{
  "id": 14627513,
  "title": "Only 30pc of Kenyans report income growth, TransUnion survey",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/15/only-30pc-of-kenyans-report-income-growth-transunion-survey",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-15T05:49:24.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Capital Business",
    "slug": "capital-business",
    "url": "https://capitalfm.africa/only-30pc-of-kenyans-report-income-growth-transunion-survey/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "NAIROBI, Kenya – A recent TransUnion survey reveals that only 30% of Kenyans reported an increase in income during the second quarter of 2026, down from 42% a year earlier. The primary reasons for the decline in income growth cited by respondents include lower salaries (27%), job losses (24%), and a decline in business orders (23%). Young consumers, particularly Generation Z, faced significant financial pressure, with 54% stating they could not meet all their financial obligations, an increase of seven percentage points compared to the previous year.\n\nDespite the economic challenges, 78% of consumers surveyed expect their incomes to rise over the next 12 months, a figure five percentage points lower than a year ago. TransUnion Kenya's CEO, Morris Maina, noted that households are adapting by prioritizing essential expenses, seeking additional income sources, and exercising caution when borrowing. The survey indicated that 53% of consumers planned to reduce non-essential spending, such as entertainment, travel, and dining out, while 48% aimed to cut back on major purchases.\n\nBorrowing intentions saw a decline, with 57% of consumers planning to apply for new credit or refinance existing loans, down from 69% a year earlier. Personal loans remained the most popular borrowing method (53%), followed by mobile loans (45%), and buy now, pay later services (27%). Digital fraud continued to be a concern, with 77% of respondents reporting being targeted through various channels in the past three months. While nine percent of those targeted suffered financial loss, 68% reported avoiding such schemes. Maina emphasized the importance of fraud prevention as more Kenyans embrace digital financial services.",
  "summary": "NAIROBI, Kenya, October 15 – The number of Kenyans reporting an increase in income fell to 30 percent in the second quarter of 2026 from 42 percent a year earlier,…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}