The majority of Kenyans who identify themselves with the Raila Odinga-led NASA have said all or nearly all their neighbours are living in poverty.
About 32 per cent
NASA supporters compared to 25 per cent of Jubilee hold this view as the country heads to
the August 8 General Election.
According to Ipsos Synovate additional polls from a survey conducted recently, the high cost of living is the nation’s major concern, with 36 per cent of the public mentioning it.
Corruption and unemployment follow at 15 per cent each.
“Even though this survey was conducted on the eve of an increasingly divisive election campaign period, it is striking that hardly any contrasts are seen regarding such perceived ‘main problems’ by supporters of the country’s two main partisan entities,” reads the report.
Ipsos
says it will be interesting to see how issues affecting mwananchi will be dealt with by various political parties and candidates at the national and county levels.
The results show ethnic vote will this time not guarantee NASA and Jubilee an outright 50 per cent plus one victory in the polls, which are 60 days away.
“Jubilee and NASA supporters may disagree over leadership, but not on the problems they want their leaders - if elected – to address. Indeed, on this basis, a stranger might think Jubilee and NASA are appealing to exactly the same electorate,” states the report.
Nairobi county leads with the highest poverty levels at 84 per cent, followed by Coast, Nyanza and Central at 82, 79 and 64 per cent.
The survey was conducted between May 11 and 23, and 2,026 adults living in rural and urban areas across 46 counties were polled.