New research by TIFA has shed light on the financial challenges faced by Kenyan citizens due to the rising cost of living.
The report discloses that a significant 87% of Kenyans have been compelled to reduce their expenditure in response to these economic pressures.
The report further breaks down the categories where Kenyans have had to cut back on their spending. Transportation stands out as one of the most affected sectors, with 15% of respondents reporting reductions in this area.
Additionally, clothing and entertainment have also seen expenditure cuts, accounting for 9% and 8% of the reductions, respectively.
According to the TIFA report, food is the primary category where individuals across different income groups have had to trim their expenses due to inflation. This trend holds for Kenyans in various income brackets, with those earning above Ksh 20, 000 reducing their food expenditure slightly less than those earning below Ksh 5, 000 (79% vs. 88%).
The report highlights that a staggering 84% of Kenyans now perceive their current economic situation as worse than it was a year ago, irrespective of their political affiliations. Interestingly, supporters of the Kenya Kwanza government are reported to be four times more likely to feel better off compared to opposition supporters (11% vs. 3%).
The Kenya Kwanza administration faces the challenging task of addressing a declining economy and the sharp increase in the cost of living, which has compelled Kenyans to dig deeper into their pockets, particularly when purchasing essentials like fuel.
Further, the report also showed that the Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki and his Education counterpart Ezekiel Machogu have never been on foreign trips.
The two Cabinet Secretaries have never left the country on an official visit since they were sworn into office on October 27, 2022, a survey shows.
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Additionally, it also ranked Kindiki and Machogu among the top five CSs who have made the most visits to the regions.
Kindiki ranked top with 41 visits to the regions followed by Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign and Diaspora Affairs CS Musalia Mudavadi who has made 23 visits.
The survey was conducted on 3,009 respondents in December 2023. Telephonic interviews were conducted with respondents whose contacts were collected face-to-face. The interviews were conducted in Kiswahili (mainly) and English. There was a +/- 1.79 % margin of error.
To track the conditions Kenyans have experienced over time and their opinions about certain issues, some questions included in previous surveys were repeated on this occasion, while others relating to the specifics of the current situation were asked for the first time.
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