News Analysis By Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City
The latest UN agency study report has classified Luo-Nyanza and North Eastern Provinces as parts of the poorest regions of Kenya.
The same report says Nairobi and Central Province are ranked the richest regions.
The study find that the richest people in Kenya are among the Embu second highest number are found among the Kikuyus.
The Maasais, Turkana and Somalis are the worse off deprived of quality education, health and with poor standard of living compared to other tribes in Kenya.
The result of the study on poverty levels released early this month in London, UK will feature in the 20th anniversary edition of the UNDP’s Human Development Report due out late in October.
The researchers examined issues wide ranging issues like health, education, standard of living and whether people have access to clean water, toilets, clean floors and electricity.
The study ranks Kenya 16th in Africa and 76th worldwide in standard of living with GDP per capita average growth at 2.94 per cent.
With a population currently estimated to be approximately 37 million {Latest censure flopped and never made public in the last two years} the majority of Kenyans live in abject poverty.
Approximately 2.5 million spend less than USD 1.25 a day and another 15 million citizens spend less than 2 dollars a day.
Nairobi, which also houses the administrative and political capital, says the report, has the highest standard of living in Kenya, followed by Central, Eastern Western, Coast, Rift Valley, Nyanza and the North Eastern Province.
When researchers broke the data down along ethnic lines the Embu emerged, as the richest Kenyans ,followed by Kikuyu, Taita/Taveta, Meru, Luhyia, Kamba Kisii, Luos, Kalenjin, Mji Kenda/Swahili,Kuria,Somalis,Maasais and then the Turkanas.
“Among the Embus, the researches found that 20 per cent are poor compared to 96 among the Turkanas.”
“Our measure identifies the most vulnerable household and groups and enables us to understand exactly which de
According to Dr Tiberius Barasa, a researcher consultant in public policy at the African Public Policy Research Institute, the study is able to show that even among the communities ranked as rich, more there are poor families.
“It gives a better picture Dr Alkire said Nairobi and country have the most children in schools, followed by Nyanza, Coast, Eastern, Rift Valley, Western, Central and Nairobi Province.
In the whole of Kenya, only a majority of resident in Eastern, Central, and Nairobi Province have access to clean drinking water that conform to the Millenium Development Goals on the water point in less than 30 minutes away.
Ends
leooderaomolo@yahoo.com
This is a wake up call to everyone from Nyanza, a time has come for you to rise up to the occassion and uplift the welfare in the region. Each effort counts however small. Whereas no single wholesale solution can be prescribed, effective strategies should involve enhancement of entrepreneurship, training on practical skills, agribusiness (there is currently better credit availability), promotion of an investment culture besides continued promotion of better health & education. Meanwhile, the political structures and facilities like local and national governance structures must be continuously promted to improve security, infrastructure, utilities and social ammenities.
Medium scale investments in fish processing, grain milling & packaging or value addition (preservation and packaging) of fruits and groundnuts still hold significant potential for private returns and improved incomes for residents.
Some economic thought has it that a region is as rich/poor as the people inhabiting it (I am tempted to include “the people coming from it”). May the real people from Nyanza stand up.
The daily nation reported the story: http://www.nation.co.ke/News/Nyanza%20and%20NEP%20poorest%20zones%20UN%20study%20/-/1056/964128/-/pd2llj/-/index.html
My concern goes to the people from Eastern province especially kamba community. This is a wake up call to u too. its worth to realize that your economic prosperity is determined by your output and not the input. what you produce from your farms determines where you are!I know Rainfall is a challenge but i got news for you; Try to sink bore holes and construct dams in the entire region! lets embark on serious horticulture farming, poultry farming, bee keeping among others. Most of all let us invest in education and eradicate illiteracy for once!!. mukamba osa vinya!!
Andu etu,lets put our house roof in order lets not concentrate so much in national matters,pliz let us focus in building our foundation at home tondu ireragira rukuuri ne gakura,lets work wise we uplift the 20%
good news for people from central Kenya(GEM A).Lets keep on working hard.Our entrepreneurial skills should always remain as our secret to prosperity.Lets work as they talk of us being tribal.Further lets be our brothers keeper.NGAI ATURATHIME ITHUOTHE.
lets continue in the same spirit of hardwork by utilizing any chance we come across optimally andu aitu turi ruriri rurathime ni ngai andu matari wiiru kana ucuke na mundu uria ungi.
Here are the official government poverty statistics by district: https://opendata.go.ke/Poverty/Poverty-Rate-by-District/i5bp-z9aq very different from what this blog suggests.
This is a challenge to Nyanza elite let work very closely with ours brothers back at home. Let invest in talents ,education and small bussineses.
the gap btwn the rich and the poor is too wide.the luo nyanza who are able please help the needy to come up too.start by helping three and the helped three to do the same and we shall eradicate poverty.let us not be proud yet we have nothing better.imagine ujaluo inatuuwa yet we are the most poor in kenya.