The impact of the structural adjustment programmes on Kenyan society

Abstract

This article examines the effectsof structuraladjustmentprogrammes (SAPs) on Kenyan society.A series of economicandpoliticalreforms initiated by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in Kenya since 1988 and especiallyafter 1991have transformedmany aspects of the daily life of Kenyanpeople. Theseprogrammeshave been linked to the high rate of incomeinequality.inflation,unemployment, retrenchment, and so on, whichhave loweredlivingstandards, especially, those relating to the materialresourcesin thefamily. Furthermore, the SAPs inKenyahavebeenlinkedtotheincreasingdeviant and crime rates, ethnic hatred and discriminationand welfareproblems, especially in the areas of educationand health.