The World Bank report saying that Kenya pursued economic policies that benefited the wealthy in the last five years calls for an urgent action by the new administration.
According to the study the gap between the rich and poor is unchanged from 2015, adding that it narrowed between 2005 and 2015.
It says the structure of Kenya’s economy has lately failed to lift millions out of poverty, turning the spotlight on the Uhuru Kenyatta regime.
Kenya needs to have in place a comprehensive mix of economic and fiscal policies that can close the wealth disparity at every stage.
While devolution has made some step in uplifting remote and marginalised regions, we strongly believe that they can help close the gap by creating more opportunities in rural Kenya.
Wealth gap is a global issue, but Kenya has an opportunity to pursue growth that redistributes resources to all parts of the country for shared prosperity.
Kenya’s economy has grown on average by five percent annually over the past decade save for the Covid-19 disruption that caused a contraction.
However, the benefits of the registered growth have not been equally distributed, and the chasm between rich and poor is growing, campaigners have warned.
Massive underinvestment in health, education and agriculture by the devolved units further widen the gap between the two groups.
Devolved units should invest in infrastructure and other supporting facilities to make counties attractive for private investments, which can create jobs and uplift more people from poverty.
For its part, the national government should support the counties and pursue policies that support more private sector investments and small enterprises that have the potential of employing a huge number of people.
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