Part One: The Economic Situation of Kenya
As Kenya gained “False Independence” in the year 1963, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was USD926.6 million with a population of 8.9 million and a per capita of US$104 annually. By the year 2018 the GDP was USD85.98 billion with a population of almost more than 48 million with an average per capita of USD1,790 annually. The statistics indicate that the sectors that contribute in the growth of the GDP are services’ sector (wholesale and retail trade, transport, financial etc.), industrial and manufacturing sector and agricultural sector respectively. To an extent that on Tuesday, 30 September 2014, Kenya was declared the ninth-largest economy in Africa and became “A Middle Income country.” (https://www.brookings.edu, Friday, 3 October 2014)
On the other hand, total debts (internal and external) are estimated to be more than Ksh7 trillion by 2020. (The East African, 18 December 2018). The 2018/2019 budget of Ksh3 trillion had a deficit of Ksh500 billion! The growth of GDP indicates that Kenya is on the right track and at the same time the increased in debts signifies that the nation is on a dangerous path that can cause the nation to be choked by debts to an extent its economy to collapse.
Surprisingly, since we got the “False Independence” the gap between the poor and the rich widens at an alarming rate. Despite the fact, that Kenya’s economy is the largest in East and Central African region with Nairobi as the regional commercial hub. Citizens in Kenya are languishing in poverty at 45.9% (https://www.bbc.com, 30 September 2014). In other words more than 4 Kenyans out of 10 are spending USD1.90 to meet their basic needs!
Kenya is an agent state to colonial Britain; hence, its economic system emanates from the secular capitalist ideology that it has inherited from its British master. Therefore, the economy is not anticipated to improve the lives of the citizens in general but only a few from the regime’s elites while the rest are condemned to the peripheral! The capitalist economic policy is based on enriching the rich and piling poverty on the paupers! On condition that the paupers be given some breath so that they do not die in order for them to continue serving the wealthy in their homes and industries and the little pay issued to them by the right hand as salary is again looted via the left hand on the pretext of taxation!
This situation will continue until when Humanity wake ups and realize that the problem is not about the economy growing slowly or fast, but; the secular creed that separates religion from life is the root-cause of the catastrophes we are witnessing including extreme poverty levels! This creed and its capitalist ideology have given people the role to organize their life based on their whims and desires including legislating by themselves to run their lives. Its systems including that of economy is fanciful designed to an extent instead of the government to rush in making sure that its citizens meet their basic needs like food, clothing and shelter; they are running to “invest in infrastructure etc.” in order to grow the economy! Investing in what economy while the debts are continuing to be huge and almost 50% of citizens are not able to meet their basic needs?!
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Note: Article No.29 will present the Islamic Economic System under the State of Khilafah
Ali Nassoro Ali
Member of the Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir in Kenya