Institute for Development Studies, University of Nairobi
Abstract
In this paper the authors raise some critical issues related
to income distribution and class formation in Kenya. The first
section focusses attention on the notion of a salariat and the
phenomenon of straddling between permanent employment and private
accumulation within private enterprise, a feature of colonial and
post-colonial state formation in Kenya. The second section deals
with a category of workers who are supposed to be privileged because
of the relatively high wages received in comparison to other groups
of workers. It is shown here that historical changes in the relations
of production, as well as the application of wage guidelines and
Industrial Court wage awards, have affected this category of workers,
eliminating the privilege which they were supposed to enjoy. Two case
studies are given in this context - that of estate agricultural
supervisors and bank workers. In the third section, the authors focus
on household production of commodities (coffee, tea and milk) in Nyeri
and Murang'a in Central Province. The intention here is to explore the
implications of both domestic and international capital in household
production as they affect the relations of production and distribution
in smallholding agriculture.
The intention in focussing on these issues is not to make
conclusive statements, but rather to draw the attention of researchers
to the need for further research in these areas
