Living Conditions in Kenya - Coursework Example

This paper analyzes the living conditions in Kenya. Kenya is the biggest economy in East Africa, and it has contributed greatly into the stabilization of East African countries. This includes Somalia, where the country has sent troops to help in restoring order and security within the region. In explaining the living conditions in Kenya, this paper uses the social justice theory, and the ethics of virtue theory. The ethics of virtue theory lays an emphasis on the role of an individual’s character, for purposes of evaluating and analyzing the ethical behavior of a person (Clayton and Williams, 2004). Social justice theory on the other hand develops the principles that govern the social order of a society. Social Justice refers to the ability that people have, for purposes of realizing their potentials, within the society in which they live (Clayton and Williams, 2004). On this basis, there is a need of establishing institutions that would help the society to lead a better and fulfilling life. The principles established by the theory of social justice are, personal and political liberties, equal opportunities, etc. This paper argues that the living conditions in Kenya are poor, and majority of people are unable to get better services because of inefficiency in the manner in which the national government distributes resources to the grassroots level. Before December 2007, Kenya was categorized as one of the success stories in Africa. This is because the country was experiencing a fledging democracy, and an unprecedented economic growth, which was characterized by a booming tourism industry (Williams, 2012). It is important to understand that the population of the country is approximated at 35.5 million people, with approximately 10 million people living in the urban areas (Oppong and Oppong, 2012). The capital city is in Nairobi, with over three million people residing in it. The 2007 elections in Kenya culminated into an electoral violence that was so severe and deadly. This violence shocked the entire world, and this is because Kenya has been regarded as a symbol of peace and stability within a region that was infested with civil wars and armed conflicts. Kenya faces a series of problems, such as corruption, HIV/AIDS, higher standards of living, poverty, malnutrition and hunger, a poor health sector, tribalism, and poor leadership and governance (Oppong and Oppong, 2012). These mentioned problems are the main causes that make the living conditions in Kenya to be poor and substandard. For instance, it is estimated that children below 15 years of age form 50% of the total population of the country (Campbell, Gray and Radak, 2011). On this basis, the country faces a high dependency burden, which is responsible for creating a competition for the main purpose accessing quality education, health care services, and other social services. It is important to understand that in as much as the economy of the country normally experience some growth, more than half of the population of the nation live in poverty (Williams, 2012). That is they live in less than a dollar per day. The most vulnerable people are children and women living in rural areas, and in slums (Oppong and Oppong, 2012). Poverty in the country is attributed to inefficient governance structure that does not ensure the equitable distribution of resources to the grassroots level. Poverty is also attributed to the widespread corruption within the country (Williams, 2012). In fact, in an annual survey of the countries that is the most corrupt in the world. Kenya ranks amongst the most corrupt countries in the world. Corruption is widespread within the country, and it is very difficult for an individual to get services from the government without bribing a government official (Oppong and Oppong, 2012). Amongst the institutions where corruption thrives, are the police forces, the military units, the judiciary, and departments responsible for providing immigration services. According to the social justice theory, it is the role of the government to provide a conducive atmosphere that can help people to make wealth, and live in prosperity. Eradication of poverty should be one of the major concerns of the government, and hence institutions must be put in place, for purposes of helping the government to fight poverty, and its causes (Williams, 2012). It is important to understand that there have been efforts and strategies developed for purposes of fighting corruption within the country, which is one of the major, causes of poverty. Institutions such as the Kenya Anti Corruption Authority were established. However, these institutions have failed to tackle the problems of corruption, because of lack of government will. For instance, there have been major scandals involving the theft of public money, and this includes the Goldenberg saga, whereby a business man, with the help of top government officials decided to steal tax payer’s money by pretending that they could supply gold, to the country reserves in the 1990s (Oppong and Oppong, 2012). Billions of shillings were lost in this process. Another situation is the Anglo leasing scandal, which came to surface in 2005 whereby top government officials were able to steal billions of shillings from the government. It is important to denote that failure by government anti-corruption institutions to prevent these scandals was an injustice to the Kenyan society (Williams, 2012). This is as according to the social justice theory, which lays emphasis on institutions to help in promoting social justice, and this includes equality of opportunity, and personal and political freedom. For example, due to corruption, the state is unable to raise funds that can help it to develop roads, improve on the education and health care system, etc. On this basis, the government is forced to use the limited resources it has to develop certain areas, leaving other regions in their development agenda. This is clearly against the social justice theory which advocates for equitable distribution of resources (Hooft, 2006). To reduce the problems of corruption in Kenya, there is a need of using the principles contained in the virtue theories of ethics for purposes of controlling the behavior of its senior government officials. This theory focuses on methods of improving the morality of people, by establishing the rules and procedures that the people under consideration should follow. For example, corruption is a negative phenomenon in the country, and there is a need of establishing polices and mechanisms of fighting corruption. On this basis, the Kenyan government needs to enact various laws and procedures aimed at fighting corruption, and discouraging the vice (Williams, 2012). These procedures could include demonizing this aspect of corruption, by taking civil servants to training seminars with the intention of sensitizing them on the dangers of corruption. Through these actions, chances are high that the government might instill the moral virtues of honesty, and the need to serve amongst its senior civil servants (Hooft, 2006). This will have an effect of minimizing corruption, leading to the reduction of poverty within the country (Gifford, 2009). Another factor that leads to poor living standards in the country is the country’s health sector, which is inefficient, and lacks skillful medical practitioners to work in these sectors. It is important to understand that Kenya lacks enough doctors and nurses to work in its health sector. The main reason of this shortage is that the country does not have adequate training facilities and resources that can facilitate the training of more medical practitioners, and subsequently hiring these people (Hornsby, 2012). However, it is important to understand that the area that is affected mostly by this shortage of doctors is in rural areas. This is because most practitioners do not like working in these areas because the pay is little, and they have little opportunities of advancing in their careers. Doctors in rural areas are always employed by the government, and the remuneration offered by the government is not always lucrative (Hooft, 2006). On this basis, these doctors would rather stay in urban areas, where they can get better jobs, with rewarding remuneration. On this basis, there is inequitable distribution of service, with the rural areas being at a disadvantage. In the perspective of the social justice theory, this is injustice, because people are unable to acquire services, which they have a right to (Hooft, 2006). This is because they are tax payers, and hence the government needs to provide the health care services that they need. The education system in Kenya is also poor, and it favors children from the rich background. In as much as the government introduced a universal free primary education in the country, the educative services provided are not up to the standard. This is because classrooms are congested, and there are instances whereby two children are forced to share a desk (Haustein, 2011). There is also a shortage of teachers, and the government is reluctant to hire more teachers because it lacks the necessary funds to carry out the exercise. On this basis, the quality of education provided in government schools is low, and this is always reflected in national exams, where students from government schools do not perform better than students at private schools (Haustein, 2011). It is therefore important to understand that parents prefer taking their children to private schools, for them to access quality and good education. However, these schools are always very expensive, and out of reach of majority of Kenyans. It is therefore accurate to understand that the education system in Kenya is favoring the rich, and this goes against the principles established by the social justice theory (Clayton and Williams, 2004). According to this principle, there must be equity in the sharing of government resources, and on this basis, the Government failed in this arena (Hooft, 2006). All that the government needs to do is to improve the structure of free primary education, hire more teachers, build more schools and classroom, and improve on the skills that its teachers have. By doing this, chances are high that the government would improve the quality of free primary education. From the perspective of the social justice theory, it is the institution of governance that plays a great role in ensuring whether there is equitable or inequitable distribution of educational resources (Williams, 2012). This is because it is the government that has the responsibility of providing education to the citizens of the country. Tribalism is also a factor that leads to inequitable distribution of resources. This is because senior government officials are keen at developing areas where their tribes come from, at the expense of the entire country. Loyalty is to the tribe, as opposed to the whole nation. In conclusion, the poor living conditions in Kenya are mainly caused by corruption, and inequitable distribution of resources. The social justice theory and the virtue of ethics theory can be used to effectively explain and provide a solution to these problems. For instance, the social justice theory advocates for the promotion of equitable distribution of resources, and personal as well as political freedoms. In the perspective of this theory, institutions play a great role in ensuring that there is an equitable distribution of resources and the personal and political freedoms of people are guaranteed. On this basis, when these social evils are depicted in a society, then the institutions of the society under consideration have failed. The same can be applied in the Kenyan situation, whereby the institutions formed by the government to fight poverty, corruption, tribalism and other ills in the society have failed. The virtue ethics theory on the other hand emphasizes on morality and the need of having a good character. Corruption is an example a character that is not good, and this will lead to the emergence of other social ills such as poverty, and in equitable distribution of wealth. On this basis, the government needs to hire people of integrity and moral character for purposes of holding senior government offices. Bibliography: Campbell, B. C., Gray, P. B., & Radak, J. (2011). In the Company of Men: Quality of Life and Social Support Among the Ariaal of Northern Kenya. Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology, 26(3), 221-237. Clayton, M., & Williams, A. (2004). Social justice. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub.. Gifford, P. (2009). Christianity, politics and public life in Kenya. New York: Columbia University Press. Haustein, J. (2011). Christianity, Politics and Public Life in Kenya. Pneuma, 33(1), 134-135. Hooft, S. v. (2006). Understanding virtue ethics. Chesham [U.K.: Acumen. Hornsby, C. (2012). Kenya a history since independence. New York: I. B. Tauris. Oppong, J. R., & Oppong, E. D. (2004). Kenya. Philadelphia: Chelsea House. Williams, L. (2012). Kenya handbook (3rd ed.). Bath: Footprint. Read More