Report: Public debt burden locks Kenyans out of health, education

Annet Nerima, Program Manager, Inclusion and Political Justice at Kenya Human Rights Commission, makes a presentation during the launch of the report in Nairobi.[Courtesy, Standard]

Kenya’s fast accumulation of debt and a bloated public wage bill are undermining the provision of essential social services and eroding the economic and social rights of Kenyans, according to a new report.

The report, titled the Economics of Repression by the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC), shows that the government’s heavy spending on debt repayments has resulted in paltry amounts being spent on essential services, such as health, education and water and sanitation.