Social distress due to joblessness, inequality hurting EA’s economic progress
Members of the civil society protest against the rising cost of food on the streets of Nairobi in July, 2011. East Africa is among regions on the continent that are most vulnerable to political and social upheavals, according to the report. PHOTO | FILE |
In spite of impressive economic growth in the region, political and social upheavals due to rising unemployment and inequality in East Africa are likely to erode the gains from this expansion, a new report warns.
The latest Africa Economic Outlook report notes that belts of economic prosperity are concentrated around the capital cities — Nairobi, Kigali, Kampala, Dar es Salaam and Bujumbura — while poverty is widespread on the outskirts and in the countryside.
