Financing Agriculture as a Poverty Eradication Strategy - The Case of Uasin Gishu County, Kenya

Abstract

This is a concept paper that aims to demonstrate that one of the surest ways of pulling Kenya out of the recurrentcycle of poverty is by adequately financing agriculture since majority of the population rely wholly on this sector.Poverty is a condition that is dehumanizing and which erodes human rights of the affected individual. Povertysubjects the person to a state of powerlessness, hopelessness, and lack of self-esteem, confidence, and integrity,and thus, leading to a situation of multi-dimensional vulnerability (Kimani and Kombo, 2009).Poverty seems a paradox in Kenya, a country with one of the better developed economies in eastern Africaregion and which earns substantial foreign exchange from agricultural exports. Yet, it is a low-income countryand is ranked 128th among 169 countries in the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) HumanDevelopment Index (IFAD, 2011).The Kenya government (GoK), supported by a number of development partners and non-governmentalorganizations (NGOs) has over the last 10 years undertaken various projects and initiatives aimed at eradicating,or at a minimum, alleviating poverty among the population. These initiatives include the Women DevelopmentFund, Youth Enterprise Fund, “Kazi kwa Vijana” programme, and most recently, the Economic StimulusProgramme (ESP). Despite all these efforts, poverty eradication is far from being realized.The paper conceptualizes that adequate funding of the agricultural sector seems the best option of achievingpoverty eradication. Agriculture is the lifeline of 80% of Kenya's poor who live in rural areas, including farmers,workers and the unemployed. Over 70% of Kenya's employment is in agriculture, consequently creating jobs andincreasing income in that sector is vitally important and, if achieved, will have an important direct effect onpoverty (One in a Million/Kenya Foundation, 2013).Keywords: Agriculture; Eradication; Finance/financing; MDGs; Poverty; Uasin Gishu; Kenya.