by Ronald Njoroge
56 % of Kenyans said that the country is moving in the wrong direction says a new poll conducted by research firm Maggie Ireri CEO of TIFA told journalists in Nairobi that the figure has risen from the 48 percent recorded on March this year.
“79 percent said that’s reason the country is moving on the wrong direction is due to rising cost of living,” Ireri said.
She observed that the contrast between Kenya Kwanza and Azimio supporters is substantial, with more than twice as many of Azimio supporters compared to Kenya Kwanza (78% vs. 38%) saying that the country is moving in the wrong direction.
The release reports the second set of results obtained from the national survey TIFA Research conducted between the 24th and 30th of June, 2023 using CATI (Computer-Assisted-Telephonic Interviews) of 1,530 respondents.
The results are from a nationally representative sample spread across 9 Zones namely Central Rift, Coast, Lower Eastern, Mt Kenya, Nairobi, Northern, Nyanza, South Rift, Western.
Release covers views about the country’s direction and the performance of the Kenya Kwanza
government since it took over the reigns of power ten months ago.
According to Ireri, Kenyans belief that, the achievements by the
Kenya Kwanza Government has reduced between March and
June, withover half of Kenyans saying the GoK has achieved nothing.
He noted that in terms of its perceived
failures, there is widespread agreement that continuing if not 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 also receive considerable mentions.
Ireri said that fewer than half of all Kenyans are prepared to identify any senior national government official as the “best performing” so far.
Ireri noted that another four-in-ten (40%) feel that no such senior official is “the best performing.
According to Ireri, the most frequently
mentioned best performing government official is Interior CS Prof.
Kithure Kindiki (34%), with only
two others receiving more than
minimal such positive
recognition: (6%): Susan Wafula
(Health) and Ezekiel Machogu
(Education – 7% each).
“Asked to rate the degree to which the Ruto government has implemented their campaign promises, Kenyans as whole give them a rather weak score of just 30.8%,” she noted.
She noted that among all Kenyans, the launch of the Hustler Fund receives the
most mentions (10%), but no
other achievement-rating
reaches double digits.