Kenyans are distressed by the high cost of living (inflation) more than anything else according to a new report. IPSOS Kenya survey, Third Quarter SPEC (Social, Political, Economic and Cultural) Survey, found that, Kenyans identify the high cost of living and unemployment as the two most serious problems facing the country currently (33% and 15% respectively).

The survey reveals that despite the high cost of living that Kenyans have been forced to contend with, only 7% of the Kenyans sampled earn Sh. 40,000 and above while the majority (50%) earn less than Sh. 10,000.  Another 10% earn between Sh. 25,000 and Sh. 40,000 while 33% earn between Sh. 10,000-Sh. 25,000.

52 % of Kenyans believe that change in household’s economic condition has worsened  in the last three months, 26% were of the opinion that they stayed the same and  21% cited improvement. Kenya’s inflation rate stood at 6.68 percent in February 2014.

The study by IPSOS Kenya also revealed that a third of Kenyans go to bed hungry. Based on the regions sampled, more people in Nyanza (46%) went to bed hungry compared to 13% in Central. When the population was divided between urban and rural areas, 34 per cent of urban residents and 37 per cent in rural areas said they had at one time or another gone to bed hungry with more women (38%) than men (34%) acknowledging to have gone to bed hungry due to financial difficulties.

INSECURITY

Insecurity is also of high national concern and two thirds of Kenyans (68%) consider the threat from Al-Shabaab extremely high, with hardly anyone (3%) considering this terror group not a threat at all.

This appears to explain why only one-in-five Kenyans (19%) choose the option of “remain there as they are” when asked about their preferred policy regarding the future of the KDF in Somalia.

The remaining (75%), however, are divided as to their preferred policy option, between the following: bringing the KDF back only if they are replaced by other AU forces, bringing back the KDF to protect Kenya’s borders, bringing them back unconditionally.

NO TO REFERENDUM

Asked wether they support the demand by some leaders for a constitutional referendum on issues such as devolution a majority of the respondents (54%) said NO,(38%) YES and (8%) were just not sure.

When categorised by regions, 80% of the respondents from Central Province said no to referendum calls, followed by Rift Valley (68%), North Eastern (58%), Nairobi (56%) compared to 58% , 55%, 43% in Nyanza, Western, Coast and Eastern provinces respectively who said YES to the referendum calls.

Those opposed to the calls for referendum cited the cost implication and selfish political agendas as the reasons for not supporting it, while those in favour of the referendum were of the opinion that the Jubilee government has failed to deliver on its election pledges and that the referendum will ensure increased allocation of funds to the counties.

The Ipsos’ Third Quarter SPEC Survey Report sampled of 2,059 adults was interviewed in the 47 counties between August 24 and September 1, with an error margin of two percent at 95 per cent degree of confidence.