Nairobi News

NewsWhat's Hot

OPINION POLL: Uhuru’s approval rating rises


Kenyans have rated President Uhuru Kenyatta highly in the latest poll by Ipsos Synovate.

According to the poll results, the president’s approval rating increased from 47 to 68 per cent.

“Such gains in confidence ratings are reflected in the President’s approval rating for his performance “over the last three months”, which has likewise ‘bounced back’ from those recorded last November with a gain of nearly 20% (to 68% from 47%),” wrote Ipsos.

Nyanza was the only region out of the eight regions in the country that recorded greater disapproval (62%) than approval (30%) in the president.

More Cord supporters disapproved of the president as stated by Ipsos that, “Jubilee vs. CORD supporters are, as would be expected, significant. For example, whereas more than five times as many supporters of the former give the President the highest confidence rating as do those of the latter (72% vs. 13%).”

Coast and Eastern regions where the opposition enjoys support were in favour of the president according to the poll.

In the coastal region, 66 per cent of those interviewed said they approve the president while 29 per cent said they disapprove.

Eastern region had 68 per cent in approval with the president while 27 per cent disapproved.

WRONG DIRECTION

Interestingly, all the regions said the country was heading in the wrong direction with the highest discrepancy found in Nyanza, Coast and Nairobi regions.

“In regional terms, only in Central and Rift Valley do a mere plurality rather than a majority perceive the country’s direction as “wrong”, with the highest negatives in Coast and Nyanza (74% and 84%, respectively),” wrote Ipsos.

In the same poll, Kenyans were asked about the level of confidence they had with the Jubilee government.

In particular the officials whose confidence was gauged were President Kenyatta, his deputy, attorney general Githu Muigai and the cabinet secretaries.

“The President scores best, with nearly half (45%) of all Kenyans having “a lot of confidence” in him, though his Deputy scores somewhat lower, with one-third giving him this level of trust (34%). Much lower confidence levels are associated with the Attorney-General and the Cabinet Secretaries “as a team” (15% and 14%, respectively). Such a gap helps explain why the highest confidence level score (“a lot of confidence”) for the National Government “as a whole” falls in between these two highest and lowest rankings (21%),” wrote Ipsos.

The poll was conducted between June 4-18 with interviews done face to face and via phones.