About 33.2% of urban dwellers in Kenya consumed less than KSh 8,000 per month, while 42.9% of Kenyans living in rural areas spent less than KSh 4,300 per month, comprised the overall poverty headcount which stood at 39.8%.
- According to the KNBS, these signals that over 20 million Kenyans were unable to viably sustain themselves.
- 16 million Kenyans found it difficult to afford food, 33.2% in rural areas unable to buy food above KSh 2,600 per month while 28.6% in urban areas could not afford KSh 3,500 per month for food.
- About 400,000 people lived in conditions of extreme poverty in urban centers while in rural areas, that figure was higher at 3.2 million people.
“The hardcore poverty headcount rate for individuals was 7.1% in 2022, meaning that close to 3.6 million individuals lived in conditions of abject poverty and were unable to afford the minimum required food consumption basket even if they allocated all their food and non-food expenditures to food alone,” KNBS states.
Food poverty levels were highest in arid and semi-arid regions of Kenya due to long bouts of famine and failed harvests. Counties such as Turkana, Mandera, Samburu, and Marsabit recorded the highest food poverty with 64.3%, 60.4%, 56.7%, and 54.4% respectively.
“In some counties it was observed that for every ten people, more than four people were food poor, these include: Garissa (51.2%), West Pokot (49.3%), Kilifi (46.3%), Tana River (46.3%), Wajir (45.6%), Busia (45.1%), and Vihiga (41.3%),” KNBS reported.
The high food poverty levels in urban areas could be attributed to depreciating incomes and rising unemployment. Nairobi had the highest numbers of food poor individuals (4.6%) despite having the lowest poverty rate (15.8%) due to its high population.
Overall poverty rates in Kenya were highest in Turkana, Mandera, Samburu, Tana River, Marsabit, and Wajir. Counties with the lowest poverty rates include Nairobi, Kiambu, Kirinyaga, Embu, Nyeri, and Narok.
Female-headed households were poorer than male-headed households. The poverty rate of female-headed households stood at 35.3% compared to male-headed households which recorded a 32.6% poverty rate. Households sustained by older individuals were more likely to face higher poverty levels than those headed by individuals between ages (15 – 29).
“The likelihood of a household being poor increases with age of the household head, from 23.4% (age 20 – 29) to 46% (among those age 70+),” the report added.
Individuals’ levels of education also influenced the propensity of a household to experience poverty. More than 50% of households under the poverty line were headed by individuals with a primary level of education, compared to only 1% for households with individuals with tertiary education.
Poverty is also exacerbated by the number of children each household has to cater for. Urban households with about three members are less likely to be poor than households with seven or more members. Two out of five children in Kenya live in absolute poverty, Turkana recording the highest rate of 81% and Kiambu with the lowest at 19%.
“Nationally, households with children had higher poverty rates (38%) compared to those with no children (24%),” KNBS said.
