Why is kenya so poor

By doing so, it could help to lift millions out of poverty and ensure a more equal and prosperous future for all Kenyans.

Breadcrumb Home. Kenya: extreme inequality in numbers. Learn more Fight inequality, beat poverty. Let's look at the numbers 8. Time for reform Extreme inequality is not inevitable, it is a matter of political choice. Poverty Rate in Kenya. Causes of Poverty in Kenya.

How Poverty Affects Education in Kenya. Sign up for our newsletter. First Last. Facebook-f Twitter Rss Linkedin-in Pinterest. All rights reserved. Contact Us Privacy Policy. Disclosure Statement. Due to the global COVID pandemic, Kenya has experienced socioeconomic challenges leading to delayed progress in reducing poverty, with an estimated two million additional Kenyans falling into poverty. The rapid spread of the virus in Kenya has severe repercussions for people.

The consequences include reduced job opportunities, lower wages, less access to healthcare assistance, difficulties transitioning to remote learning and food insecurity. The impact of COVID on poverty in Kenya affects household welfare due to fewer work opportunities and lower earnings, which leads to decreased food security. Compared to pre-pandemic rates, unemployment has nearly doubled. The working hours and earnings of wage workers have been cut, especially impacting women.

Most families relied solely on the income of their small businesses, but due to lockdown restrictions, many businesses closed or experienced significantly reduced revenue.

Food security is a major concern for many families. Some are unable to afford expensive foods like vegetables and others can only afford to consume one or two meals per day. Most families reported that food shortage is the biggest challenge in the household. With the loss of jobs and income, people in Kenya can barely afford basic necessities such as food, water and healthcare assistance.

COVID has deeply compromised access to healthcare. Many people reported having trouble getting public health coverage for non-COVID related health problems. This forced people to go to private health clinics that offer highly-priced examinations.

When a person in Kenya is infected with COVID or other deadly diseases, the person is usually hospitalized even though they cannot afford the medical expenses. This forces the person to seek support from relatives or friends. Most community and primary care centers in Kenya are short on medication and lack access to some of the most needed respiratory equipment, such as ventilators, which are needed to treat COVID Due to the global pandemic, schools closed to prevent any further spread of the virus.

This led to education transitioning to remote learning. Schools were expected to transition to remote learning but many students could not due to a lack of internet access and the high cost of internet access, especially in remote areas.

Many low-income families, particularly in rural areas, also have limited access to electronic resources such as smartphones and computers. Raising Futures Kenya is an organization that has helped Kenyans since Its main focus is helping young Kenyans secure a better future.

Due to the global pandemic, fewer children are able to receive an education and people have limited access to healthcare. Fewer jobs available for families means households struggle to secure their everyday meals. The response includes securing essential items for communities such as food, hygiene products and medicines. Raising Futures Kenya is also prioritizes imparting important public health information to Kenya.

Furthermore, the organization is transitioning to telephonic counseling to support children and youth during COVID The impact of COVID on poverty in Kenya has been harsh, pushing millions of families further into poverty and causing the population to face even more difficulties.

Due to the outcomes of COVID, organizations will need continued funding and support to continue to address the effects of poverty in Kenya. Many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have found the majority of their populations living below the poverty line. With a lot of work being done to eliminate poverty in these countries, there have been dramatic changes in the lifestyle and the overall economies of many regions. The most notable changes have come from Kenya, showing some great economic advances between the years and Taking a look at the numbers, in , Then, 10 years later, in the year , Kenyans saw a dramatic change in their economy, dropping its poverty rate to Here are three ways that Kenya was able to drop its poverty rates.

By improving the education system and focusing on its younger population, Kenya is creating opportunities for the youth , and as a result the country, to prosper. Through the use of newer classroom technology and better resources, it has become evident that Kenyan youth are coming into the world more prepared to work and increase economic growth. By giving younger people the opportunity to build their knowledge around things they love, Kenya is dropping its poverty rate.

Because the economy grows from the increase in educated people, poverty decreases as a result. Rural regions in Kenya face the highest poverty rates. As such, in order to address the issue at hand, more economic progress was offered in more rural areas. Partaking in construction and building infrastructure has become one of the most booming businesses in the country , overall helping the economy and allowing for newer and safer residential areas to be built all around the country. According to the Privacy Shield, the construction industry has helped Kenya tremendously in creating jobs and a safer living environment.

Along with that, Kenya has been able to strike up deals with outside countries, including the United States, thanks to the progress made within the construction industry. As a result of the attention on its booming industry, Kenya has been able to drop its poverty rates. Although Kenya is making great advancements in alleviating poverty, there is still much to be done. One of the ways the international community can help is by volunteering. Through the Overseas Program , one can volunteer and take a trip to Kenya to help push forward more advancements toward a less impoverished future for the country.

Experts argue that expanding access to financial systems and services are an indispensable component of reducing poverty. However, Kenya offers only limited access to banking services outside of central cities. Fixed-line telephones are largely unavailable, and minimum fees for banking services pose an impediment to the rural poor and can deter use. Due to these facts, many rural and poor Kenyan households traditionally lacked access to proper finance-management resources.

However, mobile money transfer service, M-Pesa, now provides Kenyans with an alternative to traditional banking. Mobile money reduces poverty in Kenya by creating a simple and accessible resource for individuals and families to manage their finances. M-Pesa allows individuals to send and receive payments via text, as well as deposit and withdraw cash from M-Pesa agents stationed in villages. Users can easily and inexpensively store savings by depositing cash into their mobile phones via M-Pesa agents.

Increased access to savings helps Kenyan households weather unexpected economic hurdles. The discrepancy is likely due to the increased saving capabilities of M-Pesa users. They found that between the years , per capita consumption of goods increased by approximately According to the study, M-Pesa directly helped as many as , Kenyan households escape poverty between and Furthermore, nearly , Kenyan women using M-Pesa could switch from subsistence farming to more economically productive activities, such as sales or business.

This economic freedom came regardless of whether their home had a female or male head. For households with two incomes, M-Pesa gives women the ability to store savings, allowing Kenyan women to gain newfound financial independence and opportunity for their own economic pursuits. Along with personal banking, M-Pesa helps Kenyan households with a wide array of financial services.

These include taking out loans, actively managing savings and collaborating with local banks. Largely due to this mobile money service, Kenya is now ranked third in the continent in citizen access to financial service, behind only South Africa and Seychelles. Poverty in Kenya is on the decline. Still, the rate of poverty reduction in Kenya falls short of most nations in the lower-middle-income range.

The majority of impoverished Kenyans are concentrated in the rural, northeastern regions of the country. While overall poverty in Kenya is decreasing, there is still much to be done. Here are three of the many organizations creating change in Kenya and SSA more broadly:. They also provide these women two years of mentorship. Currently, , women and children have been supported through The Boma Project. Daate Inyakh of northern Kenya lives in an area with little access to water and often fought to feed herself and her six girls.

In , Inyakh was put into contact with The Boma Project. This gave her the opportunity through training and financial aid to start her own business. MEI is a very small non-profit founded in that operates in Makuyu, Kenya. They provide these children with holistic support educationally and through healthcare and consistent meals.

MEI relies on volunteers and donations in order to accomplish its important work. African Childrens Haven supports these children by providing scholarships, regular meals and sexual education. They also works to prevent child marriage and sex trafficking.