NAIROBI, Kenya, Sept 11 – A new nationwide survey by TIFA Research shows that majority of Kenyans oppose President William Ruto’s Broad-Based Government (BBG) initiative, amid mounting public frustration over the rising cost of living and perceptions of poor governance.
According to the poll, released Thursday under the theme “Kenyans’ Economic Conditions and Several Public Policy Governance Issues: Three Years of Kenya Kwanza – Where Do Kenyans Stand?”, 56 percent of respondents said they oppose the BBG compared to 32 percent who support it, while 12 percent remained undecided.
The BBG, launched by President Ruto in 2024, was promoted as an inclusive framework to bring opposition leaders and other stakeholders into government to promote unity and speed up service delivery. But the survey findings suggest that most Kenyans view it as politically motivated and unlikely to address the country’s most pressing challenges.
TIFA noted that opposition to the BBG cuts across all income brackets and regions — including areas traditionally considered government strongholds, where support still stands below 40 percent. Young people aged 18-35 were particularly critical, with more than 60 percent rejecting the initiative.
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Respondents cited fears that the BBG would weaken checks and balances, blur the line between government and opposition, and fail to deliver tangible benefits to ordinary citizens.
Economic pressures frame public opinion
The poll also paints a grim picture of Kenya’s economic mood three years into the Kenya Kwanza administration. Over two-thirds of Kenyans (around 70 percent) rated the country’s economic direction as “bad” or “very bad,” citing the high cost of food, fuel, and basic commodities as their top concern.
Asked to assess their own households’ situation, a majority said their living standards had declined since the 2022 election.
TIFA CEO Maggie Ireri notes that these economic pressures likely fuel skepticism toward elite-driven political arrangements such as the BroadBased Government.
“This shows a public that is more focused on survival than on elite bargains,” the pollster said.
Low marks for Ruto’s performance
According to the survey, only about one in three Kenyans believes the government is on the right track in managing the economy, and a majority rates his performance on key promises — including lowering the cost of living, creating jobs, and fighting corruption — as “poor” or “very poor”.
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While some respondents acknowledged improvements in infrastructure and digital services, these were outweighed by dissatisfaction over rising taxes, food prices, and perceived governance failures.
Political risks for 2027
The findings come at a politically delicate time for the Kenya Kwanza administration, which has been courting opposition figures under the BBG framework.
Critics, including senior Azimio leaders, have dismissed the initiative as “handshake politics by another name” — a reference to the 2018 truce between then-President Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga.
With three years left before the 2027 general election, the TIFA data underscores the political risks of the BBG approach.
While a minority of respondents said they supported it for its potential to promote political stability, most expressed doubts about whether it would translate into better governance or relief from economic hardship.
