Section 4 Poverty and Unemployment: The Third and Final Liberation
The Bondage of Poverty
Our country has made some remarkable progress towards greater democratization, even though a lot more remains to be done. However, democratization – indeed political liberation from the fetters of authoritarian rule – has occurred at a higher pace over the past one-and-a half decades relative to eradication of poverty; that is, the realization of social and economic liberation from the bondage of poverty and deprivation. Instead, the incidence of poverty has increased. Poverty is at once spreading so as to net in people previously out of its web and deepening its impact on those already poor.
About half of the Kenyan population today wallows in poverty. The rate of poverty is estimated at 49 and 33 per cent for the rural and urban population respectively, although the incidence is higher for people with lower education levels, with larger households, at high age levels, and those married. Furthermore, the incidence of poverty varies widely from 31 per cent in one of our eight provinces to 65 per cent in another. About half of the nation’s population is unable to feed itself and meet basic social welfare, notably healthcare, shelter, and clean drinking water.
ODM-K will undertake measure on two dimensions: end poverty and, towards that end, improve the welfare of workers.
a. Komesha Umasikini Movement
ODM-K is committed to a program that will enable Kenyans to realize a comfortable and dignified lifestyle that is devoid of hunger and malnutrition, disease and indecent shelter, illiteracy, and social vulnerability. In this regard, the primary objective of ODM-K is to reduce the incidence of absolute poverty in Kenya by 70% by the year 2012.
Towards this end, ODM-K will implement a Komesha Umasikini program that will be at forefront of all of our efforts. Komesha Umasikini will be a movement that will realize its results through full capacity utilization of our economic resources so as to raise productivity as well as total production in all economic sectors, and guarantee equitable distribution of benefits across regions and social groups.
Towards this goal, ODM-K will implement certain specific programs:
i. Expand employment opportunities and increase incomes through increased productivity in the different economic sectors, especially agriculture, tourism, manufacturing and trade.
ii. Improve opportunities for foreign investment to the extent that local capital is inadequate; and thereby create additional channels for job creation and income generation.
iii. Implement a 24-hour work cycle so as to place our production capacity to optimal use and create even more jobs
iv. Enhance annual budgetary allocations to local councils to enable the grassroots population to take responsibility for the planning and implementation of local projects and programs. A properly devolved program with sound legal and institutional foundations will be introduced to consolidate and replace the presently fragmented devolved funds.
v. Ensure that regions that have been historically neglected due to biased allocation of resources such as Coast, North Eastern, Upper Eastern, and North and South Rift will all receive special equalization funds for development to be accelerate in priority areas.
vi. Stem inequality in the allocation of development resources and economic opportunities to different regions and sections of the society and the economy so as to contain poverty that is generated by marginalization and social delinquency.
vii. Devolve budgetary responsibility to local and district levels. The proportion allocated to each devolved level of government will depend on key economic and social indicators such as population density and the incidence of poverty. The devolved funds will cater for local priorities in social and economic development, especially in education, healthcare, water and sanitation, agricultural production, and development of physical infrastructure.
viii. Lend a helping hand to the most critically affected people; that is, for the individual that is hungry today but cannot afford a meal, is sick but cannot afford medication, is young but cannot attend secondary school, is without clothes but cannot afford something to wear, is tired at the end of the day, but cannot afford a house to sleep in and will therefore be spending the night in the open or in makeshift shelter. Such problems are of immediate nature and cannot wait for the outcome of a long-term plan for economic growth and its trickle-down effects. ODM-K believes that poverty at this level can be alleviated through the replacement of the present national social security system in Kenya with an effective arrangement that involves three components:
· Direct monthly allowances of carefully determined amounts of cash money to the hands of the poorest of the poor family or person – a food basket. The allowance will be enough to defray the cost of basic household requirements such as food, clothing, and transportation. This single measure will keep the family insulated from the harshness and vagaries of poverty and deprivation while it endeavors to find more sustainable means of livelihood.
· A non-contributory social security fund to cushion especially the elderly members of the society against social and economic hardship through a monthly stipend to be collected from conveniently located outlets throughout the country
· Higher pensions for retirees to enable them to maintain a reasonable standard of living and longer, more comfortable lives.
b. Labour and the Rights of Worker
The proposed increase of investment and productivity as the basis for the Komesha Umasikini movement will bring forth huge benefits for investors. However, the initiative can result in the paradox of the emergence of a category that can be described as the Working Poor unless steps are taken to respond to the plight of the worker. ODM-K will redress the problems that workers face through a series of policy interventions. Generally, ODM-K will implement and encourage compliance with favorable labor laws and policies mostly through the protection of the rights of workers. Specifically, ODM-K will:
i. Increase the remuneration and condition of the working poor
ii. Safeguard the independence of trade unions, strengthen the capacity of unions to protect the rights of workers, and hold workers’ unions accountable to their membership
iii. Protect the right of workers to fair and equitable remuneration and sound working conditions and the right to organize and bargain collectively, and implement international conventions on labor-related issues.
iv. Promote and expand the informal sector to meet international export standards