By Lonah Kibet
Kenya: Kenya dropped 12 positions from last year to occupy number 136 with a 2.466 score on the Global Peace Index (GPI) ranking this year, according to a recent report.
United Kingdoms’ Hill+Knowlton Strategies Paul Smyth speaking to The Standard on phone said Kenya had improved on the political terror scale, moving from a score of 3.5 to 2.5 compared to last year.
The report titled 2013 Global Peace Index Ranking: Measuring the State of Global Peace by Institute for Economics and Peace also showed that Kenya took position 34 in the Sub-Saharan African ranking.
Top-Ten Positions
Countries ranked in the top ten positions in the region were identified as Mauritius, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Lesotho, Tanzania, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Mozambique and Djibouti while the bottom ten positions were taken by Chad, South Sudan, Burundi, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Cote d’Ivoire, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Somalia.
It, however, showed that it was clear that risks could arise where there is public perception that the bene?ts of more rapid national growth are not being shared equitably.
The report placed Iceland in the top position with a 1.162 score for being the most peaceful country.
Other top ranking countries included Denmark (1.207), New Zealand (1.237), Austria (1.250), Switzerland (1.272), Japan (1.293), Finland (1.297), Canada (1.306), Sweden (1.319) and Belgium (1.339)
In the bottom of the list were Central African Republic in position 153 with 3.031 points and North Korea at positions 154 with 3.044 points.
Russia was placed in position 155 with 3.060 points, Democratic Republic of Congo at number 156 with 3.085 points, Pakistan taking position 157 with 3.106 points, Sudan in position 158 with 3.242 points, Iraq in position 159 with 3.245, Syria was number 160 with 3.393 points.
Somalia came in second last at position 161 with 3.394 points and Afghanistan was at the bottom of the list at position 162 with 3.440 points.
