grateful for the opportunity to have served here. For me it has been a credible journey. There was no better time to serve the region than now when governments are reform minded and economies are growing.

Governments understand what needs to be done politically and socio-economically to advance their respective nations. These reforms include managing debt, containing borrowing, putting borrowed money into proper use, investments in infrastructure, liberalisation of policies to attract investments and measures to ease doing business.

Politically, democracy is taking root and transfer of power has become a major event that is no longer bloody. These reforms signal that East Africa is rising and continues to be the fastest growing on the continental—a trajectory that will see countries achieve middle income status in a very short period.