Understanding poverty dynamics in Kenya

Abstract Combining qualitative–quantitative approaches, we examined the reasons behind household movements into and out of poverty across Kenya, and how they differ by livelihood zones. Among the 4773 households studied, 42 per cent were poor 15 years ago and 50 per cent are poor at the present time. Over the same period, 12 per cent of the households escaped poverty, while another 20 per cent fell into poverty. While some national trends were evident – such as the role of health problems in driving people into poverty and the importance of off‐farm income in getting them out – many reasons differ across livelihood zones, thus this paper provides an example of how regionally differentiated anti‐poverty policies can be investigated and designed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.