Kenyans still have confidence in coalition government

Written By:Irene Muchuma,    Posted: Thu, Mar 24, 2011

47% of Kenyans have confidence in the coalition government

Nearly half of the Kenyan population still has confidence in the coalition government.

A survey by an East African research group, TNS indicates that 47 percent of Kenyans would vote for the coalition government if elections were held today, an increase from last year's 23 percent.

The report conducted late last month places Prime Minister Raila Odinga as the most favored presidential candidate with strongholds in Nairobi and Nyanza regions.

The findings of the research conducted between the last week of February 2011 and this month shows that nearly 17 million Kenyans have confidence in the government.

President Kibaki's performance as the head of state stands at 65 percent with higher ratings in Central and Rift Valley regions with Odinga following closely at 62 percent with high ratings in Nyanza and Nairobi regions.

33 percent of Kenyans interviewed would vote for Raila as president if elections were held today, with Finance minister Uhuru Kenyatta coming in second at 14 percent, a surge on his ratings compared to last year.

Vice president Kalonzo Musyoka and former higher education minister William Ruto are in third position with equal popularity of 12 percent.

If president Kibaki were to make a comeback in the presidential race, 8 percent of those interviewed would vote for him. Martha Karua and Eugene Wamalwa are tied at 2 percent.

Politics aside, 37 percent of Kenyans believe corruption has declined compared to last year with 39 percent of those interviewed opting for penalties as the way forward to get rid of the vice.