Omar Boga, the ODM candidate in the Msambweni by-election, could be on his path to victory in the December 15 by-election if the finding of a survey on the vote holds for the remaining days.
A survey by Tifa has revealed that Boga is enjoying a comfortable lead ahead of his close competitor Feisal Bader; with others like Ali Hassan Mwakulonda, Marere Mwachai trailing.
The poll released on Thursday showed that 54 per cent of the constituents prefer the ODM candidate compared with the 29 per cent rating for Bader – an independent.
The latter’s candidature is said to have Deputy President William Ruto’s blessing, the results exposing the extent to which Raila Odinga’s party still commands the region.
At least 320 respondents were interviewed face-to-face in the study conducted between November 29 and December 1 with a margin of error of 5.47 per cent.
ODM was rated as the party of preference in the region at 48 per cent; followed by Jubilee Party at 24 per cent; Wiper at three per cent, same as Party of Economic Democracy.
Boga also turned out to be the candidate most familiar with the voters at 46 per cent with Bader coming 10 points below at 36 per cent.
Mwakulonda’s familiarity with the voters was rated at 13 per cent; Mwachai at three per cent; Shee Mahmoud at two per cent; while no one is familiar with Khamis Liganje.
At least 83 per cent of Ralia’s 2022 backers are siding with Boga; 11 per cent with Bader; three per cent with Mwakulonda.
Some 29 per cent of Ruto’s backers in the 2022 election prefer Boga while 44 per cent are with Bader, with Mwakulonda accounting for 19 per cent.
Voters say they will choose Boga for articulating his manifesto well but rates lowly on track record compared with Bader.
Bader has 48 per cent rating in performance compared with Boga’s 42 per cent.
The independent candidate’s manifesto was rated at 31 per cent.
Political familiarity, tribe, personal familiarity, political party and connectedness to a likely 2022 presidential candidate are shaping choices in the poll.
Msambweni voters say the most serious problems facing them are unemployment, poverty, land issues, crime, lack of water and poor quality education.
Others are lack of school fees, poor health services, drug usage, environment, tribalism, poor infrastructure, poor leadership and diseases.
Young people aged 18-20 years will not take part in the election since the IEBC has not conducted any registration since the 2017 elections.
Even so, a number of voters have indicated they will not participate in the election citing fears of contracting Covid19 (19.3 per cent); violence (four per cent); the outcome may not make difference (43 per cent); rigging (seven per cent) while 42 per cent said they’d be too busy to take part.