Report: Kenya’s Richest 125 Own More Wealth Than 42.6 Million Citizens Combined

Kenya’s wealth gap has widened to staggering levels, with a new Oxfam Kenya report revealing that the country’s richest 125 individuals now own more wealth than 42.6 million Kenyans combined. The report paints a stark picture of inequality, noting that if someone stacked the wealth held by these 125 Kenyans in KSh100 notes, the pile would stretch far enough to almost cover the entirety of Nairobi County.

The findings come as nearly half of Kenya’s population continues to live in extreme poverty, surviving on less than KSh130 per day, even as the cost of living rises and essential services suffer from chronic underfunding. The study shows that the CEOs of Kenya’s ten largest companies earn on average 214 times more than a teacher, revealing a growing income gap.

Released on Wednesday, November 11, 2025, the report titled Kenya’s Inequality Crisis: The Great Economic Divide highlights alarming trends. It shows that the number of Kenyans living in extreme poverty has risen by 7 million people (37%) since 2015, a dramatic increase that underscores what the report describes as an “urgent national crisis.”

According to Oxfam, this widening inequality is due to years of underinvestment in basic public services-especially education, healthcare, and agriculture-while the government continues to prioritize debt repayment. In 2024 alone, the government used KSh68 out of every KSh100 collected in taxes to repay debt, an amount that was twice the national education budget and nearly 15 times the health budget.

This chronic neglect has had severe consequences. Children from the poorest 20% of households now receive almost five fewer years of schooling than those from wealthier families. The government’s spending on primary school pupils has plummeted to just 18% of what it was in 2003, exposing the extent of the decline in public investment.

Healthcare access remains even more unequal. Less than 10% of the population, only 4 million Kenyans, actively contribute to the compulsory Social Health Insurance Fund meant to ensure access to key health services. However, private health facilities continue to enjoy the most from the funds, with a minority being contributors. Public hospitals, handling most of the patient traffic across the country, took up only 20% of the SHIF allocations in 2024.

Oxfam Kenya Executive Director Mwongera Mutiga described Kenya’s inequality as a product of policy failures and political choices rather than an unavoidable reality.

“The gap between the rich and the poor has been allowed to grow unchecked, while millions struggle just to survive. This injustice is no longer tolerable. It is time for bold, decisive action,” Mutiga declared. “Reducing inequality is not only possible, it is urgent, necessary, and long overdue.”

The report also identifies the deepening food crisis as one of the key reasons for deteriorating poverty. From 2014 through to 2024, the population of Kenyans who experience severe and moderate food insecurity increased to 17 million, accelerated by continuous droughts, floods, and other climatic crises. Food prices have risen by 50% since 2020, affecting poor households especially hard.

The inflation rate for low-income earners in Nairobi was 27% higher than that of upper-income earners during the 2020–2024 period.

Social protection systems remain weak and underfunded. Only 9% of the population benefits from any form of social protection, and among the poorest 20%, only one in five receives assistance. Even the country’s largest cash transfer program, Inua Jamii, which currently supports 1.9 million vulnerable Kenyans, has not revised its KSh2,000 monthly stipend despite inflation rising to 4.6%, leaving beneficiaries with diminishing purchasing power.

The job market offers little relief. The report says 85% of Kenya’s workforce operates in the informal sector, where earnings are unstable and protections are minimal, adding that access to formal, well-paying jobs increasingly depends on family background and strong social networks, locking out millions of young, educated Kenyans.

Women continue to bear the highest burden of inequality. Social norms and the heavy load of unpaid care work keep many out of the labor market. Women make up only 38% of the formal workforce and earn just 62% of what men earn in total labor income. They are also five times more likely than men to perform unpaid work, and fewer than a third own a house, either solely or jointly.

The report accuses the government of adopting revenue policies that “drain those who need support the most while protecting the wealthy.” For instance, new flat-rate taxes introduced in 2023 on housing and health disproportionately affected low-income households.

Simultaneously, the government reduced taxes on rental income by 2.5 percentage points to lessen the load on property owners. Taxes on consumption, like VAT, hit the poor the hardest; such taxes now compose over half of all national revenues.

The report also addresses the historical roots of inequality, arguing that colonial systems of land ownership and economic exclusion created conditions that still shape Kenya’s economic landscape today.

To reverse these alarming trends, Oxfam proposes reducing inequality by at least 2% each year, while maintaining a 2% economic growth rate. This is a formula that, according to the organization, would triple the rate of poverty reduction compared with simply relying on economic growth.

Other key recommendations include increasing the education budget to 20% of government expenditure, increasing capitation to match the rising inflation, and scaling up the health budget to at least 15% of total expenditure in order to move Kenya closer to Universal Health Coverage. The report calls on the government to focus on equitable access to essential health services without financial hardship.

Mutiga concluded with a strong call to action, saying:

“Inequality is not inevitable, it is a choice. With bold leadership, the right policies, and unwavering political will, Kenya can build a future where every person thrives… A fairer Kenya is within our reach, let’s choose it.”

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