Kenya’s plans beyond 2030 must take into account how fast its population is growing, National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah has said, warning that economic progress could be undermined if demographic growth is not properly managed.
Ichung’wah spoke on Wednesday, August 12, during the Beyond 2030 National Conversation at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), where leaders and Kenyans gathered to discuss the country’s long-term development path.
He said population growth should not be viewed only as a challenge, noting that a growing population can provide a strong resource for the country if the economy expands at a pace that can support it.
“Population is a resource, but it can also be a burden to a nation's economy, and therefore there must be a very good balance between the rate at which our population grows and the rate at which we grow our economy,” he stated.
Ichung’wah said the country must make population trends part of its planning instead of dealing with the effects after they emerge.
He referred to Singapore’s experience, saying population growth and family planning were among the issues considered as the country worked towards the level of development it enjoys today.
“When Singapore aspired to be what it is today, they had a consideration on their population growth and family planning,” he said.
The Majority Leader also recalled former President Mwai Kibaki’s remarks in 2008 on the need for Kenya to think about population growth and how the country would prepare for it.
“Esther Passaris reminds me that in 2008, the late President Mwai Kibaki did speak to us about the need to look at our population growth and how to plan for it,” he added.
Ichung’wah said the matter remains important as Kenya works on a new national development plan to take the country beyond Vision 2030.
He pledged Parliament’s support for President William Ruto’s efforts to develop the next framework, saying lawmakers would play their part in ensuring the process moves forward.
He proposed the formation of parliamentary committees that would travel across the country to hear directly from Kenyans and gather their views on the country’s future.
According to Ichung’wah, the committees could be spread across different regions, with one based in Nairobi and others visiting counties to ensure the exercise is not limited to the capital.
He said such an approach would allow Kenyans from different parts of the country to take part in shaping the plan and give them a sense of ownership of its final outcome.
The Majority Leader also called for the Beyond 2030 framework to be given legal backing, saying Parliament would pass the necessary laws if required to implement the plan.
The population debate came as Kenya considers changing demographic patterns, including a growing number of older people.
Figures from the 2019 census showed that 2.74 million Kenyans aged 65 and above made up 3.9 per cent of the population. Projections indicate that the number could reach 3.6 million by 2030 and account for more than 10 per cent of the population by 2050.
At the same meeting, ODM Leader Oburu Oginga said Kenya’s development ambitions would remain difficult to achieve unless corruption and wastage of public resources were addressed.
“First, we must deal with this animal called corruption,” he said.
Oburu said eliminating corruption completely could be difficult but argued that the country could develop a culture where the vice is not tolerated.
“We must deal with this animal called corruption. It is very difficult to eliminate, but we can build a society which is non-tolerant to corruption, and those who are in government need to tighten their belts for the sake of the people of Kenya,” he reiterated.
The national conversation at KICC brought together Kenyans to discuss the country’s priorities and the direction it should take after Vision 2030.