A report by Infotrak on Tuesday, September 12, 2023, revealed why a section of Kenyans believe that the country is headed in the wrong direction.
However, 30% of Kenyans believe that the country is headed to the right direction. Of these, 40% hail from the Northeastern region while 20% of them live in Nairobi.
In comparison, a total of 53% of Kenyans believe that the country is headed to the wrong direction.
Of these, 68% hail from the Western region while 51% of them are from the Coast region.
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Interestingly, 13% of those that Infotrak interviewed are not sure whether the country is headed in the wrong or right direction.
Why wrong direction – Infotrak
According to the Infotrak survey, here are some of the reasons why Kenyans believe that country is on the wrong trajectory:
High cost of living – 89% of the Kenyans believe that the country is headed towards the wrong direction due to the high cost of living.
For months now, Kenyans are confronting high food prices, especially for essential commodities like sugar and cooking oil.
The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) in its latest report capped Kenya’s inflation for August at 6.7 per cent.
Unemployment- Despite the Kenya Kwanza administration promising to create jobs, millions of Kenyans remain jobless.
Consequently, 34% of Kenyans believe that the fate of the country is misaligned due to the surging rates of unemployment.
Poor governance– Issues of governance by the Kenya Kwanza team ranked third on the reasons why Kenyans believe that the country should make a U-turn to the right direction.
Even as President William Ruto marks one year since taking over power, 20 % of Kenyans feel that all is not well in terms of how he is leading the country.
Poverty – The poll also revealed that poverty remains a thorn in the flesh of many Kenyans.
With the ever-rising cost of living and diminishing purchasing power, many are finding it hard to make ends meet.
To this end 12% of Kenyans feel that poverty is behind the country’s wrong trajectory.
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Bad politics and Taxes
Since Ruto ascended to power, the country remains on the edge, with ongoing talks to end animosity with the opposition.
Opposition leader Raila Odinga led street protests that almost paralyzed the economy with the survey showing that 8% of Kenyans blame bad politics for the current state of affairs.
Other reasons, according to Infotrak, include unequal distribution, poor infrastructure and increased insecurity and crime, clannism and unresolved land issues.
In addition, the punitive taxes also account for Kenyans’ perception that the country is heading in the wrong direction. Ruto, upon taking over, implemented a raft of levies in a bid to finance his Ksh.3.6 trillion budget.
