NAIROBI —
Wilfred Odalo has strengthened his position at the top of the political race in Mathare, according to the latest August Intouch Poll, with his approval rating rising to 37.4 per cent.Odalo’s latest score is up from 36.3 per cent in the July poll, representing a 1.1 percentage-point increase and giving him a commanding lead over the rest of the field.The August survey, however, also points to movement beyond the frontrunner, with Moha emerging as one of the notable gainers after making his debut as an individually ranked candidate.Moha records 6 per cent in the latest poll. In previous Mathare surveys, he had been included in the broader “Others” category rather than ranked separately, making his appearance among the named contenders a notable development.Behind Odalo, the contest remains closely fought.Bishop Margaret Wanjiru, the former Starehe MP, has slipped to 17.2 per cent, a decline of about two percentage points from her previous showing.She is now virtually tied with Hon. Oluoch, who records 17.1 per cent after also registering a slight decline.Former Mathare parliamentary aspirant and musician Bahati follows at 8 per cent, while Mutheu records 4.4 per cent.Candidates grouped under Others account for 3 per cent of the responses.The remaining 6.9 per cent represents respondents who are undecided or whose preferred candidates fall outside the individually ranked names.Odalo, Moha show upward movementThe latest figures present a slightly different picture of the Mathare contest, with Odalo and Moha recording upward movement, while several established contenders have seen their numbers soften.For Odalo, the increase from 36.3 per cent to 37.4 per cent suggests that his lead is not merely being maintained but is continuing to grow, albeit gradually.Moha’s emergence is equally significant. Moving from the wider “Others” category into the individually ranked candidates at 6 per cent gives him a clearer presence in the race and introduces another dimension to the contest.At the same time, the close figures between Wanjiru and Oluoch indicate that the battle for second place remains wide open.With nearly 7 per cent of respondents undecided or outside the current rankings, there is still room for significant movement before the political contest fully takes shape.For now, however, the August Intouch Poll places Odalo firmly at the top of the Mathare field, with his support trending upward as the candidates behind him battle for position.
