48 percent of Kenyans feel that the country is headed the wrong direction, the latest opinion poll by TIFA has shown.
According to the poll, only 37 percent of Kenyans acknowledge that the country is headed the right direction. However, the contrast between Kenya Kwanza and Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya coalition supporters is quite substantial, with more than twice as many of the latter of the view that the country is headed the wrong direction, than the former (71 percent versus 31 percent).
Among the minority who consider the country’s current direction as positive (37 percent), there is little agreement on their reasons, with a small plurality (27 percent) citing an improvement in the cost of living situation (i.e., its decrease or at least stabilization), though the figures for approval of the nation’s leadership are almost the same.
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Others among the most frequent mentions are relations with development partners and job creation, though a significant proportion (nine percent) failed to mention any specific reason.
Other TIFA findings
Among the nearly half of Kenyans (48 percent) who consider the country’s current direction as wrong, more than two-thirds cite the high/increasing cost of living, with no contrast across the political-coalition divide (as well as those who identify with neither coalition).
Other minor but significant mentions include hunger/drought, poor national leadership and unemployment.
"Among those who consider Kenya’s current direction as wrong, and comparing the (quite few) of Kenya Kwanza supporters who support the planned Azimio demonstrations (15% of them) with the modest majority of Azimio supporters who do likewise (56% of them), it is clear their reasons for doing so are nearly identical: their economic distress. Such distress includes especially the cost of living, hunger/drought, and joblessness. As such, there a clear economic (rather than a solely political) basis for the support for these protests," TIFA says.
