Written by
Faridah N Kulumba
Africa-Press – Kenya. Almost three-quarters of Kenyans, at least 72 per cent believe that the country is headed in the wrong direction, putting President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration on the spot.
According to the new survey released by Tifa cites on Tuesday this week, the high cost of living, unemployment, political issues, corruption, attributing this to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, and public debt, Star reported.
Tifa research analyst Tom Wolf stated in the survey that: “The overwhelming perception of Kenyans as to the country’s current challenges are economic, especially, the cost-of-living and unemployment (both at 27 per cent)
“Covid-19, which has both health and economic aspects, also receives considerable mentions at 16 per cent but other economic issues (poverty, hunger/famine) are also identified.
Tifa Cites survey
This report represents findings on a national survey recently conducted on the following areas: Issues facing Kenyans, main problems/challenges facing Kenya as a whole/most people in their locality, Kenya’s direction and main reasons (for Right/wrong direction sentiments), President Uhuru Kenyatta’s legacy, main perceived positive legacy and main perceived negative legacy.
The polls
The poll involving 1,550 respondents with a margin of error of +/- 2 per cent, that was conducted between June 24 and June 28, 2021, covered economic, political, and social welfare issues.
In regional terms, more residents of North Easter gave a positive assessment on this matter at 24 per cent with Central and Coast giving the least rating.
The lot cited Uhuru’s administration, effective management of the Covid-19 emergency response, better infrastructure, education, cost of living, political issues and employment.
Rose Wegulo, politician in an interview with Africa-Press sided with Tifa Cites survey saying that Kenya is always heading in the wrong direction, but when Kenyans get a chance to vote, they vote the wrong people.
“How can a sober minded person root for an arsonist and a land grabber?” Wegulo said.
Patrick Ogumbo journalist differed from Ms Wegulo’s opinion, he told Africa-Press that all economies all over the world are facing the same issues. Nobody is immune to what the Covid has dished out and continues to do so.
But the Tifa report said: “At the same time, even after stating their satisfaction with the country’s current direction, a substantial proportion- 13 per cent, were unable to cite any reason for holding this view,” the survey reads.
The survey also stated that the high cost of living, unemployment, hunger and famine, poverty, and Covid-19 are among the challenges facing them.
The survey also indicated that there is more agreement about the presence of economic challenges at the local level, with the top four mentions- unemployment, the cost-of-living, hunger/famine and poverty in total attracting a clear majority of all responses at 64 per cent.
According to the research, Nyanza residents were five times concerned with the issue of Covid-19 as the main problem or challenge facing most people in their locality.
“Evidently such heightened concern in western regions reflects the recent spike in cases there, reportedly as a result of the arrival and spread of the more aggressive delta variant,” the report reads.
