What Kenyans are most worried about ahead of August polls
As the August 9 General Election draws near, Kenyans have raised concerns over a number of issues, with the high cost of living topping the list.
A report by Infotrak shows that 53% of its respondents raised an alarm over the high cost of living, 49% lamented over transport, infrastructure and roads while 44% voting for unemployment as an impediment to growth. Forty per cent voted for access to clean water as a concern while 23% raising access to healthcare as a distress.
The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) Economic Survey 2022 released early last month indicated that inflation had risen to a four-year high to 6.1 per cent up from 5.4 per cent the previous year.
Angry Kenyans had also protested over the high cost of living through a hashtag #LowerFoodPrices criticizing the government for failing to reduce the prices for basic commodities.
While the government launched the Nairobi Expressway designed to ease traffic to the country’s capital, some Kenyans felt it is yet to address infrastructure, transport and roads in other counties.
Though the government launched Kazi Mtaani programme, an initiative aimed at providing employment to youths in informal settlements, thousands of youths are still unemployed. However, every presidential aspirant has promised to curb unemployment.
Affordable and accessible health care has caused debate with national and county governments being pointed at. While it is true that the national government has failed in disbursement of funds, county governments appear incompetent and structurally handicapped in the management of the crucial public health sector.