Originally published by Africa Is A Country · Ivan Mayabi. Read the full story →
The language of fiscal consolidation is meant to sound inevitable. But for Kenya's informal workers, the human cost is anything but abstract. Nairobi City Market, Kenya, August 2025. Image via Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0. 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 participation, a broadening of civic duty. These a