Nairobi — Contrary to previous impressions that Kenya's population growth was slowing down, the census results published on Tuesday demonstrate that the situation is not getting better.
On average, a Kenyan woman gives birth to four or five children. The statistics also indicate that every year, one million children are born.
To illustrate the magnitude of the problem, some six million children were born in the last four years.
Among the urban elite, these figures may sound questionable because most of them long decided to sire no more than two children.
However, they are in the minority.The bulk of the population is poor, but they give birth to many children. For this group, children are presumed to be a blessing. Indeed, some among the fatalistic argue that siring more children is an insurance cover for child mortality.
But the more fundamental issue is that the high population demonstrates a collapse of the family planning campaign. Once vigorous in the 1980s and 1990s, the attention shifted to other issues.
What were ordinarily used as family planning devices such as condoms are now being promoted as mere protections against HIV and Aids.
Worse, politicians have turned the debate into politics, imagining that more children means more voters.
Others urge their communities to sire more children to ward off extinction. Yet, they should know that a high population is a major obstacle to social and economic development, and a sure way of increasing rather than alleviating poverty.
With the figures out, it is imperative that the government rolls out a new round of family planning campaigns, while politicians should at once stop their self-serving propaganda and seek to improve the living standards of their constituents.
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I beg to disagree with the thesis that " high population is a major obstacle to social and economic development." While we should encourage people give birth to the number children they can maintain, we must acknowledge that if African leaders invest in education, youth development, health care, infrastructure development, and women empowerment, we could reap enormous economic dividends from our growing population.
Please read the article, "Calculated Optimism: Africa's Growing Young Population, Demographic Dividends, and the African Renaissance." (http://assign-africa.blogspot.com/2010/08/calculated-optimism-africas-grow ing.html ). A quote from this article reads:
"the focus should be on good governance and responsible leadership. With good governance and adequate social policy, Africa can build the capacity to properly manage its resources, develop its human capacity, and maintain a sustainable population growth. There are enormous benefits to be accrued to the continent if African governments invest heavily in education, health care, infrastructure development, youth development and women empowerment. In fact, education and female empowerment alone can significantly regulate Africas population within sustainable proportion." http://assign-africa.blogspot.com/2010/08/calculated-optimism-africas-growi ng.html .
I beg to disagree with the thesis that " high population is a major obstacle to social and economic development." While we should encourage people give birth to the number children they can maintain, we must acknowledge that if African leaders invest in education, youth development, health care, infrastructure development, and women empowerment, we could reap enormous economic dividends from our growing population.
Please read the article, "Calculated Optimism: Africa's Growing Young Population, Demographic Dividends, and the African Renaissance." http://assign-africa.blogspot.com/2010/08/calculated-optimism-africas-growi ng.html . A quote from this article reads:
"the focus should be on good governance and responsible leadership. With good governance and adequate social policy, Africa can build the capacity to properly manage its resources, develop its human capacity, and maintain a sustainable population growth. There are enormous benefits to be accrued to the continent if African governments invest heavily in education, health care, infrastructure development, youth development and women empowerment. In fact, education and female empowerment alone can significantly regulate Africas population within sustainable proportion." http://assign-africa.blogspot.com/2010/08/calculated-optimism-africas-growi ng.html .