Reasons why majority of Kenyans feel the country is headed in the wrong direction – Infotrak
By Mabonga Makhanu, September 25, 202557 per cent of the Kenyan population feel that the nation is headed in the wrong direction, according to a report by Infotrak.
This came after the pollster conducted a survey between August 13 and 14, 2025, with results collected from all regions in Kenya.
The reasons behind this feeling are mainly driven by economic distress, the cost of living, unemployment, and the Social Health Authority (SHA) contribution, among other issues.
On the cost of living, which has now become a universal concern, 79 per cent of Kenyans feel that it has gone up a notch higher than it was last year, with 70 per cent rating it as high or very high.
On the reasons behind this high cost of living, Kenyans told Infotrak that taxes introduced by the government of the day are the main cause, as cited by 40 per cent of respondents, while 19 per cent attributed it to global factors.
In general, 66 per cent of Kenyans cited the rising cost of living as the top reason why the country is headed in the wrong direction.
According to Infotrak, 46 per cent of Kenyans gave the reason of high unemployment rates as another major concern.
The third top issue driving the perception that the country is on the wrong path is poor governance, combined with issues surrounding the Social Health Authority, as established by 30 per cent of respondents.
Other issues
Other reasons mentioned include poverty, poor infrastructure, lack of cohesion, tribalism, extrajudicial killings, stalled government projects, increased insecurity, ongoing challenges in the education sector, rampant corruption, erosion of societal values, and unequal distribution of resources.
On the flip side, some Kenyans had a different opinion. 17 per cent of respondents said they believe the country is headed in the right direction, citing peace and stability as some of the reasons informing their positive outlook.
Recommendations
One of the key recommendations by the pollster after conducting the opinion poll is that the government should deliver tangible development and improvements in living standards, particularly in price stabilisation and job creation, to reverse the dominant negative public sentiment.
According to Infotrak, the public perception of the country’s trajectory is tied to the economic pain at the household level, which has overshadowed the perceived gains of the current regime, such as peace and stability.