How Kenya risks being old before becoming rich

Kenyan Citizens demonstrate and Protest against over Taxation bill along Nairobi streets. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

What exactly is Kenya’s demographic moment, and why is it urgent to act while the window is open? A demographic window refers to the period in a country’s development when the share of people of working age rises, and the proportion of dependants falls.

More adults are available to work, save, innovate, and contribute to national productivity. This creates a potential demographic dividend. The window eventually closes as fertility continues to decline and the population begins to age. When the share of older dependants rises, economic pressures shift. Countries that fail to act early often discover that the dividend they expected never materialised.