Hard times force most Kenyans to skip merrymaking
More than 60 per cent of Kenyans have no plans for Christmas and New Year festivities, a new survey has revealed.
According to a survey by research firm Infotrak, Kenyans say they had no plans to celebrate Christmas due to the high cost of living largely attributable to the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The poll, which was conducted between November 9 and 22, showed that most of those intending to celebrate Christmas will do so under a strict budget.
“Even those with plans will only have just the usual celebrations. Their plans will neither be exaggerated nor extravagant,” said Infotrak chief executive Angela Ambitho, noting that most of them were careful with their spending since schools are also set to open in early January.
To save on cost, the poll observed that 66 per cent will be spending time with family, 24 per cent will either be going to church or attend prayers while 21 per cent plan to spend the day with friends.
A total of 12 per cent will be partying and drinking, eight per cent stay indoors while one per cent said they will visit the sick and children’s homes.
Festivity plans
Central region leads by the number of people who don’t have any plans for Christmas with 75 per cent followed closely by the Coast at 69 per cent, Nairobi (61 per cent) and Rift-valley 58 per cent.
For those planning to spend Christmas, Eastern region leads with 48 per cent, Western and Nyanza regions come second and third respectively with 46 and 45 per cent.
In terms of gender, females lead by 40 per cent while only 39 per cent men plan to celebrate the occasion.
The poll observed that many Kenyans were still struggling to recover from the harsh effects of Covid-19 as they also tried to compete with a strenuous academic calendar.
The report also indicated 55 per cent of Kenyans feel the country is heading in the wrong direction, citing various reasons.
It said 58 per cent of those who feel the country is headed in the wrong direction, cited poor management of the economy as a key problem.
The findings said 38 per cent were bothered by the high cost of living while 17 per cent are unhappy with unemployment.
Rampant corruption was also cited as a reason as to why the country is heading in the wrong direction with 11 per cent.
“The high cost of living and unemployment are the issues Kenyans want urgently addressed by the government,” said Ambitho.
The study showed Nyanza region has the highest number of people who believe the country is on the wrong path at 63 per cent followed by Western at 59 per cent and then North-Eastern at 57 per cent. Others were Coast (50 per cent), Rift Valley (54 per cent), Nairobi (56 per cent) and Central (49 per cent).
Of all the regions, Nairobi and Nyanza residents are the worst affected by the high cost of living where 36 per cent feel the need for an urgent government redress on the same.
Overall, more females 55 per cent than males 54 per cent believe the country is going in the wrong direction.
The poll also said Kenyans are of the view the government is to blame for the economic difficulties.
A total of 39 per cent said mismanagement of the government is the biggest problem that has led to the economic difficulties with 32 and 20 per cent blaming it on corruption and Covid-19, respectively.
The number of those who have lost faith in the government due to mismanagement of the economy has been on the rise since last year, demonstrating what has become the country’s growing disquiet among Kenyans over the state of affairs since the pandemic was reported.
In June 2019, most Kenyans were in support of the government, with 52 per cent of the view those in leadership were doing a good job in running the economy.
That figure, however, declined in the following months, with more than 56 per cent of those interviewed in December are of the view that the country was heading in the wrong direction, a figure that would rise again in March 2021 to 65 per cent.
Conversely though, 32 per cent of Kenyans believe the country is heading in the right direction, citing peace in the country, while 18 per cent were of the view that the country has good infrastructure.
