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CAUTION: The following links and
accompanying text have been culled from the web to illuminate the situation
in Kenya in the early years of the 21st Century. Some of these links
may lead to websites that present allegations that are unsubstantiated,
misleading or even false. No attempt has been made to validate
their authenticity or to verify their content. HOW TO USE THIS WEBPAGE Students If you are looking
for material to use in a term-paper, you are advised to scan the postings on
this page and others to see which aspects of poverty are of particular
interest to you. You might be
interested in exploring the relationship between distribution of labor and
per-capita GDP, for example. Perhaps
your paper could focus on life expectancy or infant mortality. Other factors of interest might be
unemployment, literacy, access to basic services, etc. On the other hand, you might choose to
include some of the possible outgrowths of poverty such as Human Trafficking,
Street Children,
or even Prostitution. There is a lot to the subject of
Poverty. Scan other countries as well
as this one. Draw comparisons between
activity in adjacent countries and/or regions. Meanwhile, check out some of the Term-Paper resources
that are available on-line. Teachers Check out some of
the Resources
for Teachers attached to this website. *** Extreme Weather *** Kenya
has been grappling with unusual weather patterns, impacting both its citizens
and environment. The recent torrential rainfall and resulting floods and
landslides in Kenya can be attributed to the Indian Ocean Dipole. This
phenomenon refers to the difference in sea surface temperatures between the
eastern and western tropical Indian Ocean. The 2019-2020 IOD event has been unusually strong, with a temperature
differential of 2°C, more than double the intensity of an average event. Climate
change has led to more frequent and prolonged droughts in Kenya with the
country experiencing irregular and unpredictable rainfall patterns. Intense
rainfall events have caused devastating floods. Rising temperatures
exacerbate these extreme weather events. – adapted from Microsoft BING Copilot *** ARCHIVES *** The World Factbook - Kenya U.S. Central Intelligence Agency CIA www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/ke.html [accessed 31
December 2020] World Factbook
website has moved to ---> www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/kenya/ [accessed 5 January 2021] Kenya
is the economic, financial, and transport hub of East Africa. Kenya’s real
GDP growth has averaged over 5% for the last decade. Since 2014, Kenya has
been ranked as a lower middle income country because its per capita GDP
crossed a World Bank threshold. While Kenya has a growing entrepreneurial
middle class and steady growth, its economic development has been impaired by
weak governance and corruption. Although reliable numbers are hard to find,
unemployment and under-employment are extremely high, and could be near 40%
of the population. In 2013, the country adopted a devolved system of
government with the creation of 47 counties, and is in the process of
devolving state revenues and responsibilities to the counties. Agriculture
remains the backbone of the Kenyan economy, contributing one-third of GDP.
About 75% of Kenya’s population of roughly 48.5 million work
at least part-time in the agricultural sector, including livestock and
pastoral activities. Over 75% of agricultural output is from small-scale,
rain-fed farming or livestock production. Tourism also holds a significant
place in Kenya’s economy. In spite of political turmoil throughout the second
half of 2017, tourism was up 20%, showcasing the strength of this sector. GDP -
per capita (PPP): $3,500 (2017
est.) Labor
force - by occupation: agriculture:
61.1% industry:
6.7% services: 32.2% (2005 est.) Unemployment
rate: 40% (2013
est.) Population
below poverty line: 36.1% (2016
est.) Maternal
mortality rate: 342
deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.) Infant
mortality rate: total: 29.8
deaths/1,000 live births Life
expectancy at birth: total population: 69 years Drinking
water source: improved: total: 68% of population Physicians
density: 0.2 physicians/1,000 population (2017) Sanitation
facility access: improved: total: 51.2% of
population Electricity
access: electrification - total population: 56% (2016) The
Borgen Project - Kenya borgenproject.org/category/kenya/ [accessed 11
February 2021] The Borgen Project works with U.S. leaders to utilize the United
States’ platform behind efforts toward improving living conditions for the
world’s poor. It is an innovative,
national campaign that is working to make poverty a focus of U.S. foreign
policy. It believes that leaders of
the most powerful nation on earth should be doing more to address global
poverty. From ending segregation to providing women with the right to vote,
nearly every wrong ever righted in history was achieved through advocacy. The
Borgen Project addresses the big picture, operating
at the political level advancing policies and programs that improve living
conditions for those living on less than $1 per day. ~
Mobile Technology In Kenya Helps Farmers borgenproject.org/mobile-technology-in-kenya/ ~
What You Need To Know About The Masai Village Hiv/Aids Crisis borgenproject.org/the-masai-village-hiv-aids-crisis/ ~
Can Deworming Pills Reduce Poverty? borgenproject.org/deworming-pills/ ~
Defining And Eradicating Child Poverty In Kenya borgenproject.org/child-poverty-in-kenya/ ~
The Process Of Reaching Sdg 6 In Kenya borgenproject.org/sdg-6-in-kenya/ ~
3 Ways Kenya Has Worked To Drop Its Poverty Rates borgenproject.org/3-ways-kenya-is-improving-its-poverty-rates/ ENERGY
for Africa : The Power to Industrialize and Reach Zero Poverty PD Lawton, African Agenda, 16 May 2021 africanagenda.net/energy-for-africa-the-power-to-industrialize-and-reach-zero-poverty/ [accessed 23 May
2021] KENYA
-- The 5 Year Plan aims to fast track the ellimination
of poverty, according to Agenda 2030.The 4 Key pillars are manufacturing,
affordable housing, universal healthcare and food security. Manufacturing is
to go up to 15% of GDP and create 1 million new jobs, half a million
affordable homes, 100% healthcare and 100% food security which will increase
farmers` daily income by 34% and will reduce the cost of food by 47%, as a
percentage of income. The
Plan promises to start 1000 new agro-processing small and medium size enterprises
and thereby create over half a million new jobs. Agriculture is set to
contribute 48% to GDP. Malnutrition in children under 5 is to reach the
target of being reduced by 27%. The Plan further promises to subsidize by
100% all essential healthcare and reduce out of
pocket medical expenses by 54% by percentage of household expenditure. New
Hope for the Children in the Kibera Slum Missions Box MB, Kingwood TX, 13 January 2021 missionsbox.org/news/new-hope-children-kibera-slum-extreme-poverty/ [accessed 14 January
2021] Kibera is the largest slum in all of Africa, with
an estimated population of about 1,500,000. Most residents have no
electricity or running water. Kibera is a breeding
ground for crime, diseases, and despair. Dr. Jill Biden described the slum as
“the poverty of all poverties.” The
move from elementary school to secondary school is a major obstacle for
children in the Kibera slum. The leading problem is
that students’ parents often cannot afford secondary school tuition and
expenses. Kenya
| Ultra Poor Graduation - BRAC Building Resources Across Communities BRAC bracultrapoorgraduation.org/project/kenya/ [accessed 6 January
2021] The
ASALs constitute 84 percent of the country’s land mass and are home to more than
12 million people. Household income and human development indicators in these
areas are far below the national average – poverty rate is 74 percent in
Samburu and 60 percent in Kitui. Historically, the
region has endured conflict and periodic drought. More recently, the impact
of climate change has made conditions for pastoralist and semi-pastoralist
communities more challenging, especially for vulnerable women and unemployed
youth. FEATURE
- AIDS leaves Africa's grannies to raise children Barry Moody, Reuters, Nairobi, 28 November 2020 www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSL27322409 [accessed 30 December 2020] Kanotu Mumo moved to Kibera, home to 800,000
people, when her husband died about 25 years ago in eastern Kenya. "I
can't remember. It has been so long. When my husband died the relatives threw
me out and sold the land." Unlike many of the
grandmothers, doleful and worn down by their fate, Mumo
smiles and jokes. She says she cannot remember her age. As she talks, two
teenage granddaughters come and go. Her story is
typical of the everyday tragedies of Kibera. Two
daughters and a son died of AIDS. Another son was stoned to death by a mob
after he was caught stealing. "I am embarrassed to talk about it but it
was due to the unemployment." She lives close to
the railway line that runs through the sprawling slum, acting both as a
pedestrian thoroughfare and place for traders to lay out shoes and clothes. She sells her
charcoal -- the slum's primary fuel -- for a few shillings profit, after
buying from a nearby wholesaler who carries it to her hut. The Changing face of begging in Mombasa The Standard www.eastandard.net/archives/cl/hm_news/news.php?articleid=1143964956&date=17/2/2007 But, as fate would
have it, she found herself pushed into begging in 2001 after her son sold off
the land to a private developer without her consent. "I was at
home, resting after a hard day’s work, when the local assistant chief came
with Administration police officers and told me to leave the farm since my
son had sold it off to a developer. The police dragged me away from the farm
which was my only hope in life," a sad Priscillah
says. Action
Against Hunger - Kenya www.actionagainsthunger.org/countries/africa/kenya [accessed 21 March 2021] In Kenya, arid and semi-arid
areas face immense challenges, including drought, hunger, malnutrition and
poverty. Across the country, 4.2% of children are acutely malnourished and
26.2% are chronically malnourished. From January to
September 2019, drought increased food and nutrition insecurity, reduced
water access, and increased child morbidity. In October, deadly floods and
mudslides affected thousands of people, disrupting health services, economic
activities, and livelihoods. Desert locusts entered Kenya in December and quickly
spread, posing a significant threat. These emergencies adversely impacted
pasture and water availability, crop cultivation, livestock reproduction,
agriculture, livelihoods, and food prices. The
World Bank in Kenya www.worldbank.org/en/country/kenya/overview [accessed 21 April 2021] The
World Bank’s work in Kenya supports the government’s Vision 2030 development
strategy, which aims to accelerate sustainable growth, reduce inequality, and
manage resource scarcity. Looking
back a few years … Advameg, Inc., Encyclopedia of the Nations www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Africa/Kenya-ECONOMY.html [accessed 31 December
2020] Kenya's is an
agricultural economy supported by a manufacturing sector, much of which dates
from the pre-independence period, and a tourism sector, which is an important
foreign exchange earner. Kenya has few mineral resources. Although Kenya is
one of the most industrialized countries in East Africa, industry only
accounts for around 13% of GDP. Kenya has a drought-prone agricultural sector
in which maize is a principal staple crop, along with tubers—cassava,
potatoes, and sweet potatoes. There is a shortage of arable land—only 12% is
first-quality farm land—and little irrigation. All
material used herein reproduced under the fair use exception of 17 USC § 107
for noncommercial, nonprofit, and educational use. PLEASE RESPECT
COPYRIGHTS OF COMPONENT ARTICLES. Cite this webpage as: Prof. Martin
Patt, "Poverty - Kenya", http://gvnet.com/poverty/Kenya.htm,
[accessed <date>] |
