The government’s performance in addressing educational needs, maintaining roads and bridges, and improving basic health services has been rated as satisfactory with a 60 per cent score by the recently released Afrobarometer Round 9 Survey.
According to the survey which sought to get Kenyans view on elections, trust in institutions and most problems facing them, unemployment, crime and insecurity, governance processes such as political rights and ethnic tension ranks highly among the urban population, while the rural residents are concerned about delivery of public services and food shortages.
Afrobarometer National Investigator and Associate Director Prof. Paul Kamau stated that having successfully completed eight survey rounds in up to 39 African countries, the project seeks to encompass 53 countries ultimately.
“Our goal is to give the public a voice in policy making by providing high quality public opinion data to policy makers, policy advocates, civil society organizations, academics, news media, donors and investors and ordinary Africans,” said Kamau.
Delivering the presentation in great detail, at a Nairobi hotel, the Director noted that the survey was conducted through face to face interviews, standard questionnaires, national representative sample of adult citizens and fieldwork between 12th and 30th November 2021.
Kamau cited that as the country gears up for the August election, the ability to address socio-economic issues are key.
Regarding election preparedness and political parties, Afrobarometer Co-National Investigator Dr. Oscar Otele mentioned that 78% of Kenyans said that the country needs many political parties to ensure that voters have real choices.
In addition, he noted that 63% of Kenyans do not mind one party always winning and governing the country as long as people vote in a free and fair election, while 49% of citizens say they feel close to a political party down from 65% in 2014.
Otele also added that a large majority of Kenyans say a public health emergency like Covid-19 does not justify postponing election.
“Although the youth constitute the largest voting bloc in Kenya, voter turnout remains lowest among them,” said Otele, while appealing to youth to turn out in large numbers for the August election.
By Daisy Makena and Audrey Cherotich
