Nairobi: The Fight Inequality Alliance Kenya (FIA Kenya) has issued a call to action for global leaders attending the upcoming G20 Summit in South Africa, urging them to prioritize both people and the planet in their economic decision-making processes. The Alliance warns that the current policies of the G20 bloc continue to exacerbate inequality and hardship in developing nations like Kenya.
According to Kenya News Agency, FIA Kenya National Coordinator Brenda Osoro, addressing a press briefing in Nairobi, highlighted the significant influence of the G20, which comprises the world’s 20 wealthiest economies and controls approximately 85 percent of global wealth. Osoro pointed out that despite this influence, the bloc remains largely unaccountable to the majority of the world’s population.
Osoro emphasized that the G20’s decisions impact Kenya’s economy through debt, taxation, and trade policies that favor powerful nations and multinational corporations. She urged the Kenyan government not to blindly follow G20 prescriptions but to make independent choices that protect the interests of ordinary Kenyans. She called on the G20 to adopt policies benefiting all people, not just a privileged few.
The coordinator highlighted Kenya’s public debt, estimated at Sh11.81 trillion, which consumes more than 67 percent of all revenue collected through taxes. The rising debt burden, she explained, has reduced fiscal space for investment in key sectors, forcing citizens to bear the cost of repayment through higher taxation and reduced funding for essential services.
FIA Kenya is advocating for a comprehensive public debt audit to ensure transparency and accountability. The Alliance also urges the international community to cancel illegitimate and unsustainable debts, arguing that continued repayment undermines the country’s ability to invest in social and economic development.
Osoro criticized G20 countries for promoting austerity measures through global financial institutions like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, which compel developing nations to cut public spending, privatize state assets, and raise taxes. She argued that these measures have worsened inequality and slowed progress in poverty reduction.
The Alliance noted that the G20’s open-market agenda has disadvantaged developing economies by exposing them to unfair competition from multinational corporations that enjoy tax exemptions and incentives. Osoro stated that such policies have weakened local small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which struggle to compete on unequal terms.
FIA Kenya asserts that Kenya’s inequality crisis is both a domestic and global problem, driven by weak accountability at home and unjust international economic systems. Despite being classified as an emerging economy, more than 36 percent of Kenyans live below the poverty line, facing rising living costs, unstable employment, and limited access to services.
Osoro called on Kenya’s leadership to focus on reducing inequality by adopting progressive taxation, expanding social protection, and investing in health, education, and infrastructure. She explained that FIA Kenya has been organizing people’s assemblies across the country to gather citizens’ views on the impact of global economic policies.
The consultations led to the development of a People’s Declaration, outlining five key priorities for global and national leaders, including debt cancellation, fair global tax systems, reversal of austerity policies, inclusion of women and youth in decision-making, and adequate climate financing for vulnerable nations.
Osoro emphasized that inequality results from deliberate policy choices that can be reversed through political will and global solidarity. She urged Kenya’s delegation to the G20 Summit to advocate for reforms promoting justice and equality.
FIA Kenya insists that both global and national leaders must commit to a fairer system that guarantees opportunity, dignity, and justice for all.
