Raila short of threshold needed to win presidency without a runoff

By LUCIANNE LIMOThe latest opinion poll shows that none of the presidential contenders can garner the mandatory 50 per cent +1 per cent votes if elections were called today, which opens up the possibility of a run-off as the only option for deciding the election winner.
The Constitution promulgated last year requires that the winning presidential candidate must garner 50+1 per cent of the total vote. However, according to poll results released by Research International on Thurs
, Prime Minister Raila Odinga remains the most popular presidential candidate with 33 per cent of Kenyans saying they would vote for him if elections were held today.
Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta was voted the second popular presidential candidate with 14 per cent, followed by Vice President Kalonzo and Eldoret North MP William Ruto tying at 12 per cent.
No third termPresident Kibaki got eight per cent, although he will not be running for a third term, while Gichugu Mp Martha Karua and Eugene Wamalwa got two per cent each.
"Raila remains the most popular candidate since 2009, and his strongholds are Nyanza and Nairobi, while Kibaki’s are Central and Rift Valley," said Research International Chief Executive Officer Melissa Becker.
The opinion poll was conducted between February 21 and March 4, with 1,010 respondents taking part in the research.
The poll also indicated that Government performance has been on a steady increase since October 2009, with a drop in March this year. Those above 45 years say the Government has improved its services over the last few months. Respondents also gave Raila a pat on the back, saying he is doing a good job as the Prime Minister with his overall performance rating higher than Kibaki. Raila’s performance was rated highest at 65 per cent, while Kibaki’s performance was rated 62 per cent with the highest rating being in Central and Rift Valley.
Corruption still rampantOn corruption, majority of Kenyans admit corruption is still rampant and they confess they would not report to authorities if they witness the vice because they feel nothing will be done about it. "This could be because they have lost confidence in the Government and believe that nothing would be done to perpetrators.