We're glad it's over, 2019 was a year to forget.
The year 2019 was tough for Kenyans and many of those surveyed cited the high cost of living and unemployment as problems that took a heavy toll.
According to an end-year poll by Trends and Insights for Africa (Tifa), nearly half of Kenyans (48 per cent) said 2019 was a bad year, despite the official positive statistics.
Only 17 per cent of the country’s population said the year was good.
The poll indicates that more than half of the respondents (52 per cent) said 2019 was worse than in 2018; only 30 per cent said the year was better than in 2018.
More than a third of Kenyans (39 per cent) reported that the cost of living was too high for them, 18 per cent felt the pain of unemployment. Ten per cent said the doctors’ strike hurt them and their families.
During the year, nurses too went on strike in at least 17 counties while doctors walked off the job in at least two counties.
Poverty, lack of access to credit, poor healthcare and political tension topped the list of critical challenges during the year.
“The high cost of living ranked as the number one problem facing Kenyans in all national surveys by Tifa. These sentiments are supported by macro-economic indicators — for instance, the annual inflation rate rose from 3.838 per cent in September 2019 to 5.56 per cent in November 2019. As a result, Kenyans are feeling the pinch as they spend more to buy unga,” Tifa researcher Maggie Ireri said.
The survey was conducted between December 17 and 22. Some 765 Kenyans aged 18 and above were sampled in urban areas across the country.
It had a margin of error of +/-3 , with a 95 per cent confidence level. Data was collected through telephonic interviews.
The message is simple — refocus on improving economic indicators such as employment and inflation is the sure way of reconnecting with citizens who are unhappy ... Everything else is just noise
Further, the poll suggested that 66 per cent of Kenyans said the economy deteriorated in 2019 compared to 2018; 59 per cent said employment prospects were worse during the year and 77 per cent of those surveyed said the cost of living was higher in 2019 than in2018.
Most Kenyans said high inflation and massive job losses during the year worsened the economy.
The economic growth in 2019 was 5.7 per cent, and this was a slight decrease from the 5.8 per cent growth experienced in 2018.
In spite of the excellent GDP indicators, the perception amongst Kenyans is that the economy is performing poorly as there fewer jobs to show for it.
“The message is simple for Kenya — a refocus on improving economic indicators such as employment and inflation is the sure way of reconnecting with citizens who are currently unhappy about their personal financial health. Everything else is just noise,” Ireri said.
Due to the tough economic conditions in 2019, more than half of Kenyans (64 per cent) did not achieve the goals they set at the beginning of the year. Only 36 per cent said they did.
At the top of the list of goals in 2019 was to set up a business (32 per cent), but only 11 per cent succeeded.
Some 20 per cent wanted to get a new job, but only three per cent were successful.
Despite the ongoing piloting of universal health coverage (UHC) in four counties and the government’s plan to roll out the programme in the entire country, only 35 per cent said that public health care was better in 2019 compared to 2018.
Most Kenyans were satisfied with the way the government managed education and security.
Some 69 per cent of those surveyed said education was managed better this year than last year. More than half (54 per cent) said security has improved.
