#IEA 18 Webinar of 2021: The Launch of Citizen (Highlights of IEA Citizen’s Alternative Budget 2021)

This presentation was made by Darmi Jattani & Raphael Muya of the Institute of Economic Affairs, during the Virtual public forum on The Launch of Citizen’s Alternative Budget held on Friday, 7th May  2021.

#IEA 16 Webinar of 2021: The Kenya- IMF Country Report No 21/72 “What’s the Content”

This presentation was made by Annah-Grace Kemunto,  Maureen Barasa, Darmi Jattani & Leo Kemboi of the Institute of Economic Affairs, during the Virtual public forum on Kenya- IMF Country Report No 21/72 “What’s The Content” held on Wednesday, 5th May  2021.

#IEAWebinar13of2021 on Global Gender Gap Report 2021: Kenya’s Performance

This presentation was made by Darmi Jattani and Fiona Okadia of the Institute of Economic Affairs, during the #IEAWebinar13of2021 on Global Gender Gap Report 2021: Kenya’s Performance held on Tuesday, 13th April 2021

The State of Second-Hand Clothes and Footwear Trade in Kenya

Kenya is one of the largest importers of second-hand clothes in Sub-Saharan Africa for its use and exporting to other countries. The second-Hand clothes industry contributes to government revenues. The existence of second-hand clothes (mitumba) is a demand-side issue rather than a supply-side issue. The incomes in the country for a considerable number of people can only support buying second-hand clothes. It reflects on incomes instead of whether the supply of new clothes and footwear is available.

The volumes of imported second-hand clothes and footwear reflect the domestic demand for these goods among the Kenyan population. It is essential therefore to examine the corresponding value of the imports are. The value of these imports for the corresponding years and shows that the nominal value of the imports into Kenya has risen by 80% from Ksh. 10 billion to 18 billion in the same six-year period. What this growth in import volumes shows is that along with the overall economic growth and the rise in incomes, the imports reflect the demand for second-hand clothing among Kenyan households and that this industry has supply stability.

Telecommunication ecosystem evolution in Kenya, 2009 – 2019: Setting the pace and, unbundling the turbulent journey to a digital economy in a 4IR era

This review paper examines the evolution of the telecommunications ecosystem through one decade namely 2009-2019. The choice of 2009 as a starting point is a signifier of the momentous shift of international connectivity with the introduction of fibre and thus a massive amount of data and subdued contribution of satellite. Inadequate, expensive, and high latency bandwidth was heralded as a block in Kenya’s growth and thus the entry of fibre was intended to unleash latent energy and shepherd Kenya to prosperity in a digitally connected society.

The paper unbundles the key drivers of the telecommunications industry in a way to empower stakeholders engage in an informed debate on the opportunities and threats in the ecosystem and position the industry as foundational to the realisation of a digital economy, 4IR and regional competitiveness.

Charts on Kenya’s Public Debt

These charts were presented during IEA’s tweetchat on #PublicDebtFactsKE

The Budget Making Process

The Constitution of Kenya requires public participation in public financial management.The annual budget process is both the process and tool used by the government to raise and spend money to deliver services to the citizens of Kenya.

Under Article 201(a) of the Constitution of Kenya 2010 (CoK), Public participation in public finance is not only a constitutional principle but a mandatory requirement for governments whether National or County under public finance to comply with.

How Ethnicity and Ethnic Politics Affects the Youth

Kenya like most African countries is multi-ethnic and is perceived to be one of the most ethnically fragmented societies in Africa. Notably, there is no statistical evidence to confirm the exact number of ethnic groups in Kenya, as for decades the total number of ethnic groups in Kenya stood at 42 based on the census that was conducted in 1969. The 2009 Census found that there were more than 42 ethnic groups in the country. In particular, the 2009 population census listed no less than 111 ethnic groups in Kenya up from 42 in 1969, which is partly attributed to the success of the struggles by historically marginalized.

Proposed Actions to Youth Unemployment in Kenya

The youth who constitute about a third of the population, account for about 40% of the working-age population. This reality of the youth bulge in Kenya is also evident in the annual numbers, 800,000 of the youth that enter the labour market annually. Indeed, they comprise the largest unemployed demography, presenting a youth unemployment challenge, which if not well addressed would result in enormous consequences for the country. Notably, even for those who are employed, the majority are absorbed in the informal sector which is characterized by low quality and vulnerable jobs. These challenges in Kenya are however