Kenyans are looking forward to better
employment opportunities in 2014, although the majority are afraid that
the cost of living could go up, according to a new opinion poll released
by Ipsos Synovate on Monday.
According to the study,
40 per cent of those interviewed expect job opportunities to improve in
the New Year, compared to 2013, while another 15 per cent expect
prospects to remain the same.
However, a significant 37 per cent of the respondents expect job prospects to worsen in 2014.
Notably,
the number of Kenyans who feel that the job situation will improve has
declined from 61 per cent in December 2012, to a low of 37 per cent this
year.
And although many expect life to become harder
in the new year due to an increase in the cost of living, they are still
making plans to get ahead with 24 per cent saying they have resolved to
save more money in the new year, 17 per cent saying they will either
seek a job or a new job and 14 per cent saying they will seek to further
their education.
“With all the presidential aspirants
promising to reduce unemployment if elected, it is not surprising that
many Kenyans had high expectations for 2013, said Ms Margaret Ireri, the
Ipsos Synovate managing director.
Pledge and evidence
“With the election behind us, Kenyans looking out for visible signs of employment opportunities in line with the ‘kusema na kutenda’ pledge and evidence of these is yet to be seen”.
The pollster says 1,619 respondents living in urban and rural areas were interviewed in November.
Nearly
half of those polled—49 per cent—said they expect better security in
2014 than it was in 2013. A third—33 per cent—fear that it will be
worse, while 14 per cent said they expect the situation to remain the
same.
In 2013, security was a major concern especially
in the wake of the Westgate shopping mall terrorist attack in which at
least 68 people were killed.
There were other armed
crimes across the country that prompted the Senate to call security
bosses to a special meeting to discuss the matter. The national
government also initiated the “Nyumba Kumi” initiative to boost security.
Despite
the optimism on jobs and security, 70 per cent of the respondents in
the latest survey were worried that the cost of living would go up in
the new year compared to 2013, while another 60 per cent said they
expected economic conditions to worsen.
Only 19 per
cent said they hoped 2014 would be better, while eight per cent said
things would remain the same. Three per cent did not respond.
During
a similar survey in December last year, 67 per cent of respondents
indicated they expected the cost of living to ease in 2013 while another
62 per cent expected economic conditions to improve.
Still pessimistic
The
sharp rise in the number of those who think the cost of living will go
up can be explained by the introduction in September of Value Added Tax
on various consumer goods.
“Despite good economic growth prospects, Kenyans are still pessimistic about 2014,” Ms Ireri said.
“There
is a paradox of economics between the fiscal indicators and the quality
of life as the ordinary mwananchi feels (or sees) the economy at a
micro level and not a macro level. The pessimism shows that Kenyans are
most likely responding to the current conditions they are experiencing
such as high cost of goods and services.”
At least 37
per cent of those polled noted that things were likely to be harder on
all social, economic and political fronts, making 2014 worse than 2013
when over 53 per cent of Kenyans expected the country to be better with
improved living conditions.
The inflation rate last
month stood at 7.36 per cent, up from 3.67 per cent in January. It is,
therefore, not surprising that 70 per cent of Kenyans expect the cost of
living to worsen.
In an opinion piece published on
Sunday, Cord leader Raila Odinga said that “as we enter 2014, the high
and rising cost of living that set in immediately after elections
persists and has become the new anxiety.” He said the opposition
alliance which he leads, would make reduction of the cost of living its
primary agenda in 2014.
Deteriorating security
“We
will follow this with a sustained focus on deteriorating security, the
re-emergence of corruption in government, rising unemployment and
defence of democratic gains and civil rights that are being reversed,”
he had said.
On the political climate, Kenyans were
more pessimistic about the future with 37 per cent saying they expected
the political climate to be worse in 2014 compared to this year. Another
27 per cent said they expect 2014 to be better while 28 per cent expect
it to be same as 2013. Eight per cent did not answer the question.
“The
Jubilee government has been in office for nine months and it continues
to face opposition internally (as a coalition) and from the opposition,
and this could be a sign that the political climate may worsen in 2014,”
the Ipsos study said.
In its manifesto, the Jubilee Coalition had promised to make Kenya an economic giant in this region.
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