A new poll by Infotrak reveals that the rising cost of living is the primary source of public discontent in Kenya, overshadowing other concerns and fuelling a widespread sense of national pessimism.
The poll, which surveyed 2,400 adult Kenyans across all 47 counties found that economic hardship is the dominant force shaping public sentiment.
According to the poll, the high cost of living is a “near-universal and worsening reality,” with 79 per cent of Kenyans reporting that it is higher than it was a year ago.
A significant 70 per cent of the public rated the current cost of living as “High” or “Very High,” with 46 per cent specifically labelling it “Very High”.
The economic strain is felt most acutely by older demographics, as 56 per cent of Kenyans aged 55 and above rated the cost of living as “Very High”.
This profound household stress is a key driver behind the prevailing national mood.
The survey found that the public overwhelmingly attributes the crisis to domestic policy, not external factors.
Taxes were cited as the single biggest cause of the high cost of living by 40 per cent of Kenyans.
When combined with government policies (16 per cent) and corruption (14 per cent), these domestic issues account for 70 per cent of the perceived causes.
In stark contrast, only 19 per cent of respondents pointed to global economic factors such as fuel prices or supply chain issues.
This finding suggests that the public believes the solution lies in domestic policy adjustments and places immense pressure on the government to revise its fiscal strategy or demonstrate a high return on increased taxation.
The economic pain at the household level is directly linked to the public’s perception of the country’s trajectory.
A clear majority of Kenyans, 57 per cent, believe the country is headed in the “Wrong Direction”.
The top three reasons cited for this negative outlook are the high cost of living (66 per cent), unemployment (30 per cent), and poor governance/SHIF issues (combined 30 per cent).
The report’s analysis concludes that the national conversation is not about politics, but about “household survival,” and that the government must deliver “immediate, tangible economic relief” to rebuild public trust and reverse the mood of pessimism.
