Worrying discovery for Uhuru's team after latest poll
The poll was centred around Supreme Court ruling that annulled Uhuru's victory
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The poll indicated that supporters of the Uhuru Kenyatta led party were divided at 46 per cent for and against. On the contrary, however, 82 per cent of National Super Alliance (NASA) supporters wanted the Supreme Court to remain as powerful as it is.
On the ability of the Supreme Court to nullify a presidential election, 62 per cent of Kenyans would not support a change on Article 140 of the Constitution. The article, if changed, would then allow the CJ Maraga led Supreme Court to nullify a presidential election and order for a fresh poll in 60 days. Only 30 per cent supported the constitutional changes.
In the poll, the Jubilee party remained the most dominant party rated at 48 per cent compared to NASA’s 39 per cent.
On whether politicians would interfere with the ongoing petition to challenge President Uhuru Kenyatta’s victory at the Supreme Court, Jubilee supporters (at 21 per cent) and NASA supporters (at 19 per cent) believed that it will. However, half of the interviewed Jubilee supporters (50 per cent) opined that the outcome of the Supreme Court would be fair, against 72 per cent of NASA supporters’ view.
Twenty nine per cent of the Jubilee respondents, however, registered high doubts on whether the court would render a fair judgment in future petitions. 20 per cent were not sure.
Among NASA-allied respondents, only twelve per cent felt the court would not issue a fair verdict in future petitions, sixteen per cent of them casting doubts.
Sixty-one per cent those who took part in the study hailed the nullification of the August 8 presidential election by the Supreme Court saying that it demonstrated the supremacy of the Constitution above every institution and person.
Poll nullification
Half of respondents allied to Jubilee, however, felt the invalidation of the August presidential election undermined the will of the electorate, with 68 per cent of respondents feeling that the decision by the Supreme Court judges was based on the evidence presented before the court.
Twenty eight per cent of those sampled felt the annulment was based on a perceived political inclination of the judges who they said favored the petitioners, NASA presidential candidate Raila Odinga and running mate Kalonzo Musyoka.
Jubilee supporters were divided on the issue with 44 per cent of them saying the outcome of the Odinga-Kalonzo petition was based on evidence adduced before the court against 50 per cent who felt politics had a hand in the ruling.
The poll came on Tuesday the fateful day the Supreme Court convened a pre-trial conference as the hearing of three presidential petitions arising from a fresh presidential election conducted on October 26 during which President Uhuru Kenyatta was re-elected.
The study was conducted by Ipsos between October 14 and 22 and it included 2,006 respondents sampled across 47 counties.
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