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Building Trust in Kenya's Institutions: Nationwide Survey Results and the Call for Reform

Author

Gerald Kombo
December 18, 2024

Stakeholders convened at the Sarova Stanley Hotel on 16th December 2024 for the presentation of a nationwide survey on trust in Kenya’s public institutions. The event, organized by the Electoral Governance Initiative for Africa, featured the findings of a study conducted by InfoTrak Research and Consulting, revealing the extent of trust deficits in key institutions and offering recommendations to address them.

Angela Ambitho, Group CEO of InfoTrak Consulting presented the findings. She highlighted a troubling pattern of mistrust across various governance institutions.

Key Findings

1. Trust Deficits in Public Institutions:

  • Executive (President, Deputy, Cabinet): 37% of Kenyans expressed no trust at all.

  • National Assembly: Also reported a 37% trust deficit.

  • Police: 33% of respondents indicated no trust.

  • Judiciary: 30% reported no trust in the judiciary.

  • IEBC: 27% expressed a complete lack of trust in the electoral body.

2. Institutions with Relatively Higher Trust:

  • Media: Moderately trusted by 68%, with only 5% reporting no trust at all.

  • Religious Leaders: Moderately trusted by 63%, with 8% expressing no trust.

    Civil Society Organizations: Moderately trusted by 47%, while 9% expressed no trust.

  • Electoral Processes and Governance:

  • Over 70% of Kenyans believe that post-electoral processes are not executed transparently, further contributing to mistrust in governance.

Angela Ambitho’s Insights

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The one thing we have as our foundation is the constitution

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The law is clear on the responsibilities of each stakeholder. If done properly and judiciously, we can ensure issues that lead to trust deficits do not occur.

Key Recommendations

Return to Constitutional Principles

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We need to go back to the drawing board, reflect, and align with the constitution to rebuild public confidence.

Angela called on institutions to revisit the guiding laws and adhere to them fully.

Public Participation

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Institutions must incorporate public views into their processes to reflect the will of the people

Angela emphasizing the need for meaningful engagement with citizens.

Transparent Communication

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efficient communication ensures trust in governance and implementation of policies.

A gap between policy implementation and communication was identified

Efficient Leadership Practices

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Leadership in institutions must embrace practices that promote trust and demonstrate efficiency in their operations

Transparency and accountability to inspire confidence was emphasized