Kenya had the biggest increase worldwide in FDI during 2008, according to greenfield data from fDi Intelligence.

From 2003 to 2007, crossborder investment tracking service fDi Markets only recorded two international investment projects in Kenya. That figure rose to 25 in 2008, representing a 1150% increase, the highest of any country monitored in 2008.

By sector, fDi Intelligence recorded the highest number of projects in the communications sector , with financial services second, and software and IT, tying with beverages for third place.

The country’s communications sector brought in $82.8m-worth of investment, representing a huge jump from the previous year’s figure of $10.9m. In the five years that fDi Intelligence has been tracking greenfield investment in Kenya, 66% of the total was recorded in 2008.

However, in terms of capital investment, fDi Intelligence figures show that financial services represented by far the largest investment in 2008 at $155m, up from $51.7m in 2007.