TIFA Survey: Trust in President Ruto drops as 45 percent say they have no confidence

Public confidence in Kenya’s top leadership and key state institutions remains low, according to a new survey that shows deep divisions in how citizens view governance, security, and elections. The findings place President William Ruto among the leaders with the highest levels of public distrust, alongside the National Police Service, reflecting continued dissatisfaction across different sectors.

The report released on June 4, 2026 by TIFA Research shows that only 11 percent of Kenyans say they have “a lot” of trust in President William Ruto. At the same time, 45 percent of respondents said they have “no trust at all,” making it the highest level of distrust recorded in the survey, tied with the National Police Service.

A further 23 percent of those surveyed reported having “very little” trust in the Head of State, while 18 percent said they have “some” trust. Another 3 percent said they were unsure. The results place the President among the institutions with the weakest trust ratings in the country.

The survey also shows that no institution or leader recorded a strong positive trust balance. In all cases, combined negative ratings, made up of “very little” and “no trust at all,” were higher than the combined positive ratings of “a lot” and “some” trust.

When it comes to the highest trust category, “a lot,” no institution or leader rose above the 11 percent mark. The Judiciary and President Ruto both recorded 11 percent in this category, while the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission recorded 10 percent.

At the lower end of the scale, the report notes that “the lowest trust rating (‘none at all’) was given to the president and the Police (45% for both) and parliament and the IEBC (42% and 41%, respectively),” according to the findings.

The results further point to widespread skepticism across Parliament, the Judiciary, the Police, and the electoral body, with none managing to secure more positive than negative public sentiment.

A key feature of the survey is the political divide in trust levels, especially in relation to the Broad-Based Government. Among supporters of the Broad-Based Government, 22 percent said they have “a lot” of trust in the President, while 36 percent said they have “some” trust.

Among opponents, only 6 percent expressed “a lot” of trust in him, while 58 percent said they have no trust at all. The report notes that “a lot trust” in the President was nearly four times higher among supporters of the BBG than among opponents, standing at 22 percent compared to 6 percent.

The findings suggest that political alignment continues to shape how Kenyans view leadership and national institutions, with trust levels closely tied to political opinion.

The survey was conducted between May 2 and May 11, 2026, by TIFA Research using a nationally representative sample of 2,013 respondents drawn from nine regions including Central Rift, Coast, Lower Eastern, Mt Kenya, Nairobi, Northern, Nyanza, South Rift and Western. Data was collected through face-to-face household interviews conducted mainly in Swahili and English.