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A majority of Kenyans believe that the country is going in the wrong direction, a new poll shows. The poll released by Infotrak Research and Consulting shows that 72 per cent of Kenyans feel the country is going in the wrong direction, 15 per cent believe it is going in the right direction, 12 per cent feel it is neither going in the right nor wrong direction while one per cent do not have an opinion.

A majority of those who believe the country is going in the wrong direction are women at 73 per cent compared to males at 70 per cent while 16 per cent of the males believe it is going in the right direction compared to 14 per cent of females.

Of those unhappy with the direction the country is headed, 75 per cent think President William Ruto is responsible for this while those happy (81 per cent) believe it is also because of Ruto’s responsibility. According to the report, the statement that the country is headed in the wrong direction is the highest since December 2020.

“A majority of Kenyans feel the country is not going in the right direction. All demographics register the highest dissatisfaction with the direction the country is taking,” reads the report.

High cost of living

72 per cent of those who believe the country is headed in the wrong direction cited the high cost of living (93 per cent), unemployment (23 per cent), poverty (19 per cent), and poor governance (14 per cent). Those who believe the country is going in the right direction said the executive is working well (34 per cent), the country is peaceful (29 per cent), affordable cost of living (19 per cent), and their candidate is in power (14 per cent).

Poverty reduction

Among the key issues of concern to Kenyans include the high cost of living (85 per cent), unemployment (47 per cent), quality education (20 per cent), cost of doing business, infrastructure and access to healthcare (18 per cent), corruption (16 per cent) poverty reduction (12 per cent) and high fuel prices (10 per cent).

The major causes of the current cost of living are as a result of an increase in fuel prices (59 per cent), higher taxation (49 per cent), inflation (28 per cent), poor decisions and policies (19 per cent), high import costs (10 per cent), and climate change and poor decisions of the previous administration at seven per cent.

On the comparison of the current situation of living with a year ago, the report shows that 82 per cent feel it is much higher than before, 12 per cent believe it is somewhat higher than before, four per cent say it has remained the same as before, two per cent believe it is somewhat lower than before while 0.5 per cent believe it is lower than before.

On the passage of the Finance Act which the courts have stayed its operationalisation following a case filed by Busia senator Okiya Omtata on grounds that it is unconstitutional, the report shows that a majority of Kenyans (59 per cent) don’t think it will have a positive impact on Kenyan economy, 22 per cent believe it will have a positive impact while 16 per cent are not sure about it.

Nyanza region leads with the highest number of people who do not support the Act (87 per cent), followed by the Western Region (79 per cent), Nairobi region 78 per cent, Coast and Eastern Regions 75 per cent, North Eastern region 68 per cent, the central region 66 per cent, and Rift valley region is 65 per cent.

According to the report, 61 per cent of the respondents who are against the Finance Act support civil disobedience acts such as peaceful demonstrations, to show discontentment while 15 per cent believe it should be challenged in court. Three per cent are not sure while one per cent did not give an opinion.