Matters Population!

               It might now be necessary to mainstream family planning information into most developmental projects, pre-marital counselling and other levels of engagements to Kenyans, given the population trends that planners have warned about. Kenya's population is expected to rise to 80 million by 2030 if the current fertility rates prevail.  Kenya's population is currently estimated at 42 million people with a growth of about 1 million per year with on average woman having a birth rate of 4.6 children.   According to the Nation newspaper article of 31 October, planners are worried by the trend with the economy growing at 3.5 to 4.5 per cent in conttrast with the rapidly growing population.  Nearly half of Kenya population is poor with poverty levels estimated at 46 per cent.  It is now recommended that women give birth to only two children.  Anthony Kilele, Kenya National Bureau of Statistics has always recommended that for Kenya to stabilise, needs to grow three times the population growth.  
             Reducing Kenyans population will be a tall order. Kenyans  love to have children and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that but especially due "serial polygamy"a term introduced to us by Hon Samuel Poghisio, a few years back when he worked as Lectured a subject known then as INS which was more or less about Communication and anthropology. Because Kenyans are divorcing, separting and trying different relationships most people want  additional children to seal the new relationships.  Kenyans love for children is also exhibited by the trauma and stigma suffered by women and man who are not able to bear or sire children.
     A demographic group greatly affected by the population growth is the youth. Warning bells have been sounded on the burgeoning population of youth in Kenya. According to the Ministry of State for Youth Affairs and Sports 75 per cent of Kenya’s population is under 30 years of age while an estimated 36 per cent of Kenyan population are defined as youth with 500,000 youth joining the job market every year.   Ministry of labour estimates that only 25 per cent of these are able to be absorbed in the job market.