President William Ruto during the launch of the Rironi–Mau Summit dual carriageway project at the Total Junction in Mau Summit. [File, Standard]Securing a New IMF ProgrammeDiscussions with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will dominate the first half of the year. Kenya is actively negotiating for a new funding arrangement. The core sticking points remain, analysts warn, including the treatment of securitised debt (like the road annuity programme), the pace of fiscal consolidation, and tangible progress on structural reforms, particularly privatisation. Failure to secure a credible programme would severely strain public finances and shake market confidence, analysts say.