TIFA Poll: 37% of Kenyans say broad-based govt serves only politicians
Most Kenyans see the pact between President William Ruto and ODM leader Raila Odinga as a personal political advancement rather than catering for ordinary citizens.
This is according to the latest TIFA report released on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, conducted between August 2025 to September 3, 2025.
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According to the poll’s findings, 37 per cent of respondents described the broad-based arrangement as a political pact that largely serves the interests of the leaders involved.
27 per cent argue that the Ruto-Raila deal is undermining democracy and that it lacked public participation.
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Critically, the report indicates that 17 per cent of Kenyans say the broad-based pact is irrelevant to the public needs.
Even as the two leaders pledge to tighten the noose on graft in government, 8 per cent of Kenyans hold the view that their pact is promoting corruption.
Interestingly, the Northern zone recorded higher levels of optimism about the arrangement, with respondents citing hopes for greater inclusion and access to state resources. By contrast, in Raila’s Nyanza backyard, most Kenyans view the pact as a betrayal of opposition politics.
Public trust and human rights
The survey findings show that 5 per cent of Kenyans cast doubt on both Raila and Ruto’s political union
“The two leaders should not be trusted, it reads.
While the proponents argue that the pact was a strategy to stabilise the political landscape by bringing opposition leaders into government and reducing street protests, and fostering national dialogue, critics insist it has blurred accountability and silenced alternative voices, 3 per cent of Kenyans say the arrangement is fostering human rights violations.
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Meanwhile, A majority of Kenyans believe Raila Odinga will support President William Ruto in his bid to retain the presidency in the 2027 elections.
The data suggests Raila’s political capital remains pivotal in shaping Kenya’s next election, with 32 per cent believing he will support the incumbent.
“For their part, nearly half of those opposed to the BBG believe he will have rejoined the opposition by 2027, whether or not he actually contests the presidency yet again (20% + 26% = 46%), the survey reads.
“Another issue about which expectations are clearly influenced by attitudes towards the BBG is that of Raila Odinga’s expected political position in 2027, with almost twice as many who support it expecting that he will back Ruto’s re-election as compared with those who oppose it (46% vs. 28%),” the poll reads.
