Poll: Majority of Kenyans unlikely to celebrate festive season this year

Retired President Uhuru Kenyatta at a past Christmas celebration/FILE

A majority of Kenyans do not expect to celebrate the festive season this year, with economic hardship emerging as the main reason dampening Christmas and New Year cheer.

A new opinion poll by Infotrak Research & Consulting shows that 55 per cent of respondents said the festive season is out of reach for them this year, while 45 per cent indicated they will celebrate.

The findings point to a slight improvement compared to last year, when 60 per cent of respondents said they would not celebrate the holidays and 40 per cent said they would.

Respondents were asked: “The festive period is a time for spending time with family and friends characterised by religious gatherings. Will you be celebrating this festive period as you have celebrated others in the past?”

The results suggest that while some Kenyans are slowly regaining optimism, the majority remain constrained by financial pressures.

Lack of money was cited as the biggest barrier to celebrating Christmas and New Year, with 78 per cent of those who said they would not celebrate attributing their decision to inability to afford the festivities.

A further 16 per cent said they had no interest in celebrating, while 11 per cent said they would be working during the holiday period.

Regional disparities were evident in the findings. Western Kenya recorded the highest proportion of respondents who said they would not be celebrating the festive season, at 68 per cent, compared to 32 per cent who said they would.

In contrast, Nyanza emerged as the region with the highest likelihood of celebrating, with 52 per cent of respondents saying they would mark the festive season, against 48 per cent who said they would not.

Age also played a significant role in shaping festive plans. Most of those who said they would not be celebrating Christmas and the New Year fell within the 46–55 age bracket.

On the other hand, the highest proportion of respondents who said they would celebrate were aged between 18 and 26 years, indicating a relatively more optimistic outlook among younger Kenyans.

For the 45 per cent who plan to celebrate, the focus remains largely on modest and family-centred activities.

Spending time with family was cited by 53 per cent as the main way they intend to mark the festive season, followed by attending church or prayer gatherings at 31 per cent.

Spending time with friends accounted for 20 per cent, while 11 per cent said they would go on holiday.

Smaller proportions said they would be partying and drinking (seven per cent), staying indoors (six per cent), or visiting the sick and children’s homes (two per cent).

The survey also indicates a year-on-year decline in traditional festive activities. For instance, spending time with family dropped from 63 per cent in 2024 to 53 per cent in 2025, underscoring how economic pressures continue to reshape how Kenyans experience the holiday season.