Why opinion polls really matter in Kenya

It's the season of pollsters. The next General Election is just a year away. And Ipsos-Synovate's Tom Wolf has wasted no time wading into controversy. Maggie Ireri of Trends and Insights for Africa (TIFA) has also joined the fray. These two are cut from the same cloth. But that's a matter for another day.

Mr Wolf has been strongly censured by allies of Raila Odinga, who accuse the pollster of being "obsessed" with the former Prime Minister. In his latest survey, Mr Wolf curiously delved into the issue of Mr Odinga's age and seemed to "tease out" from respondents the answer to the question of whether the veteran politician should now retire.