Kenya score up in Mo Ibrahim index

The education sector was among several that registered a decline in the IIAG index. PHOTO | FILE 

By NEVILLE OTUKI, notuki@ke.nationmedia.com

In Summary

• At position 14, Kenya has improved from position 17 last year, 21 in 2013 and 25 three years ago, largely due to strong scores in the rule of law, business environment and infrastructure.

Kenya has climbed up three slots to position 14 in this year’s Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG) rankings despite a poor show in education, health, personal and national safety.

Ranked out of 54 nations, the country has improved from position 17 last year, 21 in 2013 and 25 three years ago, largely due to strong scores in the rule of law, business environment and infrastructure.

Kenya’s education sector is grappling with high enrolment levels, low teacher/pupil ratios and strikes brought home by disputes between tutors and the government.

A shortage of doctors and medicine in public medical facilities is also taking its toll on the country’s health sector.

“Kenya’s education score decline of -0.6 points since 2011 has been the result of downward trajectories of….education system quality and ratio of pupils to teachers in primary school,” the report says.

“Kenya’s largest sub-category score decline since 2011 is in health (-2.4 points).”

The report released yesterday shows that Kenya has since 2011 – a year after the country adopted a new Constitution – made big strides in improving its judicial system, property rights and business climate.

The country also scored highly in citizen welfare and participation.

“Kenya’s performance is largely positive…,” the report says, placing Kenya and Rwanda (11th) among the top 10 most improved countries in the past four years.

The IIAG, a brainchild of Sudanese-British billionaire Mo Ibrahim, has been assessing levels of governance in Africa since its launch in 2007 and seeks to promote sound policies for growth.

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Countries are given scores in four categories; sustainable economic opportunity, safety and rule of law, participation and human rights as well as human development, the only area Kenya recorded a decline in the review period.

Overall, Kenya scored 58.8 points out of a possible 100, above the continental’s average score of 50.1 and 44.3 points in eastern Africa countries including Ethiopia, Seychelles, Comoros and Sudan.

The IIAG, a unit of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, says that Kenya’s robust telephone and ICT sectors have helped to drive growth. Mr Ibrahim, the chairman of the foundation, warned against complacency lest nations retrogress in governance.

“While Africans overall are certainly healthier and live in more democratic societies than 15 years ago, the 2015 IIAG shows that recent progress in other key areas on the continent has either stalled or reversed, and that some key countries seem to be faltering,” said Mr Ibrahim in a statement.