The debts our parents left us
The language of fiscal consolidation is meant to sound inevitable. But for Kenya's informal workers, the human cost is anything but abstract.
The language of economic policy is designed to obscure. Fiscal consolidation sounds responsible, even prudent. “Structural adjustment” suggests repair, improvement, and optimization. “Widening the tax base” evokes democratic par...
The strongest version of this narrative highlights the cyclical nature of economic policies that prioritize creditor demands over human welfare. The author effectively traces the historical continuity between 1990s SAPs and today's austerity measures, showing how both eras dismantled livelihoods under the guise of fiscal responsibility. The emotional weight of personal stories—like the author's father's lost educational dreams or Terry's healthcare struggles—grounds the argument in lived experie...