Natural Resource Limits to Kenya's Economic Growth: Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

Kenya, like many other developing nations is pursuing economic growth and equitable human development as one of its greatest and our most immediate development challenge. Maintaining stability and economic growth goals depends fundamentally upon Kenya's natural resource-base, especially the carrying capacity of the land to sustain greater demands upon it. Kenya's experience in recent years has called into question, the sustainability of economic growth pursuits in the longer term. The country has experienced drought from the failed long rains, the devastating impacts on food security, water scarcity for people and livestock(leading to decimation of large populations of livestock),and unreliable energy production especially in the power sector. While the limits imposed by these resources have illuminated their central role in Kenya's immediate and future development, climate change is likely to pose an additional catalytic role in impairing economic growth and development. In this paper, we critically examine the limits imposed by each of the above natural resources in economic growth. In the context of a globalizing economy, analyze the challenges and opportunities of dealing with mitigative measures.