Governor Hassan Joho ‘ahead of the pack’

Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho would comfortably retain his seat if an election is held today, a new survey shows.

Mr Joho of ODM will get 63.2 per cent of the votes, followed by Jubilee candidate Suleiman Shabhal, who the poll projects would secure 15.3 per cent.

The current senator and Wiper candidate for the governor position, Mr Hassan Omar, comes third, with 4.8 per cent of voters saying they will vote for him.

SIBLING RIVALRY
Nyali MP Hezron Awiti Bolo of the Vibrant Democratic Party, which is also affiliated to the opposition coalition (Nasa), was fourth with 0.5 per cent.

Sixteen per cent are still undecided.

The new poll puts paid to assertions by analysts that sibling rivalry in the opposition strongholds could open the window for Jubilee candidates to win.

In the race for the Senate seat, ODM candidate Faki Mohamed leads with 20 per cent, followed by Ms Hazel Katana of Jubilee, who polled 4.8 per cent.

Independent candidate Hamisi Mwaguya is third with 2.9 per cent.

BUZEKI
ODM candidate Asha Hussein Mohamed also leads in the race for the woman representative position, with 24.3 per cent of voters saying they would vote for her.

She is followed by Jubilee’s Abdalla Amina at 8.5 per cent.

Wiper candidate Zamzam Mohamed came third with 2.8 per cent.

In Deputy President William Ruto’s Uasin Gishu County, the popularity survey has put independent candidate Bundotich Kiprop Buzeki at 54.2 per cent ahead of incumbent Governor Jackson Mandago, who has 42 per cent.

INDEPENDENT

However, Mr Mandago swiftly dismissed the poll, saying it was a gimmick by Mr Bundotich to sway voters barely three weeks to the election.

“These are campaign gimmicks being orchestrated by our rival and some two to three people who know they are going to lose on August 8,” Mr Mandago said through his aide Silah Tarus.

Mr Bundotich was trounced during the Jubilee primaries by Mr Mandago and he quit the party, saying the nominations were not fair.
KAMAR LEADS
In the Senate race, Jubilee candidate Margaret Kamar leads with 59.2 per cent, followed by independent candidate Robert Kemei at 15.9 per cent, with Mr Thomas Kipkurui coming a distant third with only nine per cent.

However, 12.7 per cent are still undecided.

In the contest for the woman representative position, the former chief registrar of the Judiciary, Mrs Gladys Boss Shollei, commands a comfortable lead with 69.3 per cent, followed by independent candidate Rael Chebichii with 8.3 per cent.

KHALWALE
In Kakamega County, Governor Wycliffe Oparanya leads with 68.3 per cent, with his main challenger senator Bonnie Khalwale coming second with only 13 per cent.

Among those sampled in Kakamega, 16.8 per cent are undecided.

In the Senate race, Kenya National Union of Nurses secretary-general and ODM candidate Seth Panyako leads with 27.4 per cent, followed by Mr Cleophas Wakhungu of the Amani National Congress at 10.6 per cent.

Mr Stanley Livondo of Jubilee is third with seven per cent

UNDECIDED
However, nearly half (49.5) per cent are still undecided.
While releasing the poll results yesterday, Infotrak researcher Mary Mburu said the number of undecided voters is high.

She said many are yet to identify candidates to fit into the shoes of senators, most of whom want to be governors.