20 research outputs found
Policy Brief No. 04 of 2014 on Implications of GDP Rebasing on Skills and Professional Development
No full textn September 2014, the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) announced that
the Kenya economy is 25.3% larger than it had earlier been estimated. The 2013 GDP
was estimated at Ksh 4.76 trillion.This means that Kenya's economy is now ranked
9th in Africa, and is among the top ten African economies. The other top performing
economies in Africa are Nigeria, South Africa, Egypt, Algeria, Angola, Morocco, Libya
and Sudan. The new estimates put Kenya among the (lower) middle income nations,
with a GDP per capita of Ksh 111,330. The key sectors that contributed to economic
expansion were real estate, Information Communication Technology (ICT), agriculture,
and manufacturing
Local Government Property Tax Administration and Collaboration with Central Government: Case Studies from Kenya || Administration de la taxe foncière dans les collectivités territoriales et collaboration avec le gouvernement central: étude de cas au Kenya
No full textProperty taxes are an important revenue source for subnational governments. Across sub-Saharan Africa collection of property taxes is made up of several distinct processes, some situated at the national level, and some at the local level. Thus, inter-organisational cooperation and institution-based trust are essential for the successful implementation of property taxation. Because of the common centre-local tensions, there is now widespread acknowledgement that in sub-Saharan Africa property tax systems are not leading to the desired cycles of public investment and local government empowerment (R. W. Bahl and Bird 2013; R. W. Bahl, Martinez-Vazquez, and Youngman 2008; Cirolia and Mizes 2019; Collier 2016). Recent experiences in Kenya, including the adoption of a new constitution in 2010 that radically devolved responsibility to county governments, provides a novel opportunity to examine some of the challenges and opportunities facing property taxation in sub-Saharan Africa. The new constitution decentralised powers and responsibilities from central government to 47 new county governments. The study was conducted in three counties; Kiambu, Laikipia, and Machakos. Although the main source of funding for county governments is fiscal transfers from the national government, property taxes constitute the dominant revenue stream for most counties. County governments have the power to determine their own tax bases, property rates, and tax rates.La fiscalité foncière représente une importante source de
revenu pour les gouvernements sous-nationaux. Dans les pays d’Afrique sub-saharienne, la collecte des taxes foncières est constituée de plusieurs processus distincts, certains intervenant au niveau national, d’autres au niveau local. De ce fait, la réussite de sa mise en oeuvre nécessite impérativement une coopération entre les différentes organisations et une confiance dans les institutions. Les tensions habituelles entre le national
et le local font qu’il est maintenant largement reconnu que les systèmes de fiscalité foncière en Afrique sub-saharienne ne produisent ni les cycles d’investissement public attendus, ni l’émancipation des collectivités locales souhaitée. Résumé du document de travail de l’ICTD 95 par Rose Wanjiru, Anne Wanyagathi Maina and Eldah Onsomu with Graeme Stewart-Wilson
Discussion Paper No. 118 of 2010 on The Role of Education and Training in Reducing Poverty and Unemployment in Kenya
Get PDFUnemployment and poverty are major socio-economic challenges affecting most countries. They are associated with under-utilization of resources, while leading to low welfare status. In the past, the Kenya government has implemented various interventions aimed at reducing illiteracy, lowering unemployment and alleviating poverty, including expansion of education and training. Despite these efforts, unemployment and poverty continue to afflict a large segment of the Kenyan population. In 2005/6, for instance, Kenya’s poverty and unemployment rates were estimated at 45.9 per cent and 12.7 per cent, respectively. This study analyses the effects of education and technical training on unemployment and poverty, using the most recent crosssectional data (KIHBS, 2005/6) for Kenya. The study establishes that university education and technical training play critical roles in reducing the risk of being poor, and either being openly unemployed or under-employed through their effects in increasing individual earnings. Consequently, while increasing access to basic education is critical in laying the foundation for entry into higher education, improving access to post-primary education, especially secondary, technical training and university education is critical. There is need to improve investment and growth for effective creation of high quality jobs in both the formal and informal sectors to enable increased absorption of skilled and educated labour force and productivity
Pourquoi une Approche Multisectorielle est Importante pour la Création D'emplois au Kenya
Get PDFMalgré la forte croissance économique du Kenya, l'expansion de l'emploi dans
le secteur formel a été lente au cours des deux dernières décennies. Il y a eu
peu de changements structurels dans la composition de l'emploi enregistré et
la part du secteur informel est restée à près de 83 % de l'emploi total au cours
des deux dernières décennies
Discussion Paper No. 158 of 2013 on The Role of Cash Transfers in Poverty Reduction: Evidence from Kenya.
Get PDFCash transfers are important in relieving both the direct and opportunity costs
of utilizing public social services such as health and education. Cash transfers
have a direct effect on the welfare of poor households and provide general
livelihood support. Although the level of the transfer may not be sufficient in
itself to lift households out of poverty, the benefit of a cash transfer immediately
relieves the economic hardships that poor households may be facing. However,
there are very few studies conducted on the effect of cash transfers especially for
Kenya. This study uses a micro-simulation method to evaluate non-conditional
cash transfer programmes and the ex-ante programme effect on poverty and
inequality by simulating selected targeting criteria.
The study established that targeting is useful in maximizing the program’s effect
and effectiveness. Nevertheless, targeting and monitoring can increase the cost
per beneficiary, which reduces the programme’s efficiency. On the other hand,
designing a programme with a weak or non-existent targeting strategy not
only reduces the cost per beneficiary but also leads to leakages to the non-poor.
These have negative consequences on the programme’s effect and effectiveness.
The study also indicates the importance of political support for in cash transfer
programme implementation and the need for effective coordination across
different sectors in government, among them education, health, finance and
social welfare
Policy Brief No. 03 of 2015 on Wage Disparities in the Formal Sectors: Policy Options for Kenya
No full textWage employment in the public and private sectors accounts for a significant
proportion of formal employment in most developing countries. In Kenya,
nearly 655,000 wage earners were employed in the public sector in 2012,
whereas the remaining 1.5 million were employed in the private sector.
While the sectors employ highly educated workers, the ability to attract and retain highly
skilled personnel is a major challenge for both the public and private sectors. Unlike
the private sector, the public sector is not profit-driven. The nature of work is service-oriented
with demands such as producing and implementing good policies including
wage determination policy. Over time, the public sector has relied on
fragmented structures of determining wages,
such as the minimum wage regulation,
administered wage setting, and flexible and
collective bargaining approaches to determine
the formal sector wages. These wage setting
mechanisms have not, however, promoted
productivity and efficiency in the public formal
sectors. Instead, they have propagated
unprecedented wage differences leading to
wage penalties in some sectors of the economy
and also within the sub-sectors
Discussion Paper No.130 of 2012 on Job Search in Developing Countries: Empirical Evidence from Kenya
Get PDFThis study considers empirical evidence concerning job search behaviour
of non-working individuals in Kenya. The study uses data from a
nationally representative Labour Force Survey and discrete choice
models to analyse two components of the search activity: the decision to
engage in job search and choice of job search method. We find that the
incidence of job search among non-working individuals is low. Among
active job seekers, the largest proportion used informal job search
channels. Formal job search methods such as employment offices are not
widely used. Both the decision to engage in job search and the decision
on the channel to use are affected by the distribution of demographic
variables, human capital variables, and spatial characteristics. Public
policy would find this information useful in designing and implementing
policies and programmes for job search infrastructure development as
part of measures to address unemployment and equality of opportunity
in Kenya
Discussion Paper No. 159 of 2013 on Poverty, Growth and Inequality Decomposition: A Household Survey Analysis
Get PDFThis study mainly attempts to quantify the relative contribution of economic
growth and redistribution to poverty changes in Kenya. This is important for
policy since a prudent poverty reduction strategy needs to focus on both the level
of growth and on the pattern of that growth. The study makes use of three sets of
data bases: The Welfare Monitoring Surveys for 1994 and 1997, and the Kenya
Integrated Household and Budget Survey 2005/06 to inform the analysis.
Given that the rising inequality in the 1994-2005/06 period has reduced the
effectiveness of growth on poverty, the study simulates the impact on poverty of
the possible growth paths. Further analysis shows decomposition of inequality
by expenditure components. The results show that both growth and redistribution determine the level of poverty. Further analysis using simulation exercises demonstrates that poverty
reduction can be effectively achieved through a growth with redistribution
strategy. These findings corroborate the general information in the literature
from African economies that growth in household incomes appears more likely to
be essential for long-term poverty reduction and that it would be more effective
if poverty alleviation programmes are targeted disproportionately in favour of
rural areas
Pathways to green hydrogen production as a sustainable energy solution in Kenya by 2040
Get PDFGiven the Kenyan challenges in energy availability, accessibility, and affordability, exploring green hydrogen as a sustainable energy solution is supreme. This study aimed to assess the potential of green hydrogen production, a transformative
clean energy technology, and its implications for Kenya's future energy. The specific objectives were to identify the drivers of change that could accelerate green hydrogen adoption and policy recommendations. The study employed a scenario planning approach, focusing on four key steps: defining the scenario and time horizon, identifying drivers of change, and developing and applying scenarios.
The diffusion of innovation theory guided the study. Twelve key critical drivers of change were identified, with societal and industry acceptance of green hydrogen and compatibility with existing energy infrastructure being the strongest drivers of change from cross-impact analysis results. The study outlined four plausible future scenarios for adoption: Successful Production (best scenario), Low Production, Chaotic Transition, and Rejection of Green Hydrogen Production (worst scenario). Major opportunities include advancements in hydrogen production, export potential, and job creation. Cost competitiveness analysis is essential, comparing Kenya's hydrogen with traditional fuels and African peers. Economic models suggest that Kenya's renewable energy can lower costs, enhancing its position in clean energy innovation. However, critical challenges involve regulatory uncertainty, ethical concerns, public misconceptions about green hydrogen safety, and financial barriers due to high initial investment costs. The study recommended that the Kenyan government invest in renewable energy infrastructure, formulate a comprehensive national hydrogen policy, and establish an enabling environment to attract private investment. In conclusion, green hydrogen production stands as a strategic pillar for Kenya’s sustainable energy transition, and further research should focus on strengthening regulatory frameworks and enhancing public engagement to unlock its full potential
