No, Kenya is not classified as a "third world" country in modern terms, as that Cold War-era label has been replaced by metrics like developing, emerging, or frontier market status.

Term Origins

The phrase "third world" originated during the Cold War to describe non- aligned nations outside the capitalist First World and communist Second World blocs. Today, organizations like the UN use categories such as least developed countries (LDCs), where Kenya does not appear on the current list of 44 economies.

Current Status

Kenya holds a medium Human Development Index (HDI) of 0.628, ranking 143rd out of 193 countries as of 2023, with 25.4% of the population below $2.15 daily and classification as a developing or frontier market. President William Ruto has rejected the label, calling it a "mistake" based on athletic and economic potential, while outlining plans like KSh 4 trillion investments for first- world aspirations. Kenya improved its World Bank ease of doing business rank to 92nd in 2017.