As President William Ruto marks three years in office this September, the latest Infotrak
Voice of the People (VOP) Poll, conducted between 13th and 14th August 2025 across
all 47 counties, paints a revealing picture of optimism, frustration, and growing demands
among Kenyans. The poll was conducted among 2,400 adult Kenyans, using Computer
Assisted Telephone Interviews (CATI). It covered all the 47 counties, with a margin of error
of +/- 2% at a 95 per cent confidence level.
According to the poll findings, a majority (57%) of Kenyans believe the country is headed in
the wrong direction. Only 17% feel Kenya is on the right path, while another 21% say the
country is neither moving in the right nor wrong direction. Central Kenya is the most
pessimistic, with seven in every ten respondents being of the view that the country is headed
the wrong way. In contrast, North Eastern residents remain the most hopeful, with nearly a
quarter of them expressing their confidence in the government’s trajectory. Younger Kenyans,
especially those aged between 18 and 26 years, are more optimistic compared to the older
citizens.
For those who believe the country is on track, peace and stability remain their biggest sources
of comfort, followed by the various government programmes in agriculture, education, and
infrastructure. For the majority who feel Kenya is headed in the wrong direction, the biting
cost of living (66%) and unemployment (30%) dominate their concerns.
The poll further highlights the pressing issues Kenyans want the government to address as a
matter of priority. The high cost of living emerges as the single biggest priority, as mentioned
by 40 per cent of the surveyed respondents. Unemployment follows closely at 36 per cent,
while health financing reforms under the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) and the Social
Health Authority (SHA) are cited by 27 per cent. Concerns about corruption, the rising cost
of education, and the burden of taxes also featured prominently.
For most households, their economic strain is real and growing. Seventy per cent (70%) of
Kenyans rated the current cost of living as either high or very high, with nearly two-thirds of
the respondents mentioning it has risen sharply in the past one year. When asked what is
driving the high cost of living, 40 per cent blamed excessive taxation, another 19 per cent
cited global economic factors, while 16 per cent mentioned government policies. Corruption
was also highlighted by 14 per cent of the respondents, reflecting a perception that misuse of
government resources continues to worsen Kenyans’ livelihoods.

As with past editions, this month’s Infotrak Voice of the People Poll provides an
unfiltered look at how Kenyans feel about the State of the Nation. While President Ruto’s
administration has championed ambitious economic reforms, the poll findings show that many
Kenyans remain unconvinced that these measures are easing their daily struggles. The growing
discontent over the cost of living, unemployment, and corruption underscores a widening gap
between government policy promises and public expectations. Yet, the optimism seen among
some Kenyans suggests that the window for restoring public confidence remains open, if
urgent and tangible actions are taken.

Raphael Mulwa
General Manager, Infotrak Research & Consulting Limited