Analysis: Bottom-up models have failed elsewhere, will UDA's succeed?

DP William Ruto receives a wheelbarrow from a supporter in Mathira, Nyeri County. [Kibata Kihu, Standard]

Despite claims that bottom-up economics will improve the lot of the poor and scatter dynasties to the four winds, the track record of the developmental model is not only historically unimpressive, the Kenya Kwanza version is inconsistent with what was envisioned.

The dismal evaluation of the model is summarised in a must-read article by Bishwapriya Sanyal titled, 'The myth of development from below'. According to the Professor, the bottom-up economic model was supposed to be an antidote to the traditional trickle-down economics that had failed to improve the lives of the poor. Unlike the trickle-down economics, the bottom-up model advocated investing in the poor to stimulate the economy from the bottom.