Polling expert Tom Wolf

IPSOS Synovate lead researcher Tom Wolf has refuted the claims that his firm has been hired by Jubilee to discredit opposition leader Raila Odinga in the eyes of the public.

Tom Wolf has come under a heavy wrath from both leaders and members affiliated to the ODM, following the public poll released by the firm on Tuesday, saying that majority of Kenyans don’t want Raila to vie for presidency in 2017.

Thirty-five per cent of those interviewed want him to totally retire from politics, 34 per cent want him to remain active within the party and even run for State House while 26 per cent want him to stay within the party but not contest the presidency with sixty per cent of Jubilee supporters holding the opinion that the ODM party leader should retire from active politics as opposed to 69 per cent of Cord supporters, who said they would wish to see him run for the top-most elective post.

The poll also ranked President Uhuru Kenyatta ahead of opposition leader Raila Odinga as the person best suited to deal with economic development, combat negative ethnicity, reduce corruption and inequality and defend the Constitution.

“Statistically, there has been no change on Raila’s candidacy since 2013. As long as CORD has not announced any change on who will be the presidential flag bearer, it is just assumed that it will be Raila hence the results,” said Ipsos lead researcher, Tom Wolf.

Wolf, who appeared as a guest speaker in the country’s top three TV stations, refuted the allegations that his firm was biased on the poll, saying that they wouldn’t risk their reputation.

He also defended Ipsos against accusations that its political surveys are composed of “leading” questionnaires saying that his team posed questions with suggested answers because it is routine for pollsters to provide respondents with an idea of what to answer.

“If you go to a restaurant, Hussein, you have to be given a menu to choose from,” Dr Wolf said during an interview on Citizen TV”.

ODM’s Anyan’g Nyong’o trashed the methodology used, arguing that Wolf’s team never even took a sample from ODM officials on the question whether Raila should vie or not adding that the poll should also rope in other candidates as well and not just dwell on Raila alone.

The survey, conducted between June 4 and 18 this year with a random sample size of 2,067.

Kenyans on Twitter also took to social media under the hashtag #WolfForHire to air their views on the controversial poll.

Nyandiga:  I have always insisted that without Raila in the political arena, many companies will shut down #IpsosPollKe being one of them #WolfForHire

Ike Kenneth: IPSOS has outlived its usefulness (if it was ever useful) It is now just a vehicle used to proliferate mediocrity! #WolfForHire

Salome Lugard :  When you see a rogue government intimidating its citizens through staged polls,One thing is evident ,They have run out of ideas #WolfForHire

 Lord Mutai® ‏:  Demonising the polls won’t change the facts that indeed Raila needs to retire. Even my friends in ODM feel much more the same. #WolfForHire

Atanas: Let’s not debate on the Ipsos Kenya opinion polls, the truth of the matter will be known come 2017. KENYANS will decide #WolfForHire

Philip Etale: The truth is that Jubilee’s ratings stand at 27% against CORD’s 45%. They are unable to swallow this. They are scared #WolfForHire