Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Resource Curse In Kenya’S Coastal Region: A Symptom Of Institutional Failure, George Atisa

Public Affairs and Security Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Regions endowed with abundant natural resources are expected to thrive economically, but this is not the case for Kenya’s coastal region. Communities in this region believe they are working hard enough but are still held in abject poverty by circumstances not of their own making. This state of development raises one pertinent question – who is responsible for this poor state of development and rampant poverty? When it is about an individual, it is easy to attach success to talent and hard work, and sometimes sheer luck, but it is difficult to generalize the “hard-working” argument to an entire community …