Why Kenya must listen to its numbers about lived realities

A child born in Turkana or West Pokot faces a much higher risk of hunger than one born in Nairobi or Kiambu. We are one Republic, yet we live in different realities. [File, Standard]

One number caught my attention this week. Not because I am a statistician, I am not, but because for the past 30 years, I have read Kenya’s data the way I once read exam papers, with care, curiosity, and a constant hope that we are making progress.

The picture is clear. Kenya has a Sh16.2 trillion economy growing at about five per cent, yet more than 16 million people cannot afford a basic meal. In a nation known for resilience and enterprise, this is not just an economic issue; it is a moral one.