The poverty level in Kenya is fairly high, with 35.5% of its population are said to be living below the poverty lines. According to research done in 2016, about a third of the country’s population is living on less than Ksh.200 per day.
The research showed that those living in the rural areas attribute to a higher percentage of poverty in the country.
In this article, we are not going to look at the entire country’s poverty level but poverty levels within a few communities.
Turkana
The Turkana live in the Northwest part of Kenya, a region that is very dry and experiences a high level of insecurity issues. Due to these conditions, most people in this region are unable to meet basic human needs including healthcare, food, shelter, safe water, and education.
Due to continuous neglect by Kenya’s successive governments, the Turkanas have stuck to their traditional economic activities which include rearing cattle, sheep, camels, and goats.
Luos
Though most Luos are learned and have good jobs in the city, there are a lot of others reeling in poverty back in the village.
According to research, about 63% of those living in the Luo Nyanza region live on less than Ksh.100 a day.
Luo majorly relied on fishing and agriculture which over the years have been negatively affected by various factors. Fishing in Lake Victoria has been greatly affected by water pollution and climate. While agriculture which included the plantation of sugar cane and cotton has been affected by the collapse of companies in the region.
Mijikenda
The Mijikenda, a Bantu language that settled in the Kenyan Coastal areas has also been struck with a high level of poverty. People from this community heavy relied on fishing and tourism. However, these have been greatly affected by the decline in tourism activity on the Coast as well as fishing in the Indian Ocean.
Fishing the Coastal region has been affected by the intrusion of salt mining companies, climate change, and the use of destructive heavy gear in the ocean.
Poverty within the community has also been attributed to the historical injustices of land and intertwined socioeconomic constraints.
Samburu
Samburu County which the majority community is Samburu has a poverty rate of 73.5% higher than the national poverty rate. These people mainly experience malnutrition cases mostly caused by poverty,
Other Kenyan tribes that are poor include: Ribe, Rendille, Okiek, Oromo, Chonyi, and Kauma
