Eighty per cent of Kenyans support the March 2018 Handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga, the latest study by Ipsos Synovate has revealed.
According to the study, Rift Valley (76 per cent), Central (76 per cent), and Western (75 per cent) regions registered relatively –but still high support for the reconciliation as the remaining five other regions gave resounding backing.
The study reveals that those who support the newfound friendship between Raila and Kenyatta cite peace and tranquility as their main reason.
It further states: “On the other hand, the negators of the handshake claim that it has brought about political confusion (36 per cent) while 24 per cent hold that it has further weakened the opposition.
After suffering successive defeats in Ugenya and Embakasi South, two-thirds of the total respondents said that ODM Party is on its death bed, the research says.
Sixty-six per cent of the respondents felt that internal wrangles would kill Jubilee.
According to Ipsos, it fully funded the research which was conducted on April 15 and 18, 2019, where respondents were sampled across the country.
According to the study, the Coastal region leads with the highest number of people who have never heard about the Handshake or events surrounding it at 25 per cent.
It is followed by Western and Eastern at 16 per cent and 15 per cent respectively. In total, 12 per cent of respondents have never had about the newfound relationship between Kenyatta and Odinga.
Also in the study, 13 per cent of the respondents say the ODM Party lost the by-elections because of the poor choice of leaders.
A significant amount of the respondents (36 per cent) say they have not seen the benefit of the handshake to the country.
At the same time, Northeastern (7 per cent) and Nyanza (6 per cent) lead in terms of those who feel that the handshake has brought development.
