More than half of people living at the Kenyan borders and other African nations have seen their incomes decline in the past two years, worsening their ability to meet basic needs amid high levels of poverty, unemployment and illiteracy.
A report by United Nations Development Programme and Africa Borderlands Centre shows three in five people representing 58 per cent living in borderlands have recorded a decline in incomes on the back of lower earnings with the majority taking home less than $65 (Sh7,991) per month.
Only one in eight (12 per cent) reported an increased income.
The report shows the vulnerabilities people - dependent on livestock, small-scale agriculture and migration across borders for earnings - face due to neglect by national governments for decades and the potential of being pushed into extreme poverty.
“Limited employment and literacy rates in the context of high population growth, high incidence of poverty, a youth bulge and poor economic growth mean that populations in borderland areas face an uphill task in maintaining their livelihoods and sustaining their living standards,” says the study.
“Borderland agro-pastoralists are demanding laws, policies, budgets and actions from local governments, national authorities, regional organisations, and international development partners that enable the maximisation of their developmental potential,” the UN Assistant Secretary-General and Director of UNDP's Regional Bureau for Africa Ahunna Eziakonwa said.
Among those who say their income has grown in the past two years, 37 per cent are able to save money and just 17 per cent do not have enough to buy the basics, it says.
In contrast, among those who say their income has dropped in the last two years, only six per cent save and 10 times more (62 per cent) do not have enough to buy the basics.
Almost half of the respondents earn less than $5 (Sh614) per week, including a quarter who say they have no earnings.
The average income of the survey respondents is $65 (Sh7,991) per month.
This is compared to the average median monthly income of the public across each of the eight countries at $797 (Sh97,983).
The survey was done on 1,042 agro-pastoralists in 55 sample points across eight countries – Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, South Sudan and Uganda.
In Kenya, the survey was done in six points in West Pokot and Marsabit. The sample points were chosen due to their proximity to international borders, typically within 30 kilometres of a border.
Most households of people living in borderlands practise pastoralism, farming and trading in the agricultural value chain.
The agro-pastoral groups combine farming and herding activities for benefits including milk, meat, sales, animal traction and manure.
In most pastoralist societies, animals tend to be regarded as a source of social standing and as insurance against uncertainties.
The report, however, notes that the geographical location has exposed the people to vulnerability, and inequity in social and economic opportunities, health services, human security, and quality public services because of their place of residence, especially those found in hard-to-reach areas.
Among other things, the areas face conflict and climate, and vulnerabilities resulting from the absence of basic services – a lack of electricity, difficulty accessing clean water or the absence of State security.
“The border areas have been neglected by central governments for decades, border regions have never really been provided with the institutions and infrastructure that would allow them to develop as centres of innovation and business hubs,” it added.
“Borderlands are among those hard-to-reach places and addressing geographical inequalities will be key to achieving all-inclusive progress in sustainable development.”
Sixty per cent of the respondents said farming was their primary occupation and just over two in five (44 per cent) said they were herders.
About 46 per cent own both farms and livestock, with roughly equal proportions (22 per cent) owning a farm or livestock.
The majority of agro-pastoralists interviewed – three in five or 60 per cent – have not completed formal education, and those most likely completed primary school only.
One in nine say they completed secondary schooling and three per cent have at least college education.
The household size of agro-pastoralists is typically large with around half living between five and nine people while almost four in 10 live in a house with at least 10 people.
The research shows agro-pastoralists have strong attachments to their homelands, indicating that they have adapted to living in rugged terrain and enduring vulnerabilities.
This is also marked by high mobility across borders to visit relatives, trade and access pasture.
The report has recommended a focus by national and county governments on providing basic services and improved access to water, electricity, livelihood opportunities and security and breaking the cycles of vulnerabilities.
This would also ensure that more than 270 million people living in Africa's borderlands are not permanently left behind.
“Nevertheless, these borderlands have challenges, including the lack of State support, armed conflict and insecurity, and often harsh and unpredictable environmental conditions. People's mobility between different jurisdictions provides further complexity to daily existence in agro-pastoral communities near borders.”
“Without dedicated policy attention and investments, borderland communities face the prospect of being ‘left behind’ in progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and national development agendas.”
