Topic: KENYA: Why is the most developed economy in East africa still grappling with extreme poverty?

Rural poverty in Kenya

Poverty seems a paradox in a country that has one of the best-developed economies in eastern Africa. Kenya has relatively advanced agricultural and industrial sectors and substantial foreign exchange earnings from agricultural exports and tourism. Yet it is a low-income country and ranks 128th among 169 countries in the United Nations Development Programme’s Human Development Index, which measures development in terms of life expectancy, educational attainment and standard of living.

About 79 per cent of Kenya’s population lives in rural areas and relies on agriculture for most of its income. Nearly half the country’s 40 million people are poor, or unable to meet their daily nutritional requirements. The vast majority of poor people live in rural areas. Although in some respects conditions have improved since the early 1980s, the poverty rate has remained steady at about 48 per cent.

The rural economy depends mainly on smallholder subsistence agriculture, which produces 75 per cent of total agricultural output. Most Kenyans live in areas that have good to high potential for agriculture, comprise about 18 per cent of the country’s territory and are located in the centre and west. However population density in high-potential areas is more than six times the country’s average of 55 people per km2 and constitutes an overwhelming pressure on resources. The poorest communities are found in the sparsely populated arid zones, mainly in the north. Kenya’s poor rural people include:

• smallholder farmers
• herders
• farm labourers
• unskilled and semi-skilled workers
• households headed by women
• people with disabilities
• AIDS orphans

Reasons for the persistence of poverty are various. Kenya has one of the world’s fastest population growth rates. Over the past 30 years, the population has more than tripled, greatly increasing pressure on the country’s resources. Together with a widening income gap, this has eroded gains in education, health, food security, employment and income.

There are strong linkages between poverty and environmental degradation, particularly poor water management, soil erosion, declining soil fertility and land degradation. In addition, the effects of climate change are undermining an already fragile resource base and have contributed to declining agricultural yields over the past decades. In recent years, drought has become a perennial problem in parts of Kenya. Episodes in 2009 and 2011 generated food emergencies, while flooding in 2010 affected parts of the country severely.

Tribal affinities are a source of considerable conflict within Kenya, with the diverse ethnic groups competing since independence for land, financial resources and political power.

HIV/AIDS is most prevalent among young and middle-aged Kenyans, the most productive segment of the population. The illness leaves orphans and households headed by women that are even more vulnerable to poverty. The burden of waterborne diseases, malaria and HIV/AIDS weighs heavily on both the country and Kenyan families, affecting income, food security and development potential. Life expectancy fell to 46 years in 2006, but has since risen to over 55.

Rural women are a particularly vulnerable category because they do not have equal access to social and economic assets. Subsistence farming is the primary – and often the only – source of livelihood for about 70 per cent of these women.

source: here

Kabaridi,

U r inviting the wrath of Kenyan nationalists but it is good that the moderators chose to start a separate platform for Kenyans so as not to pollute the international section with their foul languages! Well done the moderators let's wait to hear their defense on this report here in their platform! Smatta say sth....

By Geza Ulole

Kabaridi,

U r inviting the wrath of Kenyan nationalists but it is good that the modetratots chose to start a separate platform for Kenyans so as not to pollute the international section with their foul languages! Well done the moderators let's wait to hear their defense on this report here in their platform! Smatta say sth....

Do you ever have anything constructive to say?

By kshaka

Do you ever have anything constructive to say?

no sir...did u go through the report above? what's ur opinion on u being poor while economy fairly developed? few Delameres and many of u r chokoraas!

developed?

this word must has so many definitions

AM BAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!!!!!

LET US ANSWER IN PICTURES, I UNDERSTAND THIS IS A STELLAR EXAMPLE OF YOUR INFERIORITY COMPLEX!

LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES



IT IS ADVISABLE TO FOCUS ON THE DIRE SITUATION IN TANZANIA INSTEAD OF YAPPING ON ABOUT OTHER COUNTRIES!

By Geza Ulole

no sir...did u go through the report above? what's ur opinion on u being poor while economy fairly developed? few Delameres and many of u r chokoraas!

I am not poor sir.

Yes we do have problems with poverty but it's not as bad as you're making out. According to the African Development Bank, Kenya over the last ten years has experienced one of the most rapid growth in it's middle class population in Africa and we are well on course to becoming a middle income country (by 2016, according to the United Nations Commission for Africa) so it shows that the reforms we have been undertaking have started bearing fruit. In Kenya, it's no longer the case that we have a few well off people while the vast majority are poor, as at the moment, 44% of Kenyans can be classified as middle class while for some other countries I could mention, the situation is very embarrassing.

If our next elections go well so that we stop politicking all the time and focus on issues that matter, the sky is the limit.

Here's some interesting bedtime reading for you

http://www.afdb.org/fileadmin/upload...%20Pyramid.pdf

By Mekatilili

LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES



IT IS ADVISABLE TO FOCUS ON THE DIRE SITUATION IN TANZANIA INSTEAD OF YAPPING ON ABOUT OTHER COUNTRIES!

hii inakusaidia nini kama 49% of u r chokoraa na living in dire poverty!

By Mekatilili

AM BAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!!!!!

LET US ANSWER IN PICTURES, I UNDERSTAND THIS IS A STELLAR EXAMPLE OF YOUR INFERIORITY COMPLEX!

leta source au umetoa dandora hii?

By Mekatilili

IT IS ADVISABLE TO FOCUS ON THE DIRE SITUATION IN TANZANIA INSTEAD OF YAPPING ON ABOUT OTHER COUNTRIES!

I think you have missed the point of this thread my friend
Instead of comparing Kenya to a less developed country
please let's use this thread to compare it to better countries
Why inaendelea ila poverty reduction haifati in proportion?

If we look at Kenyan policies, they are mostly WB inspired
and it is not a secret that their focus in on the macro economy
they are more concerned of the country treasure and GDP
they do not really care about households and individuals

the development policies aim at increasing what the donors want
I would say that Rwanda (although still behind) is a better example
The country grows and there are tangible poverty reduction efforts (strategies)
their policies are gender sensitive, they target the poor and the poorest

Kwa vile you are Kenyans and probably live in Kenya, nadhani
ingekua bora tujadili ni kipi kifanyike ili poor kenyans (over 40%)
waweze kutoka katika poverty and join the 60% who are well off
that, I think, is the focus. Not Tanzania and Tanzanian problems

By Mwali

I think you have missed the point of this thread my friend
Instead of comparing Kenya to a less developed country
please let's use this thread to compare it to better countries
Why inaendelea ila poverty reduction haifati in proportion?

If we look at Kenyan policies, they are mostly WB inspired
and it is not a secret that their focus in on the macro economy
they are more concerned of the country treasure and GDP
they do not really care about households and individuals

the development policies aim at increasing what the donors want
I would say that Rwanda (although still behind) is a better example
The country grows and there are tangible poverty reduction efforts (strategies)
their policies are gender sensitive, they target the poor and the poorest

Kwa vile you are Kenyans and probably live in Kenya, nadhani
ingekua bora tujadili ni kipi kifanyike ili poor kenyans (over 40%)
waweze kutoka katika poverty and join the 60% who are well off
that, I think, is the focus. Not Tanzania and Tanzanian problems

umasikini uliopo Kenya unafanana na wa India i guess
Tanzania haina slums kama Kibera au Mathare...
masikini wa tz wana ardhi na wanajilisha wenyewe
Kenya ni nightmare ukiwa masikini..

By The Boss

umasikini uliopo Kenya unafanana na wa India i guess
Tanzania haina slums kama Kibera au Mathare...
masikini wa tz wana ardhi na wanajilisha wenyewe
Kenya ni nightmare ukiwa masikini..

Tumesema tuache kwanza kulinganisha Kenya na Tanzania
The contexts are so different (poors in rural vs urban areas)
Solution ya Kenyan government ni kujenga nyumba za kisasa
na kuwapa hao watu in for of rent or sales kwa cheap loans.

but hakuna control over the process. Full corruption, no accountability
Mwisho wa siko wanao faidi ni watu wa hiyo idara, na familia zao
if the state was serious about poverty reduction (hasa housing options)
ingeanza kwa kuwapa kwaza kurekebisha system nzima ya hizo nyumba


pia ingeangalia namna ya kuwaweka wengine vijijini (land access policies)
Yani not just to empty the bottle but make sure it doesn't fill up too
Kama kungekua na support for poor farmers, na soko nzuri kwa mazao
I am sure rural exodus ingepungua, na Kibera/mathare would not grow.

For more about Kibera slum and what can be done: http://cambridge.academia.edu/Victor...Kibera_Nairobi

By Mwali

Tumesema tuache kwanza kulinganisha Kenya na Tanzania
The contexts are so different (poors in rural vs urban areas)
Solution ya Kenyan government ni kujenga nyumba za kisasa
na kuwapa hao watu in for of rent or sales kwa cheap loans.

but hakuna control over the process. Full corruption, no accountability
Mwisho wa siko wanao faidi ni watu wa hiyo idara, na familia zao
if the state was serious about poverty reduction (hasa housing options)
ingeanza kwa kuwapa kwaza kurekebisha system nzima ya hizo nyumba


pia ingeangalia namna ya kuwaweka wengine vijijini (land access policies)
Yani not just to empty the bottle but make sure it doesn't fill up too
Kama kungekua na support for poor farmers, na soko nzuri kwa mazao
I am sure rural exodus ingepungua, na Kibera/mathare would not grow.

the fact kwamba leo Kenya inalinganishwa na Tanzania
ni kuonesha how low and how the failed over the years..

wakati wa uhuru Kenya ilikuwa among top African countries...kiuchumi
Tanzania was far behind...

but leo hawaoni aibu kushindana na TZ....

By Mekatilili

AM BAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!!!!!

LET US ANSWER IN PICTURES, I UNDERSTAND THIS IS A STELLAR EXAMPLE OF YOUR INFERIORITY COMPLEX!

It would have been appreciated if you could provide the source of your infomation and probably the time frame as ot when this information were collected and analysed

By The Boss

umasikini uliopo Kenya unafanana na wa India i guess
Tanzania haina slums kama Kibera au Mathare...
masikini wa tz wana ardhi na wanajilisha wenyewe
Kenya ni nightmare ukiwa masikini..

Ni kweli maskini wa Tanzania wana ardhi na wanajilisha wenyewe. But for how long? Tukiendelea na sera za akina Kikwete na CCM tutajikuta tuna landless class au campesinos ambao riziki yao inategemea "wawekezaji."

By The Boss

umasikini uliopo Kenya unafanana na wa India i guess
Tanzania haina slums kama Kibera au Mathare...
masikini wa tz wana ardhi na wanajilisha wenyewe
Kenya ni nightmare ukiwa masikini..

It is obvious you know very little about your country!

A New Class of Consumers Grows in Africa

JOHANNESBURG—Sustained economic growth in Africa has produced for the first time a broad middle class, one that cuts across the continent and is on par with the size of the middle classes in the billion-person emerging markets of China and India.The rise of a middle class in the world's poorest continent is a dramatic marker for the global economy. At a time when the U.S., Europe and Japan are struggling to grow, Africa is beginning to beckon as a consumer of what other nations produce, thanks in part to a young population more upwardly mobile than ever before.

ARTICLE SOURCE: WALL STREET JOURNAL

In Africa, a New Middle Class Rises - WSJ.com

The point I am trying to make and it seems a majority of you are oblivious of the state of affairs in Kenya is, we are not the richest country in the world but we are certainly making strides to make our country better. Visit Kenya and you will see the massive investments being made to our infrastructure, the entrepreneurial spirit and collective effort to make our country better. The fact is we are growing and acting on our grand vision to make the life of our citizens better while some are busy paying talking!

Know the facts; where you stand and stop with all the udaku about what is happening where and who is doing what not forgeting your propaganda and build your countries.

By Geza Ulole

Kabaridi,

U r inviting the wrath of Kenyan nationalists but it is good that the moderators chose to start a separate platform for Kenyans so as not to pollute the international section with their foul languages! Well done the moderators let's wait to hear their defense on this report here in their platform! Smatta say sth....

I believe a kenyan statesman/pan-kenyan will be able to contribute to his post without bouts of aspersions.