Kenya’s place in the Global South cannot be understood simply by looking at its location, researcher and social policy expert Marion Ouma has said, arguing that the country’s economic and political position continues to be shaped by historical forces and unequal power structures in the international system.
Speaking during a Radio Generation interview on Friday, Ouma said the term Global South is increasingly used to describe countries according to their economic and political position in the world rather than their geographical location.
Her comments came as world leaders gathered at the United Nations headquarters in New York for the 81st United Nations General Assembly Summit, where issues including development, international cooperation, financing and reforms to the multilateral system are being discussed.
Ouma said the UN General Assembly provides an important platform for examining how countries such as Kenya operate within a global system where political and economic power is not evenly shared.
She said Kenya’s position in the Global South should be viewed by looking at the structures that affect the country’s ability to set and pursue its own economic and social priorities.
“I'm among those who believe colonialism, imperialism and neo-colonialism continue to shape the global system, leaving some countries in a position where they remain dependent on others and continue to seek external assistance,” Ouma said.
The discussion comes against the backdrop of growing economic activity in developing regions. According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, developing regions accounted for about 40 per cent of global output, 44 per cent of international trade and 58 per cent of foreign direct investment inflows in 2024.
However, UNCTAD has also noted that the economic progress of countries in the Global South has not been even, with many developing economies still dealing with structural challenges, reliance on commodities and exposure to shocks from outside their borders.
Ouma said these challenges are central to the wider discussions taking place at the UN, especially as developing countries seek a greater say in global economic decision-making and the institutions that control international finance.
She said countries such as Kenya have the power to make their own policy decisions, but their room to act independently can be limited by systems and structures that have remained in place for many years.
According to Ouma, historical relationships between developing countries and more powerful states and international institutions continue to affect the choices available to poorer nations as they seek to determine their own development priorities.
Kenya’s economic situation offers part of the background to the debate. World Bank data shows the economy expanded by 4.6 per cent in 2025, with the country’s gross domestic product reaching about 135.9 billion US dollars. GDP per capita stood at about 2,363 dollars during the same period.
Despite the growth, the World Bank says Kenya’s public debt remains high at 70.6 per cent of GDP, while roughly one-third of government revenue goes towards interest payments.
The World Bank also estimates that 43.3 per cent of Kenyans were living below the three-dollar-a-day poverty line in 2025.
Ouma said such economic pressures need to be looked at together with the wider international financial system when examining why countries such as Kenya continue to turn to external lenders and other sources of assistance.
She argued that the global system has developed around unequal levels of power, leaving some countries dependent on wealthier nations and international institutions for financial support and other forms of assistance.
The historical dimension also forms part of the discussion. A World Bank review of Kenya’s economic development says colonial policies influenced land ownership, labour and agricultural production before independence, with the government inheriting an economic structure that had been shaped during the colonial period.
Ouma’s argument therefore places Kenya’s participation in the UN General Assembly within a wider discussion on economic independence, the effects of history, international financing and the ability of developing countries to make decisions over their own development.