Business Daily
Date: 14.03.2016
Page 3
Article size: 129 cm2
ColumnCM: 28.66
AVE: 54466.66
Half of Kenyans
living 'worst
possible life
ever', survey says
BY NEVILLE OTUKI
Almost half of Kenyans say that life is average, neither too bad nor too
has become tougher as they grapple good, then you are advised to move
with unemployment, the soaring to Central, Rift Valley or Nairobi," the
cost of living and corruption, a new study says.
survey shows.
The study, released yesterday by
Nairobi­based research firm Infotrak,
Wrong direction
Overall, slightly over five in every
10 people (53 per cent) feel that the
says that 47 per cent of Kenyans are country is headed in the wrong di­
experiencing their worst economic rection.
times with those in the Coast, Nyanza,
This is, however, lower than in
Western and North Eastern regions November last year when 62 per
being the most affected.
cent of polled Kenyans felt that the
Mass unemployment
country was on the wrong socio­eco­
nomic path.
"Fourty­seven per cent of Kenyans
The new study was conducted
stated that they are currently living
the worst possible life ever," the re­ between March 6 and 10 and in­
volved 1,800 respondents across
port says.
The country is grappling with the country.
Half of those polled in coastal
mass unemployment, especially
among the youth, as the economy towns said they were living their
worst possible life while 47.5 of those
lags in jobs creation.
The report says that weakening in Western said as much.
By contrast, only 29 per cent in
fortunes of Kenyan households has
Central region cited tough living con­
dampened expectations.
Corruption tops the list of con­ ditions, 38 per cent in Rift Valley and
cerns for Kenyans at 32 per cent, fol­ 40 per cent in Nairobi.
Other concerns for Kenyans are
lowed by unemployment at 17.3 per
cent while the high cost of living is insecurity at 10 per cent, quality of
third at 12.1 per cent.
education (nine per cent), and infra­
"If you are looking for a life that structure or roads.
Ipsos Kenya ­ Acorn House,97 James Gichuru Road ­ Lavington ­ Nairobi ­ Kenya