This archive report was first published on 1 November 2019.
As the Kibra by-election draws near, anxiety has gripped the camps of ODM leader Raila Odinga and Jubilee Party, following a recent opinion poll that shows ANC's Eliud Owalo as the preferred candidate.
According to the poll conducted by Strategic Governance Group Kenya (SGG-K), Owalo is leading the pack with 44% of the vote, followed closely by Bernard Okoth of ODM with 29%, and McDonald Mariga of Jubilee Party with 16%.
The poll, which sampled 1,526 registered voters in Kibra, found that Owalo enjoys majority support from the major tribes in the area, and is more popular than his own party ANC among Kibra voters.
The survey also highlighted the high cost of living, rampant insecurity, unemployment, and poor infrastructure as the most pressing issues facing the voters, with Owalo seen as the most likely candidate to address these problems.
Both ODM and Jubilee have been forced to adopt door-to-door campaigns in a bid to bolster their numbers and catch up with Owalo, who has been gaining momentum in the polls.
Early this week, Raila and Ruto called crisis meetings with their top strategists to counter Owalo's surge, and have since resolved to appoint serving legislators as agents in the highly anticipated Kibra by-elections.
The voters in Kibra are scheduled to elect their new member of parliament on November 7th, replacing the late Ken Okoth.
