56pc believe Kenya headed in wrong direction – survey

More than half of Kenyans believe the country is headed in the wrong direction, an opinion poll shows.
The Trends and Insights for Africa (TIFA) report released yesterday shows 56 per cent of Kenyans believe the country is headed in the wrong direction while 25 per cent said it is headed in the right direction.

“At least 14 per cent of Kenyans said the country is neither headed in the right nor wrong direction while five per cent had no opinion at all,” the report says.

An opinion poll that TIFA conducted in March showed that 48 per cent of Kenyans believed the country was headed in the wrong direction, an eight per cent rise in June.

The report is the second set of results obtained from the national survey TIFA research conducted between June 24 and 30 using CATI (Computer-Assisted-Telephonic Interviews) to 1,530 respondents.
Among the 25 per cent who said the country is headed in the right direction, 24 per cent of them said it was because of President William Ruto’s leadership while 12 per cent and eight per cent said due to economy and tax policies respectively.

For the 56 per cent of those who said it is headed in the wrong direction, 79 per cent of them cited the cost of living while five per cent and four per cent said Ruto’s leadership and the status of employment respectively.

The poll also sought Kenyans opinion on the government fulfilling its campaign promises.
According to the poll, about a third of Kenyans believe the government has fulfilled its campaign promises.

It shows that 43.6 per cent of respondents who support government believe campaign promises have been fulfilled.

Only 18 per cent of pro-opposition respondents believe the government has achieved its promises.
As far as the main government’s achievements is concerned, 10 per cent said Hustler Fund and the bottom up economy, six per cent said reducing the cost of fertilizer and other agricultural support services, four per cent said taxation policies, debt repayment and the general economic improvement while three per cent said education sector reforms.

“The launch of the Hustler Fund receives the most mentions (10 per cent), but no other achievement-rating reaches double digits,” states the report.

Kenyans believe achievements by the Kenya Kwanza government have reduced between March and June, with over half of them saying it has achieved nothing.

In March, 29 per cent of Kenyans said the Hustler Fund was the main achievement compared to 10 per cent last month.

On the government’s failures, 52 per cent of the respondents cited increased economic hardships, seven per cent said failed campaign promises while five per cent said taxation, Housing Levy and the economy.
By support base, 47 per cent and 58 per cent of pro-government and pro-opposition respondents said increased economic hardships.

“In terms of its perceived failures, there is widespread agreement that increasing economic hardship is at the top of most Kenyans’ minds across the political divide, though the failure to fulfill campaign promises as well as various economic issues aside from such promises receive considerable mentions,” the report states.

Similarly, nearly a quarter of Kenya Kwanza supporters (24 per cent) fail to attach any failure to it, as compared with less than half that proportion of Azimio supporters who likewise fail to blame it for anything (10 per cent).

Compared to the March poll, there has been an increase in economic hardship factor from 37 per cent to 52 per cent last month, respectively.