At least 49 per cent of Kenyans currently feel the country is moving in the right direction, the latest TIFA polls have revealed.
However, according to the polls, the views sharply differ across the political divide, with 61 per cent of opposition supporters feeling that the country’s direction is wrong. On the other hand, 73 per cent of government supporters feel that the country is headed in the right direction.
38 per cent of Kenyans not expressing any political alignment believe the country is headed in the right direction while 42 per cent of politically neutral Kenyans believe the country is headed in the wrong direction.
The stats have drastically changed since March when a majority of Kenyans (48 per cent) believed the country was headed in the wrong direction as compared to 37 per cent who believed the country was headed in the right direction.
39 per cent of those who consider Kenya‘s current direction to be right report their economic condition now to be worse off than it was when the Kenya Kwanza took office.
The vast majority who report their economic condition as worse off express this negative view about Kenya’s direction (73 per cent).
“The higher overall (mean) score the government receives in terms of whether it has at least begun to fulfill its campaign promises should give home to its leadership that at least a significant section of the public is willing to give it the benefit of the doubt regarding the next four years. However, whether this clear if modest ‘upward’ trend will continue during its remaining four years remains to be seen,” TIFA stated.
TIFA Poll on campaign promises
Among the five most frequently mentioned Kenya Kwanza campaign promises, only the provision of subsidized fertilizer receives a “very much” implementation-so-far score that is close to half (44 per cent), though assistance to small businesses (including the establishment of the Hustler Fund receives quite numerous “very much” mentions (26 per cent).
By contrast, the implementation ratings for reducing the cost of living, job creation and reduction of education costs are largely negative.
In terms of future expectations of the implementation levels of these main campaign promises, far more Kenyans are either “very” or “somewhat confident” that they will be achieved, though only agricultural subsidies (including fertilizer) earns a “completely confident” score that exceeds half (60 per cent).
