Kenyans want principled leaders: poll
Infotrak managing director Angela Ambitho. Photo/FILE
By PETER OBUYA potieno@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Sunday, July 8 2012 at 14:03
Posted Sunday, July 8 2012 at 14:03
A majority of Kenyans want their next president to be a person of high integrity and development conscious.
18 percent of Kenyans will be looking for high integrity values while electing their next president.
Infotrak research firm managing director Angela Ambitho also cautioned political leaders against ignoring opinion poll results.
“The figures we give reflect the views of Kenyans and not those who conduct the polls and leaders who dismiss our findings only dismiss the views of Kenyans,” she said on Sunday.
The pollsters have in the recent past been criticised by presidential candidates whose ratings turned out low.
While launching her campaign secretariat last week, Narc-Kenya presidential torchbearer Martha Karua, who has received low ratings, referred to the pollsters as “desperate Kenyans who are trying to earn a living”.
President Kibaki last month signed into law a bill that will require pollsters to disclose the sponsors of their opinion polls.
The bill that was sponsored by Ikolomani MP Bonny Khalwale will also guide how results of such surveys are published.
The survey released on Sunday was conducted between May 17 and 19 where 2400 respondents were interviewed.
Although politics was found to be at the bottom of the list of priorities, there was an improvement in concern over the issue from 62.2 percent in 2010 to 73.6 percent this year.
Ms Ambitho said a majority of Kenyans are more concerned about success in their careers and financial security.
“The most important principle as noted by a majority of Kenyans at an incidence level of 8.21 was material wealth, with more of them being the females (8.38) compared to males (8.07),” she said.
Another 17 percent expressed their preference for a person who is development conscious and open minded.
“That improvement is only natural because we are already in an election year and many people are paying special attention to what happens around them politically,” Ms Ambitho explained.
Work, family and money top the list at 99.2, 94.8 and 92.6 percent respectively.
Based on the findings, a candidate with more material wealth would most appeal to the electorate since it is the value against which a majority assigned more importance.
Apart from integrity and development consciousness, the electorate will also be looking for transparency, honesty and vision in their leaders whom they also want to be non-tribal and educated.
Many did not show much concern for the age or gender of the aspirants with the qualities recording only 1 percent each.
The survey also found a majority of youth aspire for a comfortable life that is stress free.
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