Nairobi, June 30 (Reuters) - Kenya's economic growth slowed to 4.9 percent in the first quarter of this year due to uncertainty created by the coronavirus pandemic, the Bureau of Statistics said on Tuesday.
Kenya has grown rapidly in recent years, thanks to its diversified economy, which does not rely on a single commodity or major trading partner, but the epidemic has broken economic activity
The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics said, "The economy has been affected by the uncertainty that has already resulted in a slowdown in economic activity among some of the country's major trading partners."
The Ministry of Finance expects to grow 2.5% this year from 5.4% last year due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has so far infected more than 6,000 people in the country.
The International Monetary Fund predicts more pessimism and contraction this year.
Kenya's Central Bank Governor Patrick Njoroge said on Friday that he would review his 2020 growth forecast in two weeks, delivering better data on home exports and payments sent by Kenyans living abroad.
According to the Bureau of Statistics, the first quarter contributed to the expansion in agriculture, transportation, financial services, construction, and commercial sectors.
Although the first case of the virus was confirmed in Kenya in mid-March due to the deterioration of tourism, the bureau said it had introduced lockdown measures to slow its spread.
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