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Infotrak Voice of the People Poll: Kenyans Speak on Cost of Living, National Direction, and Priorities
Gerald Kombo
September 25, 2025
Three years since President William Ruto took office, Kenyans are weighing in on whether the country is on course or off track. The latest Infotrak “Voice of the People” poll, released today in Nairobi, captures those sentiments with sharp clarity.
The findings were unveiled by Johvine Wanyingo of Infotrak at the company’s Lavington offices, where he walked the media and stakeholders through the results in detail. The survey focused on four key areas:
Direction of the country
Key issues of concern
Cost of living
Reasons behind the rising cost of living
Country’s Direction: Worry Still Dominates
Wanyingo began with the big question: is Kenya heading in the right direction?
“When this question was posed ‘what direction is the country headed?’ we can see there is widespread feeling that people are not really optimistic. Fifty-seven percent say the country is headed in the wrong direction. Only 17% believe it is headed in the right direction. If I meet five Kenyans, only one out of five would say the country is headed in the right direction.”
Yet, he noted, the trend analysis showed some improvement:
“From September 2023, 57% felt the country was going in the wrong direction. That number rose to 63% in May, and then to 73% in August 2024. Today it has dropped back down to 57%. So at least you can see a bit of improvement. In October last year, only 11% said the country was headed in the right direction today, it is 17%. That’s a positive change of 6%.”
Why Some Kenyans Are Hopeful
Although optimism remains limited, Wanyingo highlighted why some Kenyans are still hopeful:
“For those who believe the country is headed in the right direction, 41% attribute this to relative peace. 37% say the government is doing well. Others mentioned improved education standards, the impact of devolution, and even cooperation between ODM and the government. These are seen as signs of progress.”
Regional and Age Differences
The survey revealed that optimism is not spread evenly across the country.
“Looking at regions, Eastern Kenya has the highest proportion at 24% saying the country is headed in the right direction. Central Kenya is the lowest at 10%. In Nairobi, we see more people taking the middle ground saying neither right nor wrong direction.”
Demographics also show notable differences:
“When we look at the age bands, we see a bit of optimism from the Gen Zs. About 25% of them say the country is headed in the right direction. Among older adults, 46 years and above, only 16% say the same. So, the level of optimism is higher among younger people. On gender, there’s little difference 19% of men versus 15% of women.”
Cost of Living: The Dominant Concern
Perhaps the strongest message from the poll is the cost of living crisis.
“We have tracked this over the years, and one constant has been the high cost of living. In October last year, 77% mentioned it. Today it stands at 66%. So, while slightly lower, it is still the top concern by far. Seven out of ten Kenyans are saying the high cost of living is breaking their household budgets.”
Other issues raised included unemployment, cited by 30%, poverty tied to joblessness, and poor governance at 15%.
What Kenyans Expect the Government to Do
Beyond diagnosing problems, the survey asked Kenyans what they want government to prioritize.
“A majority of Kenyans want the government to reduce the cost of living. The proposals include boosting agriculture and production to lower food prices, creating jobs, especially for young people, and improving governance by tackling inefficiency and corruption. Others pointed to expanding education and strengthening social safety nets.”
He also noted that older Kenyans, in particular, emphasized agriculture as a pathway to relief:
“Among older adults, there is a strong view that focusing on agriculture and production will help reduce costs. They believe that is where government should act.”
Closing Reflection: The Pulse of the Nation
Wanyingo concluded by framing the findings as a call to action:
“Yes, optimism has risen slightly compared to last year, but across the board, Kenyans are clear the cost of living is the biggest pain point. This is where they want urgent intervention. The younger people are showing more hope, but the message from the majority is that life is still tough.”