At least half of Kenya’s population lives in extreme poverty – on less than Ksh.130 per day – a new Oxfam Kenya report reveals.
The report also shows that Kenya’s richest 125 people own more wealth than 42.6 million people, amidst deepening poverty levels.
If the wealth held by the richest 125 Kenyans were converted to Ksh.100 notes, it would be enough to cover almost the entirety of Nairobi County. A CEO in the ten biggest companies earns, on average, 214 times more than a teacher
A report named Kenya’s Inequality Crisis: The Great Economic Divide was released on Wednesday, November 11, 2025, showing that the number of people living in extreme poverty has increased by 7 million (37%) since 2015
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The findings also show that massive underfunding of education, healthcare and agriculture in favour of debt repayment has contributed to widening the gap between the super-rich and those living in extreme poverty.
In 2024, out of every Ksh.100 taken in taxes, Ksh.68 was used to repay debt — twice the education budget and nearly 15 times the national health budget
As a result, children from the poorest 20% of households receive almost five fewer years of schooling than those from the richest 20%.
The amount of money per pupil that the government spends on primary schools is equivalent to just 18% of what it was in 2003
The report shows that only 4 million in a population of over 53 million people contribute actively to the compulsory Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) and are eligible for healthcare access.
Private health providers reap the most from this contributory health insurance. In 2024, only 20% of national health insurance money went to public health facilities that serve the majority of Kenyans seeking medical services.
Oxfam Kenya Executive Director Mwongera Mutiga notes that inequality is not a natural condition; it is a thoughtful outcome of unjust policies and political procrastination.
The opening between the rich and the poor has been allowed to grow unrestrained, while millions scuffle just to survive. This injustice is no longer tolerable. It is time for bold, decisive action. Reducing inequality is not only possible—it is urgent, necessary, and long overdue,” Mutiga said
The past ten years, 2014-2024, have seen an exponential rise in food shortages, with 17 million people now facing severe and moderate food insecurity, amidst relentless climate emergencies.
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The cost of food is 50% higher than it was in 2020, hitting those with the least money. In Nairobi, the inflation rate for low-income earners was 27% higher than that of upper-income earners in 2020–24.
Vulnerable populations are living on the edge, with only 9% of Kenyans covered by at least one form of social protection
Among the poorest 20%, only a fifth receive social assistance. Inua Jamii, the biggest state-funded social assistance programme, which supports about 1.9 million people, has yet to revise the current monthly Ksh. 2,000 per beneficiary, while the annual inflation rate has risen to 4.6 per cent according to the Central Bank of Kenya reports