Oxfam Ireland Core Country: Kenya
Jan 2008 : The political crisis in Kenya and Oxfam's response 
Country Statistics
| Population: | 36.9 million |
| Year of Independence: | 1963 |
| Infant mortality rate (per 1,000 births): | 57.4 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life expectancy at birth: | 55.3 years |
| People living with HIV and AIDS: | 6.7% /1.2 million (2003 est.) |
| Literacy (people aged 15 and over that are literate): | 85.1% (2003 est.) |
| Population below poverty line: | 50% (2000 est.) |
| Currency: | Kenyan Shilling |
Oxfam in Kenya:
Oxfam has been working in Kenya since independence in 1963. Despite Kenya's rich and varied potential, and its relative long-term stability, the country continues to suffer deepening impoverishment. Economic decline and social conflict have often frustrated conventional approaches to development. However, with the recent and peaceful change of Government there are new opportunities for progressive development work with resource-poor people in Kenya.
Currently Oxfam Ireland works with the Pastoralist Community in Kaijaido by supporting the work of Mainyioto Pastoralists Integrated Development Organisation (MPIDO). Working with Pastoralist Communities is a core Livelihoods theme for Oxfam Ireland's work in East and Central Africa.
The focus of MPIDO's work over the past two years has been on Pastoralist Land Rights. Kenya's Pastoralist communities have lived on their semi-arid grazing lands for many generations. However, Pastoralist communities have become increasingly marginalised in recent years, coming under immense pressure in relation to their rights to occupy their ancestral land. Fraudulent and irregular land appropriation has happened in Kajido District, where non-residents, government officials, local authority representatives, and their associates have been granted titles to Pastoralist land. The communities, through their representative organisation, MPIDO, have struggled to counter this corruption. MPIDOs efforts have focused on court challenges, which have the potential to bring redress for the affected communities and set a precedent for other pastoralist communities affected.
Over the last two years that Oxfam has supported the programme progress has been made: The Land Rights Programme has been able to collect and collate information concerning land appropriation by senior government officials and their families thus making hard evidence available for the communities' claims. Having the evidence in hand, MPIDO has been able to publicise the Land cases both at National and International levels thus able to solicit support for the affected communities. MPIDO is currently engaging with the Presidential Commission of Enquiry on the Irregular and Fraudulent Acquisition of Title Deeds and/or land in Kenya.
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