This is raising concerns about the economic cost of a widening trust deficit. Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs Korir Sing'Oei Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs Korir Sing'Oei Kenya is preparing to host the inaugural Trust Summit at a time when confidence in government institutions, public leadership and governance architecture is under growing pressure.
This is raising concerns about the economic cost of a widening trust deficit. The Trust Summit: Nairobi Dialogues on Global Trust, scheduled for October 21-23, will bring together policymakers, business leaders, academics, civil society, media and young people to examine how declining confidence in institutions is undermining governance, investment and social cohesion.
The urgency is underscored by recent surveys showing that Kenyans increasingly question the ability and integrity of public institutions. The latest Afrobarometer findings paint a particularly stark picture. Only 45 per cent of Kenyans say they trust the President, down from 72 per cent in 2014, while trust in Parliament has fallen to 44 per cent.
Only half trust the courts, while the police and electoral commission command the confidence of just 36 per cent each. The findings broadly mirror the 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer, which put trust in Kenya's government at only 38 per cent, a four-point decline from the previous year.
Eight in 10 Kenyans also expressed concern that government leaders deliberately mislead the public through false or exaggerated claims. The 2026 Edelman findings suggest the picture is more nuanced rather than uniformly deteriorating. Overall institutional trust has improved, but a seven-point gap persists between high- and low-income Kenyans, with trust indices of 73 and 66 respectively.
At the same time, only 28 per cent of Kenyans with an “insular” mindset trust government leaders, compared with 67 per cent for journalists and their own chief executives. Across Africa, the problem is even broader. Afrobarometer's survey of 39 countries found that fewer than half of citizens trust their presidents, police, courts or parliaments.
Trust in Parliament averages just 37 per cent, while confidence in presidents stands at 46 per cent. Since 2011, trust in all 11 institutions measured has declined, with Parliament suffering a 19-point fall. This is not merely a political problem. It has a measurable economic price.
The World Bank says strong institutions and public trust are essential for attracting investment, supporting businesses and creating jobs. Without trust, entrepreneurs become more reluctant to invest, while banks may lend less or charge higher risk premiums. The scale of the potential loss is illustrated by evidence from Morocco, where World Bank research estimated that declining trust constrained economic growth by $2.21 billion between 2005 and 2014.
For Africa, the losses are even more visible through corruption and illicit financial flows. Kenya's 2025 National Gender and Corruption Survey cites an estimated $88.6 billion, equivalent to 3.7 per cent of Africa's GDP, lost annually through corruption, tax evasion and related illicit financial practices.
The investment implications are significant for Kenya as the Government increasingly seeks private capital to finance infrastructure and development amid fiscal constraints. The World Bank notes that weak transparency and judicial oversight remain obstacles to private investment across sub-Saharan Africa.