Kenyans have more confidence in First Lady Margaret Kenyatta than any other public figure in the country, a new survey by Ipsos Synovate shows.
The public also trusts her more than Parliament, the Judiciary, the Cabinet and county governments.
Thirty-nine per cent of respondents in the survey conducted in August and released on Thursday expressed “a lot of confidence” in the First Lady, with 73 per cent rating her favourably and only 15 per cent expressed a negative view.
The number of Kenyans expressing a negative view of Mrs Kenyatta is also the lowest of any public figure featured in the survey.
President Uhuru Kenyatta topped the list among politicians, with 43 per cent of the respondents having confidence in him.
His rating has dropped by 10 points from November last year when he had 53 per cent. Confidence in the Deputy President has also slipped from 48 to 38 per cent over the same time.
Twenty-eight per cent expressed confidence in Cord Principal Raila Odinga and 20 per cent for Wiper party boss Kalonzo Musyoka.
Ipsos Synovate pollster Tom Wolf attributes the President’s and his deputy’s lower ratings to a reduction in post-election euphoria.
“Incumbents enjoy high confidence ratings after elections, and reduction months later after they begin governing and making difficult decisions,” he said.
The President also enjoys higher approval levels than that of the national government which he presides over.
“The public clearly does not hold the President or his deputy accountable for all the actions done in the Executive. They have a safety valve that keeps them away from the actions of their government,” Mr Wolf said.
RATINGS QUESTIONED
But political scientists questioned the ratings, saying the parametres were not uniform.
“The positions that the President and the former Prime Minister occupy at present are not comparable. A president in Kenya will always rank higher than his rivals and peers,” said Prof Fredrick Wanyama of the School of Development and Strategic Studies at Maseno University. He added the opinion poll “was meant to show that the Opposition leaders were not performing”.
Dr Adams Oloo equated the poll to comparing apples with oranges.
“The poll shows nothing because they are not comparable. The former PM does not hold any office, political or otherwise, and we have not even entered an electioneering period. The same applies to Mr Musyoka. So what were they supposed to be ranked on? If the question was put to that effect, it wouldn’t make sense because there is no basis for comparison,” he said.
Former President Daniel Moi and his successor Mwai Kibaki rated 26 and 27 per cent respectively.
The Speaker of the National Assembly, Mr Justin Muturi, and House Majority Leader Aden Duale polled 16 per cent each.
“Duale has a tough and polarising job on the floor of the House and he has been associated with unpopular government decisions. This may have impacted his popularity levels,” Dr Wolf said.
STRONG HOLDS
Mrs Kenyatta’s support base was strongest in regions that voted for her husband in the last election.
She is more popular with women than men, with a gender split of 41 per cent and 37 per cent and her popularity is almost even across the ages. She also finds more favour with urbanites compared to those in rural areas, with a split of 42 per cent and 38 per cent.
Her support is highest in Central Kenya at 71 per cent and lowest in Western where only 6 per cent of respondents vouched for her.
The First Lady is also more popular than President Kenyatta in Coast and Nyanza regions, which did not vote for her husband in the last General Election.
She may, therefore, be an asset to President Kenyatta in these regions, especially after incidents such as the recent heckling at a presidential event in Migori County.
Despite the First Lady being Catholic, protestants have more confidence in her than her fellow Catholics. Muslims have the lowest confidence in her with only 19 per cent giving her top marks.
Her support is particularly pronounced among the better educated and higher income households as compared to those with low income.
Mrs Kenyatta is also more popular among the unemployed than those with jobs at 56 per cent to 43 per cent respectively.
In total, 2,021 people were interviewed in the survey. Kenyans were asked to rate their confidence levels in various politicians and institutions.
