Infotrak: 84% of Kenyans want repeat elections on October 17

Infotrak Research and consulting CEO Angela Ambitho announce new findings on Poll at their office along James Gichuru road in Nairobi,15 September 2017.{photo/Edward Kiplimo,Standard].

Majority of Kenyans want the repeat presidential elections to be held on October 17 as announced by the Independent Boundaries and Electoral Commission (IEBC), a new report has shown.

In the latest poll conducted by Infotrak Research and Consulting, an overwhelming 84.1 per cent of Kenyans from all the eight regions voiced approval for the new date of the fresh elections, despite threats by National Super Alliance(Nasa) leaders to boycott the polls.

According to the survey conducted between 8th and 9th of this month, whose results were released on Friday, a paltry 14.3 per cent of respondents said they are uncomfortable to have the repeat polls on the scheduled date.

Nasa Presidential flag-bearer Raila Odinga and his team have spelt out conditions it calls "irreducible minimums" which they want the electoral body to meet before they can participate in the repeat poll next month.

They include among others kicking out of office beleaguered IEBC CEO Ezra Chiloba and a section of the secretariat as well as ensuring poll materials are not printed by Dubai -based Al Ghurair firm.

Failure to meet the demands, the opposition Alliance leaders vowed not only to boycott the elections on October 17, but also ensure that the exercise does not take place.

About a month to the repeat elections, 69 per cent of voters in Nyanza want the election to be held on the scheduled date, a surprisingly high number considering that the region is the political stronghold of Raila.

The same in Coast and Western, where 77.3 per cent and 77.1 per cent of those interviewed in the survey said they want the elections to be conducted next month.

An overwhelming majority of voters in Central Kenya (95.3 per cent) want the repeat exercise done on October 17, followed by Rift Valley (91.6 per cent ), (Eastern 85.3 per cent) and North Eastern(78.7 per cent).

Infotrak CEO Angela Ambitho said the current mood in the country is for the elections to be held quickly, so that the people move on with their normal lives instead of engaging in campaigns.

"From our findings it clear Kenyans of all walks of life, regardless of their political affiliation want to get over and done with the repeat presidential elections," Ambitho explained to journalists during the release of the opinion poll.