Kenya more unsafe than Somalia, Rwanda safest in Africa – Gallup report
Kenya has been ranked one of the most unsafe places in the world, after Sudan and Somalia, in the Global Law and Order 2015 report by Gallup Analytics.
The report released on Wednesday places Kenya 118th out of 141 countries surveyed, with most people feeling it unsafe to walk alone at night, in the city and their neighbourhoods.
Zambia took position 122 followed by Nigeria, Uganda 131, Botswana 134, South Sudan 136 and South Africa 138. Liberia was ranked unsafest in the world.
Rwanda, which was ranked 21st in the world, is the safest in Africa.
Egypt took position 31, Niger 41, Ethiopia 46 and Burkina Faso 53, Somalia 72, Ghana 89, Tanzania 99 and Burundi 110.
The survey also ranked the countries based on levels of confidence in the police and instances of theft in the 12 months of 2014.
Singapore was ranked safest in the world, with 91 per cent citizens feeling comfortable walking alone at night, followed by Uzbekistan and Hong Kong.
“At least six in 10 people worldwide say they have confidence in the police at (63 per cent) and feel safe walking alone at night stated at 60 per cent,” read the report.
“Fewer than one in six (15 per cent) say they had money or property stolen from them in the past year”.
The report noted that Liberia was surveyed at the onset of the Ebola outbreak when “barely more than one in three Liberians (35 per cent) [said] they [felt] safe walking alone”.
“A record low per percentage [expressed] confidence in their local police at 38 per cent. Nearly half at 48 per cent [said] they have had money stolen from them.”
Gallup termed “strong” the relationship between interviewees’ responses and external measures related to social and economic development.
“This reinforces how crime rates can surpress social cohesion and negatively affect economic performance,” it said.
Gallup noted that the indicators need to be monitored in light of the new Sustainable Development Goals, which include promoting “just, peaceful and inclusive societies”.
The research involved 142,000 interviews with adults in the 141 countries.
