One or two third of Kenya is dirt poor

[Globalcitizen12]

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This thread is dedicated to the income and economic inequalities in kwiinya..anything that you can do advance the debate on how to better tackle poverty will be greatly appreciated

[Globalcitizen12]

http://www.nation.co.ke/oped/Opinion/Rains-are-here--why-are-we-stuck-in-the-mud-of-politics--/440808-4108224-xleepg/index.html

[RVtitem]

Trickle down economics must be brought to end.

Kenya neeed to send it's Economist and planners to countries like Singapore and and Korea to study how to plan economy.

Above all, we need someone sobber as president. Anything else is futile when the head of country can't steer the country.

[Empedocles]

"Why Nations Fail" is an interesting book. It doesn't have all the solutions but in reading it, it's quite obvious where we went wrong and are still going wronh, starting from Jomo, all the way up to Uhuru and Raila.

https://www.amazon.com/Why-Nations-Fail-Origins-Prosperity-ebook/dp/B0058Z4NR8

[RV Pundit]

There is only one way to tackle poverty - grow the economy - grow the pie- and while at it have social safety net for the many unfortunate people who will never hack it no matter what.

Kenya need to realize majority of it's poor people - are farmers or pastoralist - those people need help to improve their productivity and efficiency - so a lot more is needed to be directed towards them. We can for instance make fertilizer as free as we've made education....that will be good start to improve farmers yield - make vet services free.

The other category of poor people - hawkers,tailors, touts, name them - will need other intervention - but lets focus on the elephant - informal farming activities just don't cut.

[Georgesoros]

There is only one way to tackle poverty - grow the economy - grow the pie- and while at it have social safety net for the many unfortunate people who will never hack it no matter what.

Kenya need to realize majority of it's poor people - are farmers or pastoralist - those people need help to improve their productivity and efficiency - so a lot more is needed to be directed towards them. We can for instance make fertilizer as free as we've made education....that will be good start to improve farmers yield - make vet services free.

The other category of poor people - hawkers,tailors, touts, name them - will need other intervention - but lets focus on the elephant - informal farming activities just don't cut.

LOL
Thats the biggest lie ever told to human kind. Reagan cut taxes for the rich in order to grow the economy. Well, in thirty years the well off have become monstrously well off and the middle class is in the extinction class.
George Bush did the same and the economy went into a tailspin. Any questions???

[RV Pundit]

if economy grows - poverty reduces. I don't know why you're getting twisted with US political economy?

LOL
Thats the biggest lie ever told to human kind. Reagan cut taxes for the rich in order to grow the economy. Well, in thirty years the well off have become monstrously well off and the middle class is in the extinction class.
George Bush did the same and the economy went into a tailspin. Any questions???

[Georgesoros]

Economics 101 is all the same even in Mars - only difference is the scale.
There  are more poorer people than 3,4,5 years ago and its increasing. over 70% of worlds economy is held by the top 1% - Kenya included

if economy grows - poverty reduces. I don't know why you're getting twisted with US political economy?

LOL
Thats the biggest lie ever told to human kind. Reagan cut taxes for the rich in order to grow the economy. Well, in thirty years the well off have become monstrously well off and the middle class is in the extinction class.
George Bush did the same and the economy went into a tailspin. Any questions???

[Nefertiti]

Bottomline the pie must grow to benefit the poor. Incentivize the growers and provide welfare for the dirt poor. You can't write off the "rich" because they own the production system. They're not the enemy - poverty is. Africa basically has a sturk shortage of innovators & inventors - renaissance men - the Deng Xiaoping mold - and the brain drain doesn't help. Until we crack that we'll trail the world for a long time.

[RV Pundit]

Exactly. You cannot criminalize the wealth or the rich who are responsible for all the growth, jobs and taxes. The poor deserve some form of welfare.The rich deserve to be regulated and to pay taxes. There is no other way to fight poverty except to grow the economy. Africa doesn't need invovators or inventors - MOST of the tools required to fight poverty have been in existence for 500 yrs  - look at our farmers - the majority of the poor in Kenya - you don't need any innovation to realize as long as they apply so little fertilizers - they will reap so little. You just need intervention to low the price of fertlizers and make it dirty cheap - and they will be able to improve their lives & possibly have surplus to sell, buy some few assets and whole shebang.

Bottomline the pie must grow to benefit the poor. Incentivize the growers and provide welfare for the dirt poor. You can't write off the "rich" because they own the production system. They're not the enemy - poverty is. Africa basically has a sturk shortage of innovators & inventors - renaissance men - the Deng Xiaoping mold - and the brain drain doesn't help. Until we crack that we'll trail the world for a long time.

[Nefertiti]

If you look at other places - emerging markets like Vietnam, Thailand - and you have a big startup sector. SMEs are seeded as formally - there is no informal sector. This gives these businesses a bigger chance to survive and thrive. You will have a hard time coming by accurate startup data in Kenya & Sub Sahara - with non-existent seed & venture capital. There is something about subsistence mindset in Africa - business, agriculture, industry, sevices, name it. Folks don't think big - they lack motivation.

[Nefertiti]

Pundit agric is bottomfeeder economics - which should be done as the basic foundation but nothing aspirational. The super-mechanized agric in the west is 1% of economy there - because food is peanuts and has no room for growth after feeding folks. We have to ask why Africa lives in tragedy - starvation & drought - while Japs and German - after being wiped out in 1940s - swiftly sprung up by 80s.

[RV Pundit]

Most of South Asia are benefitting from the economies of location - they are near booming China/Japan/Korea - and so are getting some of the action by virtue of location. Africa has to rise as whole for any such growth to be meaningful and sustainable.

If you look at other places - emerging markets like Vietnam, Thailand - and you have a big startup sector. SMEs are seeded as formally - there is no informal sector. This gives these businesses a bigger chance to survive and thrive. You will have a hard time coming by accurate startup data in Kenya & Sub Sahara - with non-existent seed & venture capital. There is something about subsistence mindset in Africa - business, agriculture, industry, sevices, name it. Folks don't think big - they lack motivation.

[hk]

Pundit agric is bottomfeeder economics - which should be done as the basic foundation but nothing aspirational. The super-mechanized agric in the west is 1% of economy there - because food is peanuts and has no room for growth after feeding folks. We have to ask why Africa lives in tragedy - starvation & drought - while Japs and German - after being wiped out in 1940s - swiftly sprung up by 80s.

Other than the Arab countries most economies increased productivity in agriculture moved to agrimanufacturing  to services and consumer economies. Its increased productivity in agriculture that pushes people to urban areas that's not happening in Africa. California has a serious agricultural economy which connects to other sectors. Take Napa valley, that combines, agriculture, tourism , manufacturing and obviously service sector. This integration of sectors is what's needed in Kenya.
Most companies prefer to be informal to avoid taxation. Someone making measly 14k per month is suppose to pay PAYE. The employee cares about their net pay and employer cares about cost of production. This are some of the things that hamper formalization of industries.

[RV Pundit]

The reality obviously is that for many kenyas engaged in farming activities - there is really no way out of poverty - except through modern farming. For the new generation - It encouraging that many are resorting to non-farming formal activities - which has been shown to be as equally competitive salary wise - as formal jobs. I am not worried about those that engage in non-farming informal activities - it easy to formalize them - via mpesa/banking revolution/regulation to register them - like touts/drivers engaged in matatu sector now in some saccos - etc etc.

Pundit agric is bottomfeeder economics - which should be done as the basic foundation but nothing aspirational. The super-mechanized agric in the west is 1% of economy there - because food is peanuts and has no room for growth after feeding folks. We have to ask why Africa lives in tragedy - starvation & drought - while Japs and German - after being wiped out in 1940s - swiftly sprung up by 80s.

[gout]

The idea of 'free' fertilizer would easily work but  governors in agricultural have better ideas like setting aside funds to 'campaign' for Uhuru and Raila in return for protection when they steal.

[RV Pundit]

Some of them have tried but in haphazard manner. Muranga really tried with dairy industry - and Nyeri with coffee. National Gok have fertilizer subsidy though the quality of the same fertilizer is questionable. Jubilee are talking about bringing the cost to 1200 - which is great.

The idea of 'free' fertilizer would easily work but  governors in agricultural have better ideas like setting aside funds to 'campaign' for Uhuru and Raila in return for protection when they steal.

[gout]

Now that is the classic omollosque nonsense.

The politics of social transformation in Africa came in to play in these two counties. Mwangi and Gachagua were assaulted for their efforts with indications perceived to be from State House. Mwangi is now fully devoted to 'Taifa la Jubilee' campaign caravan . He launched Gachagua paid with his life for attempts to reform coffee sector. Maybe am reading too much into the fact that Ruto visited Nandi's Sang after the guy started on some right notes probably to tell him to go slow and not try to outshine the master.