Kenya's President William Ruto is confronting numerous challenges, ranging from high cost of living to spiraling unemployment, denting the public’s perception about his government.
Two years after taking over the State House, the head of state, once a darling to many following his pre-election Campaign promises, has since lost the trust and faith Kenyans had in his administration.
Ruto's leadership has been loathed by many, Fuelled by Shady Public Private partnership deals, over taxation, Jobless Youths, Huge Payslips cuts, among others.
InfoTrak Research and Consulting released a Survey on December 16, that showed only one percent of Kenyans trust Ruto and the entire Executive.
The Nationwide Perception Study December 2024 shows that another 28 percent have moderate trust, 29 percent have little trust while the larger majority (37 %) has no trust at all in the President, the Deputy President, and the Cabinet.
The survey that was conducted through an opinion poll also showed that a paltry four percent did not know how they felt about the Executive.
Some of the reasons for the lack of trust in these governing institutions include the leaders’ failure to keep their promises, some of which they believe are unrealistic.
“The waning public trust in our institutions is a result of, one; over-promising and two; failure to fulfill those promises. I think the current leaders came into office with many promises. Some of them were realistic, some unrealistic,” said a respondent.
Asked what would restore their trust in the executive and other governing institutions, 50 percent of the respondents stated that strengthening anti-corruption measures would, while 22 percent indicated the appointment of qualified people to lead the institutions, and improving public service delivery.
Further, 34 percent of survey respondents cited the strengthening of institutions’ independence and 45 percent indicated improvement of transparency in elections as the top reforms to restore public trust in governance and democratic institutions.
According to the poll, Kenyans trust the media more than any other governance or democratic institution in the country. 15% of those polled trust the media fully.
Religious leaders who have been at loggerheads with the state are fully trusted by 7% and Civil Society Organizations at 4%.
The Judiciary, Police, The Senate, Opposition leaders and the Office of the Auditor General have a trust level of 2 percent.
The outcome was similar for other arms of the government. The Judiciary, for example, had two percent of people expressing a lot of trust in it. 34 percent expressed moderate trust; 27 percent expressed little trust while 30 percent had no trust in the Judiciary at all.
InfoTrak conducted the survey between November 16 and November 30, 2024. The survey involved a three-pronged approach; desk research, quantitative interviews, and qualitative key informant interviews and focus group discussions were adopted.
The survey covered all 47 counties with the Rift Valley region taking the highest sample and the NorthEastern region taking the least sample. The survey targeted persons who were 18 years old and above.
The quantitative survey had a target survey sample size of 2400 respondents and had a 97 percent response rate.
President William Ruto's administration rise to the top seat was backed by a Bottom - Up Economic Transformation Agenda, with the Hustler empowerment narrative appealing to many.
However, the head of state is now steering a Sinking Ship. A failing Transition from the old National Health Insurance Fund to the Social Health Authority marred by Outages is fuelling the heat on his administration.
President Ruto, Deputy President Kindiki and Leaders affiliated to his administration, have however Opined Otherwise, Calling for More Time.
President William Ruto has exuded confidence in his administration's ability to deliver, Vowing to Fulfill all the Kenya-Kwanza administration's Promises, however, few are convinced following his 'habitual' lies and Promises.
Kenyans, already struggling with economic pressure, unemployment and hiked fees in higher education Funding, face a uncertain future, as the government moves to broaden the tax base.
The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) reports that 20.16 million Kenyans lived in poverty in 2022, with 16 million unable to meet basic food needs and 3.6 million in extreme poverty.
The crisis particularly affects rural areas, where 11.4 million people face food poverty compared to 4.6 million in urban areas.
The situation reflects broader economic challenges beyond basic food prices, including escalating costs of protein-rich foods, rent, and transportation, coupled with negative real wage growth since 2020.
The impact is visible in reduced consumer spending, with empty malls, restaurants, and a 26% decline in VAT collection. While seasonal food prices have decreased, other production costs remain high, potentially threatening farmers' livelihoods.
The report indicates that about 4.36 million households (three in ten) are classified as poor, highlighting the extensive reach of the economic downturn.
Despite this, the Kenyan Treasury is targeting an additional Sh343 billion in tax revenue for the next financial year, aiming to collect Sh2.732 trillion, a 14.4% increase from the current year's target of Sh2.389 trillion, potentially risking fresh social unrest.
This ambitious target comes after President William Ruto was forced to withdraw the Finance Bill 2024 in June following widespread protests, which had proposed new taxes to raise an extra Sh346 billion, leading to cabinet dissolution and budget adjustments that concerned the International Monetary Fund.
The Treasury plans to achieve these targets through various measures outlined in the budget review and outlook paper (BROP), including new taxes, aggressive pursuit of tax evaders, and expansion into informal sectors.
Specific targets include an 11.9% increase in income tax to Sh1.32 trillion, 13.3% increase in VAT to Sh820.3 billion, 20% increase in excise duty to Sh389.6 billion, and 25.8% increase in import duty to Sh201.3 billion.
The government is already implementing some measures through the Tax Laws Amendments Bill, including higher taxes on betting, phone calls, and data, while also integrating KRA systems with banks and payment service providers to enhance tax collection.
This aggressive pursuit of increased revenue, echoing past strategies like the 1990s tax reforms under President Moi, could stifle economic growth and exacerbate social inequalities.
While the focus on broadening the tax base by incorporating the informal sector aligns with long-standing recommendations from institutions like the IMF, the potential for social unrest necessitates a cautious approach.
Treasury must prioritize equitable tax policies and transparent revenue management to mitigate the risk of further protests and ensure long-term economic stability.
