A new report has revealed a stark wealth and inequality crisis in Kenya, indicating how far the disparity has been between a small elite group and most Kenyans.

On November 26, 2025, Oxfam Kenya published the report titled Kenya Inequality Crisis: The Great Economic Divide.

The 125 richest Kenyans now have more wealth than 42.6 million people combined, equivalent to more than three-quarters of the population.

Nearly half of Kenyans live in “extreme poverty”, surviving on less than KSh 130 per day.

Since 2015, the number of people in extreme poverty has increased by seven million (a 37 % rise).

There is inequality in incomes: On average, a CEO in the ten largest companies earns 214 times more than a public-school teacher.

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Public Services Under Strain, Economic Stress

The report cites long-standing under-investment in public services, with much of the state revenue diverted to debt servicing.

In 2024, Ksh 68 out of every Ksh 100 collected in taxes went to repay debt, an amount twice the national education budget and almost 15 times the national health budget.

As a result:

Many children from the poorest households receive almost five fewer years of schooling as compared to the rich ones.

Spending per primary school pupil has dropped to just 18% of what it was in 2003.

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The number of individuals making active contributions towards the compulsory health insurance fund is only about 4 million – a situation that causes low funding of public hospitals, and access to essential health care is critically low.

Broader Consequences: food insecurity, informal economy, gender inequality.

Over the past decade, food prices have been skyrocketing, rising 50% since 2020, while average workers have become 11 per cent poorer in real terms.

The Kenyan labor force remains largely informal (approximately 85%), which results in unstable incomes, poor worker protections, and limited ability to either save or seek a stable job.

Another aspect of inequality that has been brought out in the report is the disproportional impact on women and girls: from pay gaps as women earn significantly less to limited property ownership, fewer job opportunities, and a higher burden of unpaid labor.

Why This Matters and What Needs to Change

According to Oxfam Kenya’s leadership, this level of inequality is not inevitable; it is the consequence of some conscious decisions in policy and political indifference.

If unchecked, the widening wealth gap threatens social cohesion, equal opportunity, and long-term economic stability.

Oxfam suggests radical changes: progressive taxation, significant re-investment in social services (education, healthcare), universal access to social protection, and policies to facilitate even distribution of wealth and opportunities.

Oxfam Kenya office in Nairobi