POLL: Most Kenyans believe corruption suspects will not be convicted

Saturday, December 05, 2015

IPSOS Synovate Consultant Tom Wolf.photo/File

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Two-thirds of Kenyans do not believe any senior officials implicated in corruption will ever be convicted, an Ipsos survey suggests.

The poll released yesterday says there has been a major increase in public concern about corruption and increased awareness of corruption since the Jubilee government came into office. This has been fueled especially by the National Youth Service saga.

Between November 7 and 19, interviewers surveyed 2,058 Kenyans, 18 and above, in 41 counties. They were interviewed in person. The margin of error is +/-2.2 with a 95 per cent confidence level.

It was conducted before the resignation of Devolution CS Anne Waiguru, the filing of corruption charges against senior officials in her Devolution ministry involving the NYS and President Uhuru Kenyatta's Cabinet reorganisation.

"In terms of perceptions of the 'most serious problem facing Kenya', the proportion of those mentioning corruption has increased from just 4 per cent shortly after the last election ( June 2013) to 25 per cent in this November survey. This is three times more than what it was one year earlier (8 per cent)," Ipsos said.

According to the survey, two-thirds of Kenyans don't believe any corrupt senior officials will ever be convicted.

One in five Kenyans expects any prominent individual involved in corruption to be convicted, with 19 percent of Jubilee supporters only slightly more optimistic.

Apart from the President, the Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission inspires the least confidence and many Kenyans say this National Assembly is worse than the previous Parliament in fighting graft.

"Only just over one-third of Kenyans believe the President is sincere in his anti-corruption efforts, though about four times as many Jubilee supporters hold this view as do those of Cord," Ipsos said.

However, it would be misleading to suggest the President's efforts alone can bring about change, despite the importance of his role i symbolic terms, Ipsos said

The NYS scandal in the Devolution ministry is the most widely known of the Jubilee administration. Seventy-nine percent said they are aware of it, followed by the Karen land dispute, though at only 21 per cent.

Waiguru receives the most mentions (76 per cent), followed by former Lands CS Charity Ngilu at 27 per cent. Waiguru has not been charged. Ngilu has not been convicted.

"This listing is only reputational in nature as we were only testing for awareness of individuals mentioned," Ipsos research analyst Tom Wolf said.

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