Covid-19 has left Kenya in a precarious position . A large debt burden and the impact of the pandemic are eroding all the gains made in the fight against poverty over the last few decades.
The poverty rate has decreased from 46.8 to 33.4 per cent between 2005 and 2019, and 4.5 million people were able to raise their incomes above the national poverty line during the same period. However, due to a sharp economic downturn and the increasing likelihood of a second wave of the pandemic, these advances are increasingly threatened . Without support from the international community, in the form of increased Official Development Assistance (ODA) and debt relief, Kenya risks being left trapped in a vicious cycle of economic crisis, poverty and debt. The impact of Covid-19 in Kenya
The health impact of the pandemic in Kenya has been mild. Despite an increase in the number of new cases over the last month, the situation in Kenya compares favorably to other countries in the region. The country has reported a total of 49,997 cases and 920 deaths . This represents a small fraction of the 1.7 million cases and 41 thousand deaths reported for Africa as a whole since the beginning of the pandemic. A factor that helps to account for this evolution is the imposition of strict lockdown measures between March and June of this year. The increase in reported cases of Covid-19 observed since coincides with the relaxation of these measures. The impact of the lockdown measures on the living conditions of the population
Lockdown measures have had negative effects on the rights of the population. The Kenya Human Rights Commission documented 10 cases of loss of life and 87 varied cases of inhuman and degrading treatment by law enforcement officers. From a gender perspective, 23.6 per cent of Kenyans have seen or heard cases of domestic violence since the introduction of containment measures. These measures have also led to the closure of schools, leaving 15.2 million students in the country unable to attend classes. This will have substantial long-term negative effects on their personal development.
For the economy, the crisis has been a disaster. Nearly 70 thousand jobs have been lost this year. For a country where informal activities account for 83 per cent of employment, this is bound to have substantial negative impacts on livelihoods. Additionally, weak safety nets have prohibited vulnerable families from […]
