21/06/2023
Oxfam’s Kenya country director has termed this inequality a “social ill and a shame.” This characterization is an unwitting understatement. A social ill and a shame is when an individual’s behaviour causes embarrassment to society.
However, the inequality is an existential threat to Kenya’s nationhood. The solution is not, as the Oxfam chief’s characterisation suggests, some kind of censure of government policies. The situation demands a review of, not only of policies, but the foundational organisation of the Kenyan nation-state.
According to the report, the four wealthiest Kenyans have more wealth than 22 million poor Kenyans. A past Oxfam report showed that 8, 300 individuals had more wealth than 44 million Kenyans. Both the past and recent reports indicated that this tiny group of the super wealthy is increasing their wealth and number even as the poorest Kenyans sink ever deeper into poverty. For example, these individuals doubled their wealth even during the economic downturn brought about by Covid and drought.
