Kenyans raise red flag on redundancy

Written By:Irene Muchuma,    Posted: Mon, May 30, 2011

The PLO now wants the MPS to get their act together and deliver key reforms

Kenyans have raised the red flag on redundancy, high cost of living and ethnicity as the greatest challenges facing the country.

A Score Card survey released Monday indicates that 17 percent of Kenyans are worried about employment opportunities with the slow pace of development being Kenya's least concern at 2 percent.

Speaking while officiating the event at a Nairobi Hotel, Kenya Anti Corruption Commission Director PLO Lumumba attributed development loopholes to nepotism and negative ethnicity in governance.

Lumumba reiterated that for the country to be able to fight corruption effectively, it was important that public offices are occupied by leaders with high intellectual capacity who cannot only deliver essential services but also shun tribalism.

The survey shows that the overall government performance index stands at six, in a scale of one to 10 with one being poor and ten being excellent.

At the same time the survey dubbed The Score Card by Strategic Public Relations and Research Ltd stated key economic issues being unemployment at the rate of 17 percent, cost of living 13percent and poor road network and infrastructure at 11 percent.

Tribalism and Nepotism were rated the top social issues at 22% followed by insecurity and violence at 12 percent and non availability of adequate medical and health care at 7.9%

The report revealed that Kenyans felt the government must address employment issues, fight corruption and tribalism, restore fundamental rights of Kenyans and cooperate with ICC to end impunity.

However 79 percent are optimistic that the new constitution will turn a new page in their lives with 17 percent yet to decide. But on the hand, 17 percent of Kenyans believe with the dispensation of the new constitution they will have to pay more taxes.

Eight percent of Kenyans want the fight against corruption to be hastened with seven percent lobbying for restoration of fundamental rights.

The score card was recommended as a tool to rate the performance of the government on leadership and governance.

The research was done in Kisumu, Machakos, Kilifi, Kajiado, Busia, Muranga and Mombasa Counties among 2002 respondents.