Friday, October 12, 2007
The latest poll by the Steadman Group said 53 percent favoured Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) presidential candidate Raila Odinga, compared with 37 percent support for Kibaki.
Odinga was the favourite in six of Kenya's eight provinces, Steadman said. Two weeks ago, Odinga leaped ahead of Kibaki for the first time with 47 percent support compared with the president's 38 percent, Steadman said.
Another opposition candidate, Kalonzo Musyoka, held steady at 8 percent in the latest poll. Local media reported the poll results and Steadman analyst Tom Wolf confirmed the figures.
On Thursday, Minister for East African Cooperation John Koech said he would join ODM. His move follows the defection by former health minister Charity Ngilu, also to Odinga's ODM.
"My main reason for not supporting President Kibaki -- who is a good man and very helpful -- is that people around him do not understand the plight of many Kenyans as they secure plum jobs and financial power in a government they did not fight to bring to power," Koech told the Daily Nation newspaper.
Kibaki fired Ngilu after she called Odinga "the second Mandela of Africa" at an opposition rally.
Kibaki's government has been lauded for revamping the economy and introducing free primary education, but the opposition says he has fanned tribalism and corruption.
The president is expected to dissolve parliament soon, heralding an election in December.
Source: Reuters, Oct 12, 2007