Country Better Off Than 2002 - Poll

from All Africa

The Nation (Nairobi)

By Samwel Kumba And Florence Namasinga
Nairobi

Sixty-eight per cent of Kenyans are happy with the Government's performance over the last four years, a new survey released yesterday has shown.

However, some respondents said wananchi at the grassroots had not benefited from economic growth.

The survey conducted every six months was last carried out between July and September. It identified failure of economic benefits to trickle down to the ordinary Kenyan as the main area of weakness for the Government.

The poll was an initiative of the Community Aid International, which contracted Strategic Public Relations and Research Limited to carry out the opinion poll. It was funded by the UK Department for International Development (DfID) and the Canadian International Development Agency.

"Kenyans perceived the government to have performed well in managing economic growth," the report titled 'The scorecard Project' said in part.

Afford essential services

But it added: "The poor seem not to come out of their poverty status because they cannot afford essential services like education, transport or legal redress in case their rights have been infringed."

The secretary-general of Chama Cha Uzalendo, Mr PLO Lumumba, who was chief guest at the launch of the report, said that the Kibaki Government had inherited a collapsed State, which it has tried to turn around. According to him, that was why the common mwananchi cannot feel the growth just yet.

"What this government has done is to recover the lost ground and try to stabilise the achieved growth," he said.

According to the report, those interviewed cited rising prices of essential goods as an indication that the cost of living had gone up. Nevertheless, the report generally shows that Kenya was experiencing economic growth which stands at 6.1 per cent annually.

This has been an increase from a growth rate of 4.9 per cent that was recorded in 2004 and 5.8 per cent in 2005.

Perception of increased growth was also shared by key informants who said Government efforts to improve the economy were visible in increased job opportunities, road repairs and maintenance and increased telephone and electricity network in rural areas.

But the Government was criticised for other policy shortcomings such as retrenchment of civil servants, recalling retirees for employment, nepotism in employment, increased prices of goods and poor maintenance of roads.

While presenting the report, Community Aid International CEO Joseph Kwaka said the research was an opportunity for citizens to express their views on the performance of the Government and local authorities.

"This aims to make a contribution on enhancing accountability and responsiveness on the part of the central government and local authorities," Mr Kwaka said.

The research focused on five key areas: Democracy, economic development, gender, human rights and service delivery.

According to the survey, 55 per cent of respondents said the present economic situation was much better than before the 2002 elections. Only 21 per cent said things had remained the same while a further 23 per cent said that the economy was worse off.

On health, Kenyans are generally satisfied with Government efforts to improve health service delivery but said the number of health workers was still low.

Kenyans also appreciate the free primary education programme introduced in 2003 but are disappointed with the increased burden of building schools.

On matters of security, most respondents felt that the Government had performed poorly in ensuring physical security of citizens.

According to the report, the Government had failed to demonstrate commitment to deal with crime and insecurity.

And on democracy and human rights, 71.2 per cent of respondents said Kenya was a growing democracy.

This high percentage is, however, not matched at the community level where 52 per cent of respondents expressed dissatisfaction with democratic practices, especially with regard the appointment or election of representatives to local committees, which manage development projects.

Democracy is felt

"This indicates that whereas democracy is felt to be practised at the national level, there was a strong possibility that undemocratic practices are experienced at the grassroots," the report said.

Indeed, 75 per cent of the respondents said they had never been involved in discussions on development issues at the council level.

And on issues of gender, the report shows an overwhelming 86 per cent of the respondents acknowledging the Kibaki Government's effort to ensure that gender equity is maintained in the education system.