World Bank notes that Covid-19 pandemic has had an adverse effect on the country’s economy, creating a whole new class of Kenyan poor.
World Bank indicated that the country’s poor were predominately located in rural areas before Coronavirus struck, but almost a year into the pandemic a new class of poor is emerging in the cities.
“Kenya’s poor population was predominantly rural and less well educated pre-Covid-19. However, the shock of Covid-19 created a new group of ‘newly’ poor Kenyans with different demographic characteristics. They tend to be urban with household heads who are younger and more educated,” World Bank report indicated.
The international financial institution also revealed that an additional two million Kenyans have been pushed into deprivation as Covid-19 pandemic increased poverty levels by four percentage points.
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The report by World Bank also indicated that Kenya’s economy will shrink by 1% in a baseline scenario, and by as much as 1.5% in more adverse circumstances due to the impact of the pandemic on incomes.
The roll out of Covid-19 vaccine, if it starts early next year, might help reverse adverse effects of Coronavirus on the economy.
The country’s unemployment rate almost doubled to 10.4% in the second quarter of the year, according to data from Kenya National Bureau of Statistics.
The poverty rate in Kenya had been on a downward trend over the past 15 years before Coronavirus struck.
World Bank notes that the country might need Ksh 50 billion to offset the increase of poverty caused by Covid-19 pandemic.
Kenya had recorded 78,512 confirmed Covid-19 infections and 1,409 deaths as of Wednesday November 25th, according to data collected by John Hopkins University and Bloomberg News.
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