NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 18- A survey by Infotrak now shows that 48 percent of Kenyans want the government to address the state of economy.
The study released on Sunday show that 77 percent of Kenyans are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, including people who have lost their jobs.
Infotrak Chief Executive Officer Angela Ambitho said the research also shows that 65 percent of Kenyans feel the country is heading to the wrong direction and action should be taken immediately to address the causes which include high cost of living among others
“In June and December 2020 it was unemployment but currently the main reason as to why Kenyans want the state of the economy addressed is the high cost of living at 20 percent and unemployment at 18 percent,” Ambitho said.
The research which was conducted in March and covered 30 counties further revealed that 62 percent of them feel that COVID-19 is more of a personal financial issue than a health issue due to the negative financial effects it has caused.
“In Nairobi and Central, 14 percent say their salaries were reduced but there are many other reasons including 6 percent who can no longer afford their basic needs, 2 percent cannot assist their dependents back at home and another 2 percent are having difficulties paying their rent,” she said.
The research further pointed out that 61 percent of Kenyans believe that the removal of COVID-19 tax reliefs which was given by the government last year has led to high cost of living compared to 27 percent who feel it is moderately high and 10 percent who feel it has remained the same.
The COVID-19 pandemic has continued to ravage the economy in what has lately worsened due to the new containment measures issued in March.
Kenya imposed a lockdown in the capital Nairobi and four other counties in measures to contain the rising infections of COVID-19.
President Uhuru Kenyatta said the counties of Nairobi, Machakos, Kiambu, Kajiado and Nakuru are COVID-19 infected regions which require tough restrictions after the third wave swept the country with unprecedented infections and deaths since February.
“That fully conscious that 70% of Kenya’s reported cases of COVID-19 have been recorded in the Counties of Nairobi, Kajiado, Machakos, Kiambu and Nakuru, those Counties are individually and collectively declared a disease infected area,” Kenyatta declared.
Effectively, he said, “there shall be a cessation of movement into and out of the five counties until further notice.”
Further, Kenyatta revised the dusk to dawn curfew hours in the five counties which will now start at 8pm to 4 am.
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