This archive report was first published on 7 July 2020.
July 7, 2020 - The economic effects of Covid-19 have left many Kenyan households struggling to make ends meet, with a new survey revealing that half of them are finding it difficult to put food on the table.
According to the World Bank, incomes for virtually all households have decreased, with half of the respondents noting that their eating habits have been altered as a result.
"Almost all households surveyed in Kenya said that their income has decreased. About half said they are 'cooking less frequently' and have altered their diet," the survey asserted.
President Uhuru Kenyatta's containment measures, including a dusk-to-dawn curfew and cessation of movement into and out of four counties, have had a significant impact on the economy, with millions losing their jobs and children going for long without learning.
Forecasters have painted a picture of a gloomy economy in 2020, with some predicting a recession and negative growth of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The International Monetary Fund (IMF) projected that the Kenyan economy would shrink by 0.3 per cent, the worst economic performance in 20 years.
The pandemic has also exposed gender inequality, with more female than male workers being affected. While only 34.1 per cent of working-age males were out of work, more than half of the females, 51 per cent, were unemployed by the time of the survey.
"By re-opening Nairobi, Mombasa and Mandera, we are more at risk than we were when the restrictions were in place," President Kenyatta warned, adding that should the infection cases surge, the country would revert to a lockdown.
