Poll: Nairobi MPs unlikely to be re-elected

NAIROBI, KENYA: Members of Parliament in Nairobi may not be reelected during the August General election going by a new survey.

Infotrack on Thursday revealed that 44 per cent of Nairobi voters will not reelect the law makers numbering 17.

The survey also indicated that Jubilee Party is popular in Nairobi compared to National Super Alliance at 43.2 per cent against 40 per cent.

The survey was conducted between March 18-19 and a total of 800 respondents were interviewed.

A survey released by rival pollster (Ipsos) in February said at least 42 per cent of Kenyans will not re-elect their respective members of parliament.

Ipsos noted that those who will be worst hit are the legislators linked to or have moved to the Jubilee administration but were formally of the Coalition of Reforms and Democracy (CORD).

According to the release, 58 per cent of Cord supporters will not vote back any leader who is linked to or has defected to the ruling administration. But if the leader remained steadfast in Cord or the National Super Alliance (NASA) which is the new opposition outfit and contests in the same, then they have a 61 per cent chance of being re-elected. "Only slightly more than one-third (39 per cent) of all respondents who could identify their MPs by name believe that their return to parliament is "very likely"," read the survey.

Across the political divide, 46 per cent of Jubilee supporters will not be voting back their leaders (against 39 per cent who will re-elect them) compared to Cord's 43 per cent who are likely to re-elect their MPs and 37 per cent will not. And when Kenyans were asked why they think leaders defected, 44 per cent said it was for their own selfish interest with 22 per cent stating development.