Nairobi, Jan. 20 -- Kenya's debt servicing costs jumped 44.1 percent in the first half of the current financial year, increasing pressure on public finances as repayments consumed more than 80 percent of all taxes collected over the period, new National Treasury data shows.

The government spent Sh941.6 billion servicing public debt in the six months ended December 2025, up from Sh653.5 billion over a similar period the previous year, marking a Sh288.1 billion increase.

The rise pushed debt service costs to 81.1 percent of total tax revenues, following a Sh1.161 trillion collection by the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) during the period. This compares with a debt service ratio of 60.8 percent a year earlier, when Sh653.5 billion was spent...