By Jean-Pierre A.
The richest 125 Kenyans own more wealth than 42.6 million individuals, or 77 percent of the country’s total population amid widening economic inequality in the east African country, reveals a new report by the British charity organisation, Oxfam.
The report titled ‘Kenya’s Inequality Crisis: The Great Economic Divide’ was launched on Wednesday 26 Nov. in Nairobi, Kenya. It paints a grim picture on the rising poverty; despite sustained economic growth in the past decade.
The gap between the richest and the rest has widened dramatically over the last decade, hampering the progress against poverty, ignorance and diseases, noted Musili Beverly and Kamande Anthony, the report authors.
“While the country has seen a solid economic growth since 2015, a majority of Kenyans are poorer today than they were then.”
A few have amassed enormous amounts of wealth. This shows that the problem is not growth but lack of redistribution policies and political will to ensure that those at the bottom are lifted, explained the authors of the first inequality report in Kenya.
“Inequality is not inevitable; it is created by policy choices that favors the rich over everyone else. With political will and progressive reforms, Kenya can drastically reduce inequality and build an economy that works for all,” said Mwongera Mutiga, Executive Director, Oxfam, Kenya during the report launch function.
The report’s key findings show the inequality in Kenya is reaching staggering proportions. According to the study, the richest 12 Kenyans have more wealth than 43 million Kenyans. While nearly half of Kenyans live in extreme poverty. The number of Kenyans in hunger is 71 percent higher than in2014.
The inequality report says Kenya’s wealth is not missing-it’s being siphoned off-slashing of budgets to essential public; shielding their wealthiest from fair taxation. The report adds the “ system allows a few to multiply their fortune, while millions are denied the most basic services. It’s a policy failure- and it can be reversed.”
Speaking during the ceremony to unveil the report, Nairobi County senator said the report should have been presented during the state of the nation address adding “ the statistics are grim”. An annual President’s speech by the head of state over the country’s development in a year.
According to Senator Sifuna: “Kenya’s wealth is not missing; it is being siphoned.”
Meanwhile, the report data shows, food insecurity has also risen sharply over the past decade. The number of Kenyans facing severe and moderate food insecurity rose by 17 million between 2014 and 2024, an increase of 71 percent. The cost of food is 50 percent higher than it was in 2020.
Those with the least money are hit harder. In Nairobi, the inflation rate for low-income earners was 27 percent higher than that of upper- income earners in 2020–24.
Women are the most affected
Women in all their diversity are also the most affected by Kenya’s widening inequality, especially those living in poverty or in rural areas, and arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs).
Asset ownership in male-headed households is three times greater than in female headed households.
According to the inequality report, for every KES 100 (0.77 USD) that a man earns, a woman earns KES 65. Women are five times more likely to be undertaking unpaid work than men. A woman from a household in the poorest 20 percent has a one in two chance of being unemployed, compared to one in five for a man in the richest 20 percent.Only 13 percent of women have legal ownership of agricultural land; this falls to just 4 percent for the poorest 20 percent of households, compared to 33 percent for the richest 20 percent.
According to Oxfam’s Africa Inequality report launched in July, nearly half of the 50 most unequal countries in the world are African. Yet, its governments are on average among the least committed to reducing inequality.
The inequality report recommends a number of policy solutions in various sectors to tackle inequality. It also urges the government to set time bound targets to reduce economic inequality that can be tracked.
