A new survey by TIFA Research has revealed that the majority of Kenyans believe the 2025 Finance Act has worsened the cost of living.
In the report released on Thursday, September 11, 65 percent of Kenyans said they have been negatively affected by the Act, 31 percent reported no impact, while 3 percent were unsure.
“The finance bill is perceived as worsening the cost of living and eroding personal finances for most Kenyans. While the government may argue it enables better services, very few citizens share that view.
“The overwhelming takeaway is that the bill is deeply unpopular due to its direct impact on daily expenses, income, and economic plans,” read the report in part.
According to TIFA, Kenyans who felt affected by the Finance Bill cited the rising cost of basic goods and services, higher taxes, reduced disposable income, and the delay or forced cancellation of personal plans.
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At the same time, TIFA reported that 62 percent of Kenyans believe the country is headed in the wrong direction, while 15 percent think it is on the right track.
Meanwhile, 18 percent of the respondents said they are unsure, and 5 percent had no opinion.
“Despite continuing economic stress, somewhat fewer Kenyans now consider the country’s direction as 'wrong' as compared with the figure obtained in TIFA’s May survey (62% vs. 75%),” TIFA stated.
Further, the poll disclosed that one out of every four Kenyans is unemployed.
TIFA mentioned that only 25 percent of Kenyans are working full-time, 23 percent are self-employed, while 17 percent are unemployed and looking for work.
“Among all Kenyan adults, nearly half report now working full-time, whether as employees or from self-employment (25% and 23%, respectively), with a smaller proportion working part-time (15%).
“This leaves nearly one-in-four jobless, whether or not they are actively seeking employment (36%),” TIFA added.
The poll was conducted from August 23 to September 3, 2025, and had a sample size of 2,023 respondents.
