Overview
Concern has been working in Kenya since 2002, promoting primary school education, providing assistance to drought-affected families and raising awareness of HIV and AIDS.
Kenya achieved independence in 1963 and was ruled as a one-party state from 1969 to 1992. The early 90s brought political liberalisation, but opposition parties were defeated in violent and fraudulent elections in 1992 and 1997. In December 2002, following fair and peaceful elections, the anti-corruption candidate Mwai Kibaki took over. He has since failed to implement anti-corruption measures and pass a new constitution.
In 2006, high-level scandals cost Kenya international aid from the IMF and World Bank. This was not the first time international donors have balked at supporting the government as it failed to stem corruption. To compound the country’s problems, the majority of the land in Kenya is arid; this contributed to a severe drought in 1999 and 2000.
Kenya today
Despite significant recovery of the important tourist industry, Kenya’s standard of living continues to fall. This is a result of poor economic progress, falling life expectancy due to AIDS and inadequate social services. Political in-fighting and jockeying for the 2007 elections have dominated the recent political scene.
Concern in Kenya
In Kenya since the drought in 2002, Concern is working on:
• Promoting access to education for more than 55,000 children
• Raising awareness and helping local agencies with HIV and AIDS issues
• Providing assistance to drought-affected families Read more...
