A fresh pattern deducted from
demographic data may undo the view
point gridlock. I submit we have 2
demographic tribes in Kenya as opposed
to 44 ethnic Tribes. The 2 tribes being
‘people above 40 years of age’ and ‘people
below 40 years of age’.
With such fresh segmentation of
demography, it becomes apparent that
policy and sentiment has been blind to the
fortunes of the tribe of people below 40
years old. They suffer 80% Unemployment.
They constitute 85% of the Kenyan
population. Average age of Kenya’s 50
million people is 19 years of age.
The tribe of people above 40 years old
suffers 10% unemployment. Tribe of
people above 40 constitutes 15% of the
population. In a youthful country such as
ours, imagine the government the largest
employer (job creator) suffers from an
aged workforce! Average age of people
serving as public servants in Kenya is
above 50 years.
Quick review of demographic data
patterns then informs us Kenya is headed
in a wrong direction - job creation wise.
Civil strife is inevitable in the very short
term if policy does not switch and act on
this detonating time bomb of unemployed
youth governed by geriatrics!
Social researchers need to express this
facts loudly. A country cannot have a
minority tribe driven by memory (people
above 40) lord over a majority tribe driven
by imagination (people below 40). If
democracy is rule by majority then our
society in Kenya is very undemocratic
when it comes to jobs.
I trust the case for relevance of research
is now clearly made. Social and Market
researchers must nevertheless stop Data
Dumping. The So What derived from data
collected and analysed is needed urgently
by society.
The researcher’s work is very important
although rarely acknowledged nor
recognized. Clients only want to hear the
so what of the data. Let us dazzle less with
charts and graphs and impress more with
the take outs from the data we present.
Lastly, I urge that we reposition social and
marketing research to help business and
government switch focus from short to
long term. Society needs a guiding hand
to pay more attention to the sustainable
quiet duty of ‘Regenerating the Forest’.
Too much attention and focus is paid
to the loud noise of “Falling Trees” well
captured by media headlines.
The fruit of your labour as researchers
namely Trends, Data Patterns and
Insights is a most welcome helping hand
to focus society on sustainable long term
solutions. Expression of value for social
and marketing research must be refreshed.
Post Script: Pray and hope the current
Cambridge Analytica headline news does
not criminalize the Social Marketing
Research Industry.
Polycarp Igathe is the Managing Partner,
IP Associates LLC. This is an abridged
version of his key note address at the
AMRA 2018 Forum held in Nairobi
recently. You can engage him on this or
related matters via mail at: Polycarp@
igathe.com.