(Published by KNBS in 2024)
Bungoma, Nakuru, Kilifi, Turkana, Nairobi City, and Kakamega have the highest population of poor people, which account for 24.4% of all the poor individuals in the country (pgs. 35, 61, & 65)
Youth Overall (Absolute) Poverty
Nationally, 4 in 10 youth (44%) aged 15-24 and two-thirds (37%) of 18- 35-year-olds lived in absolute poverty. This is equivalent to 4.3 million and 5.2 million youths, respectively. There are more poor youth in rural areas (40%) than in urban areas (30%) among the 18-35 age group. (pg. 61).
Youth Hardcore Poverty
Combined expenditure on food and non-food items for 8% (770 thousand) of youth aged 15-24 & 6% (914 thousand) of 18- 35-year-olds, respectively, is below the food poverty line. Hardcore (extreme) poverty is higher among the rural youth (for both categories) than their urban counterparts. It is 3 times higher among youth aged 15-24 at 10% in rural areas compared to urban areas at 3% and 5 times higher for those aged 18-35 years in the same rural-urban category (pg. 61).
Youth Poverty
4 out of 10 youth in the 15-24-year category and 3 in 10 youth in the 18-35-year category were food poor in 2022, unable to meet their daily food needs. This implies that 4.0 million youth (15-24 yrs) and 4.4 million youth (18-35 yrs) are food poor. For both youth categories, food poverty is higher in rural areas (41% & 34%) than in urban areas (37% & 2%).
Overall: Nairobi, Kakamega, & Bungoma
The counties with the highest number of poor were Bungoma (4.4% of the total number of the poor), Nakuru (4.3%), Turkana (4.1%), Nairobi City (3.8%), and Kakamega (3.8%). (pg.65)
Every young person has a chance to thrive at HBI
Our Intervention Approach
HBI transforms the lives of youth by focusing on the our program areas, which align with Kenya's Vision 2030 and the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 1,4,8 & 16). Vision 2030 and the SDGs aim to create a prosperous, educated, just, and healthy nation.
We address economic empowerment by promoting decent work and reducing inequality. In education, the focus is on quality education to build a knowledge-based economy, for good governance, a just and democratic society, and through sports, HBI promotes health and well-being.
Recognizing the needs of vulnerable youth, HBI collaborates with strategic partners to bridge the gap and empower young people to overcome challenges and build bright futures.
