Few are happy about Kenya's economic expansion

NAIROBI – In a slum on the outskirts of Kenya's capital, rain lashes down on a corrugated tin roof as a fishmonger guts a bucket of fish near an open, fly-infested sewer, preparing for the dinner rush.

“Instead of growing, my business has shrunk. We are getting poorer,” laments Knight Juma, 45, despite the unprecedented growth of the Kenyan economy in recent years. Kenya last week unveiled its biggest budget ever, following a 6.1 percent economic growth in 2006, but many Kenyans say poverty is growing, slums are expanding and life is becoming harder by the day. “I don't see the benefit of a stronger economy,” says Juma, a mother of five who frequently has to decide whether to feed her children or refill her food from a street stall. Outside a nearby barbershop, a few unemployed men hang out on benches, looking enviously at the throngs of workers returning from their jobs in the city center. “This year is worse than last year. There are no jobs and even simple things like sugar are getting more expensive,” says Alan Scotch, 30, who still lives with his parents, despite being past the “age where it's acceptable.” While experts expect Kenya's economy to continue its upward trend — Finance Minister Amos Kimunya predicts 6.5-7 percent growth by the end of the year — both analysts and residents say the figures don't reflect the lives of most Kenyans. More than two-thirds of the East African country's population of more than 34 million people live below the poverty line, barely surviving on less than $1 a day. “The rich have gotten richer and the poor have gotten poorer. The numbers being touted don't match people's lives,” political analyst Evans Monari told AFP. “Kenya doesn't have a system where wealth is properly distributed. We need serious social programs that address what people really need to survive,” he added. Under a rundown kiosk littered with assorted shoes and a handwritten sign that reads “Shoe Shop” hanging at an angle, 26-year-old Nahashon Njoroge nods in agreement. Many worry that rising poverty and unemployment are hindering economic growth. Worsening insecurity plagues Kenya. Nampa-AFPI “We are getting poorer,” laments Knight Juma, 45, despite the unprecedented growth of the Kenyan economy in recent years. Kenya last week unveiled its biggest budget proposal ever, following a 6.1 percent economic growth in 2006, but many Kenyans say poverty is growing, slums are expanding and life is becoming harder by the day. “I don't see the benefit of a stronger economy,” says Juma, a mother of five who frequently has to decide whether to feed her five children or refill food from a street stall. Outside a nearby barbershop, a few unemployed men hang out on benches, enviously watching the throngs of workers returning from jobs in the city center. “This year is worse than last year. There are no jobs and even simple things like sugar are getting more expensive,” says Alan Scotch, 30, who still lives with his parents, despite being past the “age where it's acceptable.” Experts lament that Kenya is getting poorer despite the unprecedented growth of its economy in recent years. Kenya's economy is expected to continue to thrive, with Finance Minister Amos Kimunya predicting 6.5-7 percent growth by the end of the year, but both analysts and residents say these figures don't reflect the lives of most Kenyans. More than two-thirds of the East African country's population of more than 34 million people live below the poverty line, barely surviving on less than $1 a day. “The rich have gotten richer and the poor have gotten poorer. The numbers being touted don't match people's lives,” political analyst Evans Monari told AFP. “Kenya doesn't have a system where wealth is properly distributed. We need serious social programs that address what people really need to survive,” he added. In a rundown stall strewn with assorted shoes and a handwritten sign that reads “Shoe Shop” hanging at an angle, 26-year-old Nahashon Njoroge nods in agreement. He also fears that rising poverty and unemployment are to blame for the insecurity now plaguing Kenya. Nampa – AFP