2017 was one of the most challenging years, research shows

A majority of Kenyans have termed 2017 a more difficult, less prosperous and insecure year compared to 2016.

A survey conducted by Trends and Insights for Africa (Tifa) shows that 2017 was a challenging year for 75% of Kenyans with only 12% of the respondents preferring this year to last year.

Political unrest, slow economic growth, inflation and massive layoffs are just some of the reasons that made 2017 a tough year for many citizens.

“Basically, 2017 was a bad year for Kenyans. The prolonged election period coupled with drought impacted negatively on the economy and this resulted to high inflation and reduced employment prospects” said Maggie Ireri, CEO of TIFA Research.

In the study that involved 1,005 respondents over a variety of national issues, cost of living was the biggest challenge for a majority of the citizenry, closely followed by the protracted political tension.

81% of the respondents felt the country’s political climate worsened and had a direct effect on the nation’s economy.

“The crisis in Kenya was not only evident in political tension but also in the wallets of many citizens who could not afford to purchase basic food commodities such as maize flour, milk and sugar, whose prices rose sharply and in some instances by over 200%.  2017 was the year when food prices became the yard stick for Kenya’s economic performance in the eyes of the ordinary mwananchi” said Ms Ireri.

79% of the respondents felt the economic conditions had worsened this year, with the growth forecast revised downwards from 6.1% to 5.5%.

71% of those polled felt that employment prospects had nosedived, with massive layoffs experienced in various sectors this year, including banking, media, manufacturing, insurance and retail sector.

Over 80% of the respondents, the cost of living had skyrocketed, with inflation rising from 6.3% to 7.9% this year.

2017 was also a less secure for a majority of those polled, compared to 2016. The series of political demonstrations and use of force by the police to disperse protesters accounted for the sentiments on the state of the nation’s security this year.