Nyamira County gubernatorial contenders have poked holes into the just released opinion polls indicating that the incumbent Amos Nyaribo could be re-elected; if elections were to be conducted today.
The polls done by Centre for African Progress (CAP) put governor Nyaribo (ANC) a head of other contenders at 34%, a margin of 15% from his distant follower, former Kitutu Masaba Member of Parliament (MP), Walter Nyambati (UDA) at 19%.
Borabu MP Ben Momanyi (Wiper party) is third with 17% and is followed by another Kitutu Masaba MP and ODM party national treasurer Timothy Bosire at 16%.
According to the research firm’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mr. Onchari Oyieyo, the research was conducted between 4th and 10th November 2021 using a sample size of 3,000 respondents drawn from across the 20 wards in Nyamira county.
“I can confidently tell you that the people who were interviewed are potential voters in the 2022 general election and we have no doubt that the research reflects the true picture on the ground,” said Oyieyo.
Of the respondents, 51% were women and 49% were male.
“Among the reasons given by the respondents for Nyaribo’s re-election is that he responds to their needs, is development oriented and trouble free among others,” Oyieyo said.
However, part of Nyaribo’s opponents in next year’s poll said that the research was stage-managed and has not reflected the true picture on the ground.
Borabu MP Ben Momanyi, who has been Nyaribo’s fierce critic, said that the research firm was compromised to paint a wrong picture to the electorates.
Momanyi noted that the move was late and could not save Nyaribo from being kicked out.
He said that it was a diversional tactic from the ‘rot’ in the governor’s office where the governor’s pay slip leaked with unaccounted Ksh5.6 million ‘arrears’.
“This has nothing to do with 2022 general election. The poll has been released at a time when there is a mess in the governor’s office where he has been pocketing huge sums of money against the stipulated guidelines.
He wants to use this as a diversionary tactic so that people forget he has messed up with their taxes,” said Momanyi.
“He should first explain how he received a whopping Ksh 6.5 million in a month as a governor when the scale puts his salary at Kshs. 924, 000.
He should explain the source of the arrears which accumulated to Ksh 5.6 million when he has never been suspended nor stopped from working; we are not fools,” stated Momanyi.
Momanyi said the only opinion poll that is final and can be trusted by Kenyans is the general election.
Separately, ODM’s Timothy Bosire said that he was not aware of the existence of the research firm and therefore disputed its findings.
“I have not known of the firm before and, therefore I cannot comment on its findings, the poll speaks volumes of its intention,” said Bosire.
Another aspirant, James Kemoni, wondered why all the contenders were not included in the survey to portray the full picture of the gubernatorial contest.
He said it was not yet time to indicate who is a head of another and questioned the motive of the research when basic services were unavailable in the county.
“Elections will not be done by research companies but by the electorate.
We are missing basic services in hospitals, we have impassable roads which should be addressed and not who is a head of who,” said Kemoni.
Kemoni said that the current regime was losing touch with its people and had resulted into using some ‘funny’ research to hoodwink voters.
“They are panicking and want to use the pollsters to lie to the electorates that they are a head of others.
There are some critical areas that need to be researched on and not politics,” added Kemoni.
The poll company brags with correctly predicting the outcome of 2017 presidential elections and Nairobi county gubernatorial contest.
Tuwangojee mbele.Thanks