Thursday, November
27, 2025 - A new report has exposed the staggering scale of economic
inequality in Kenya, showing that just 125 individuals now control more wealth
than 42 million Kenyans combined.
The study, titled Kenya’s Inequality Crisis: The Great Economic
Divide, reveals that this elite group commands more financial
resources than 77 per cent of the population, underscoring the widening gap
between rich and poor.
Between 2019 and 2023, the top one per cent captured nearly
two-fifths of all newly created wealth - more than what the bottom 90 per cent
gained altogether.
Labour market disparities were also highlighted. CEOs of
Kenya’s 10 largest companies earn 214 times more than the average teacher.
The salary increase enjoyed by top executives between 2023
and 2024 alone could pay public school teachers for six years.
Meanwhile, millions of Kenyans continue to struggle with
rising living costs.
The report ranks Kenya 15th globally in extreme
poverty, with 46 per cent of citizens unable to meet basic needs.
Since 2015, seven million people have fallen into extreme
poverty.
Food prices are now 50 per cent higher than in 2020, while
the average worker is 11 per cent poorer in real terms.
Low-income Nairobi households have been hardest hit, facing
inflation rates 27 per cent higher than wealthier families over the past four
years.
To address the crisis, the report calls for stronger
progressive taxation and greater investment in universal public services such
as education and healthcare.
It argues Kenya’s challenge lies not in lack of growth but
in weak redistribution policies.
“Devolution, once hailed as a harbinger of transformation,
has ultimately fallen short of expectations,” the report concludes.
The Kenyan DAILY POST
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