The Role of Multinational Corporations in Kenyan`s Social Development

Abstract

This study sought to look at the role if any that multinational corporations play in Kenya’s social development. Having considerate factors to her advantage such as her relative stability in respect to her neighbors, highly educated workforce and of high significance Kenya’s central location in the continent, have over the years made Kenya a fulcrum for multinational companies. It is with this in mind that this project set out to look at their input towards Kenya’s social development. The project addressed Social development as defined by the United Nation’s millennium development goals that is the eradication of hunger and poverty, curtailing of child fatality and bettering maternal health, attaining of universal primary education, women and youth capacitation, fighting diseases and environmental protection. The project investigated a number of multinational companies drawn from various sectors. The study involved not only looking at these companies’ corporate social responsibility, the direct way through which they contribute to society’s well-being, but also at their contribution to the exchequer, money which in turn the government uses to address social development. The research concludes that multinational companies do significantly contribute to Kenya’s social development. Though a small sample, this research is an eye opener to the much that multinationals contribute to Kenya’s social development.