We are all born equal

We must dismantle the barriers that define the rich as our leaders and the poor as voiceless servants, and the barriers that force us to think of men as more important than women or children.

By Ambassador H.E. Bo Göransson of Sweden

Only in South Africa, some Central American and Eastern European countries have I seen inequalities on the scale we witness in Kenya. The other day I asked a Kenyan colleague if he knew how many doctors there are per person in North Eastern Kenya. He replied that it would be easy for him to calculate, as he probably knew all of them by name! And he may be right. The recent facts and figures on inequality in Kenya by Society for International Development tell us that there are 8 medical doctors in North Eastern. One for every 120,000 people!

A welfare society

To me, the vision is a society that doesn’t know of privileged or neglected. It is a society where a brother will not look down upon and despise his sister, where he will not benefit from exploiting his fellow human beings and where the strong and powerful will not oppress the weak. In a welfare society we are all born equal and therefore we care for one another. In such a society we must dismantle the barriers that define the rich as our leaders and the poor as voiceless servants, and the barriers that force us to think of men as more important than women or children.

I use the word welfare society, not welfare state. There is nothing conceptually wrong with having a poor state but rich people, but the other way round is a problem. Having said so, it should be clear that the state must have resources to be able to pursue a policy that leads to the welfare society. Market forces are superior to create wealth, for some or for many, but not welfare for all.

There are many reasons why we should be concerned with unequal distribution of power and resources - not only in Kenya:

Inequality slows down economic growth.
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. Consequently, inequality is very often a human rights issue. It is basically not fair to treat women and children like dogs, which is the case in some parts of the world, or to deprive minorities or other groups their right to development. To me, this is reason enough to prioritise a more equal society but let me anyhow add a third and a fourth argument:
Inequality creates exclusion, frustration, tensions and conflicts. This can take the form of increased crime – which most Nairobians are painfully aware of – but it can also lead to violence and political hooliganism and manipulation.
Inequality is unfair and it costs: Peter Piot, director of UNAIDS, recently noted that today more than half of the people living with the virus are women and that there is a biological reason for that, it is easier for women to contract the virus. But more importantly, he added, are factors such as unstable systems of governance, social injustices and inequality between sexes.

However, the critics of equality may argue, the issues are more complex than that:

“Those who are not treated as equals are culturally destined to be so.”

I disagree; culture may explain inequality and oppression, but it doesn’t justify it! Apartheid was a culture for many in South Africa, but that didn’t make it any better!

“Those who are disadvantaged have chosen to be so by themselves. Inequalities provide incentives to climb out of poverty.”

I disagree; it may be true that some people in Sweden have chosen to make a trade between earning a lot of money and having a lot of spare time. But that has never been an option to illiterate women in North Eastern or to any HIV infected boy in Nyanza. While some say that only individuals can create their own opportunities, it is the experience from Sweden that the government can do a lot by providing equal opportunities for their citizens. Just think of the importance of public schools and health for all.

“A more equal society is bad for business and will only scare investors to other countries. Besides it is a communist idea”

I disagree; there are many misunderstandings around the relationship between inequality and economic growth; poor people are poor consumers. And everyone who has ever tried to run a business knows that you need people who can afford to buy your goods or services. Further inequality often creates unrest at the labour market, as well as political instability and crime. Investors want a peaceful and stable labour market.

Is equality equal to communism?

Researchers, including the World Bank, are increasingly convinced of this nexus: Countries with high levels of inequality achieve lower economic growth rates than countries that are more equal.

Is this communism? Of course not! The World Bank is among the institutions that have acknowledged this crucial relationship. The Bank has been accused of many things but to my knowledge they have never been accused of advocating for communism.

I think we can agree that inequality is not only an injustice; it is also detrimental to economic and social development. What can be done about it?

The Kenyan government is committed to finding a new path for Kenya. The Economic Recovery Strategy and other government documents reflect the will of the Kenyan Government to improve the situation for the poorest and to promote a more equal Kenya.

"Redistribution is neither socialism nor communism. Redistribution is about creating a good and peaceful society with a balance between rich and poor. If 56% of the population is poor and 10% control all the economical resources the society is not in harmony – and it is not a good society".

Danish Ambassador to Kenya, Finn Thilsted

Bo Göransson offers some advice to get the discussion going:

It doesn’t make sense to increase the salary more for those who already have more, while the lowest paid get no pay raise at all.
Agriculture is the backbone of the country. But how are the resources in agriculture used? To make the small farmer more productive, or for subsidies to lose running state corporations, which often means subsidies to the urban class?
40% of the government’s budget in health is used for Kenyatta hospital, a referral hospital in the capital. Is that pro-poor?
How can the upgrading of slums be done so that it also includes transferring of power to the inhabitants? And how can provision of services such as schools and e.g. area lights benefit Kibera rather than Muthaiga.
Democratization, including respect for human rights and restoration of rule of law must continue. This is important for many reasons, among others because investors, be it a farmer from Kitale or a multinational from Japan, need the rule of law. Inequality does not only concern assets or income, at the heart of it is power, or rather the lack of power, and access to justice.
Finally, and this is a lesson we have learned in Sweden, inequality needs to be discussed more. To be seen and heard. It needs to be at the top of the political agenda because that is when people come with ideas that are relevant for this country and this time. If the Kenyan government would want to move into fifth gear and do more in terms of sharing experiences with other countries or promote the dialogue within Kenya, we are ready to support such initiatives.

A will to change

The work by the recently established Kenya National Human Rights Commission is also encouraging; they have, as a new government institution, chosen to pay attention also to economic, social and cultural rights. They will try to see if government funds are utilized in the most efficient manner to increase people’s enjoyment of their rights to e.g. education, health and social security.

The problem of inequality in Kenya is to a large extent born and raised in Kenya. Even if the world is becoming increasingly interconnected, the solutions must come from within Kenya. What we can do as a development partner is to provide resources for implementing the plans laid out by the Kenyan government.

The article is an extract of a speech by the ambassador of Sweden at the launch of the report “Pulling Apart – Facts and Figures on Inequality in Kenya”, October 2004