UN Report

2007 DV
   
Economic report: Nyanza is Kenya’s poorest province
   


By David Ohito

The Economic Survey 2005 lists Nyanza as Kenya’s poorest province with poverty levels ranging from 65 to 80 per cent.

Only last week, the Fourth Kenya Human Development Report showed that Nyanza had the lowest life expectancy of 46 years.

This compares poorly with the average life expectancy of a person in Central Province, which stands at 64 years.

The Kenya Demographic and Health Survey 2003 says only 0.6 per cent of Nyanza residents have access to piped water in their dwelling places despite the presence of massive water sources in the area.

A paltry 5.1 per cent of the people have access to electricity. Hundreds of applications for connection lie untouched at Kenya Power and Lighting Company offices.

Nyanza performs poorly on both in child mortality and the proportion of people infected with HIV/Aids.

Nyanza reports 206 deaths per 1,000 live births before the children’s fifth birthday.

The province has the highest HIV/Aids prevalence rates. The prevalence of HIV among Luo men and women is highest, with the lowest being among Somali women and Kisii men.

The large number of orphans is compounded by reports that most of them have no grandparents.

Kuria constituency leads in incidence of poverty, with the number of those living below the poverty line (about Sh80 a day) estimated at 81 per cent. Out of 210 constituencies countrywide, those in Nyanza occupy poverty positions between 110 and 187.

An average 64 per cent people are living on less than Sh40 a day. The poverty levels are taking toll on education, especially in female-headed households.

On food crop production, Nyanza produced 4.7 million bags of maize and about 450,000 bags of sorghum last year. This represents a decrease of 400,000 bags compared to 2003.

While Nyanza can be self-sufficient in food production, it imports food more expensively than it produces.

The province has many stalled or collapsed companies and factories, including the Kisumu Cotton Mills (Kicomi), Kibos Rice Mills, Miwani Sugar, Kenya Matches, Lake Victoria Fish Company, the Kenya Breweries Kisumu plant, cotton ginneries and the provincial headquarters.

The sugar industry is on a turnaround. Sony Sugar Company chairman Elly Otondi says the miller needs to boost its production from 3,000 to 6,500 tonnes of cane per day to compete favourably at the end of Comesa moratorium in 2008. Sony has debts totaling Sh2.7 billion mainly owed to the Government.

If its expansion succeeds, at about Sh8 billion, it can contribute substantially to reducing poverty.

Homa Bay District has been identified as a potential sugarcane growing zone with 18,000 hectares which can yield 90 tonnes per hectare.

The Kenya Sugar Board says it approved a white sugar mill, Opapo Sugar Research Centre in Rangwe Division.

Although some 180 hectares around Opapo was earmarked for a nucleus estate in 1985 and 4,500 outgrower farmers identified, the factory did not take off due to lack of investors.

The collapsed cotton industry is could also help alleviate poverty. Cotton production in Nyanza fell from 70,000 bales in 1984 to 30,000 bales last year. The province produced 3,900 metric tonnes of seed cotton last year.

Recently the Government announced major reforms in the Sh7 billion a year fish industry. It commissioned the Katito-Kendu Bay-Homa Bay-Mbita-Sindo road, which connects beaches to markets.Asian magnates, an Israeli-owned firm and Nairobi-based processors enjoy huge profits at the expense of fishermen.

Suba District that gives about 70 per cent of fish for export, has no inch of tarmac road, no bank, and no district hospital. It also leads in HIV prevalence in the whole country.

Suba District is home to the Ruma National Park. Mbita MP Otieno Kajwang’ says that between 1997-2002, the park earned the Government Sh1.9 million but tsetse fly attracted by the buffaloes in park killed some 18,000 animals.

If each animal is worth Sh10,000, then the district lost Sh180 million.

 

Source: The Standard, Nov. 02, 2005






 


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