The impact of the structural adjustment

Abstract

This article examines the effects of structural adjustment programmes (SAPs) on Kenyan society. A series of economic and political reforms initiated by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in Kenya since 1988 and especially after 1991 has transformed many aspects of the daily life of Kenyan people. These programmes have been linked to the high rate of income inequality, inflation, unemployment, retrenchments and so on, which have lowered the living standards, especially, those relating to the material resources in the family. Furthermore, the SAPs in Kenya have been linked to the increasing deviant and crime rates, ethnic hatred and discrimination and welfare problems, especially in the areas of education and health.


African Journal of Social Work Vol.17(1) 2002: 81-98