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News release

Kenyans oppose tax increases and housing levy, express concerns over country’s direction, Afrobarometer study shows

24 Jul 2024 Kenya
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News release
Key findings
  • More than six in 10 Kenyans (62%) oppose raising tax revenues to reduce government borrowing (Figure 1).
  • Nine in 10 Kenyans (91%) disapprove of the increased tax on petroleum products (Figure 2).
  • Seven in 10 (71%) disapprove of the housing levy for salaried employees to fund the construction of affordable housing (Figure 3).
  • Almost half (46%) of citizens think that “most” or “all” tax officials are involved in corruption (Figure 4).
  • About nine in 10 Kenyans (89%) say they or a family member went without a cash income at least once during the previous year, while 67% report experiencing a lack of medical care (Figure 5).
  • A majority (59%) of Kenyans say that the country is going in the wrong direction, while 40% say it is going in the right direction (Figure 6).

Most Kenyans oppose increased taxes on petroleum products and a housing levy to  fund the construction of affordable housing, a new Afrobarometer survey shows.  

A majority of respondents also oppose increasing tax revenues in order to reduce  government borrowing. 

Survey findings show that the proportion of Kenyans who believe that most tax officials  are involved in corruption has increased significantly over the past decade. 

During the past year, a majority of Kenyans experienced moderate or high levels of lived poverty, and there is a widespread sentiment that the country is heading in the wrong  direction.