Putting Agriculture Ahead? Some Reflections About the Early Years of Neoliberalism in Kenya

Abstract

This article discusses the effects of the neoliberal agenda with reference to agricultural development, agricultural policies and land reform in Kenya. The centrality of the agricultural sector to rural livelihoods and to the economic development of Kenya and its linkages to land are intricately connected to the history of economic policy, politics and land reform. This chapter examines the background and policy context surrounding the agricultural debates in Kenya across two decades (the 1980s and 1990s), including how neoliberalisation had diverse and differentiated effects on the land reform agenda, the agricultural sector and the lives of the peasantry. In bringing to the fore three policy positions (Sessional Papers) as points of reference, the chapter presents an understanding of the historical, policy and discursive framework within which agriculture and land issues were debated and struggled over concerning the lives of rural Kenyans. Overall, it appears that neoliberalism, though not necessarily intentionally, further impoverished many Kenyans who relied on agriculture.KeywordsPolicyPrivatisationAgricultureLandNeoliberalismKenya