Nairobi — Nyaribari Chache Zaheer Jhanda has sparked fresh debate on the 2027 General Election after publicly urging several opposition figures to reconsider their presidential ambitions and instead focus on gubernatorial races.
In a statement reacting to the latest Infotrak opinion polls, Jhanda argued that the numbers currently favour President William Ruto, who continues to consolidate his position as the frontrunner for the 2027 presidential contest.
The Infotrak poll, released on Sunday, December 28, 2025, shows President William Ruto the 2027 presidential race with 28 per cent support. Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i follows with 13 per cent, while Wiper Party leader Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka ranks third at 12 per cent.
“The message is loud and clear: politics is numbers, not noise,” Jhanda said, noting that as President Ruto tightens his grip nationally, some presidential bids are increasingly appearing “more like wishful thinking than realistic pathways to power.”
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Jhanda specifically named Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka, former Interior CS Fred Matiang’i, Narc-Kenya leader Martha Karua and Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya, urging them to pause and reassess their political strategies.
According to Jhanda, the four leaders would be better placed seeking governorships in their home counties, where they enjoy stronger name recognition, established support bases and clearer numerical advantage.
He pointed to Kitui for Kalonzo Musyoka, Nyamira for Fred Matiang’i, Kirinyaga for Martha Karua and Trans Nzoia for George Natembeya as more realistic and attainable political battlegrounds.
“That’s where the numbers, familiarity and relevance actually lie,” Jhanda stated.
A new survey by Infotrak Research & Consulting shows that a majority of Kenyans would vote to re-elect President William Ruto if elections were held today with 28 per cent preferring the incumbent for a second term.
Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i ranked second with 13 per cent support, while Wiper Patriotic Front leader Kalonzo Musyoka followed closely at 12 per cent.
Other candidates received significantly lower backing. Embakasi East MP Babu Owino garnered 7 percent, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua received 5 percent, while PLP party leader Martha Karua and former Chief Justice David Maraga each received 2 percent support.
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Several other leaders registered minimal preference among voters. Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga and Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya polled one per cent each, Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro 0.5 per cent, and Roots party leader George Wajackoyah and Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna 0.2 per cent each.
The poll also revealed a significant level of voter indecision. About 25 percent of respondents said they were undecided, while four percent preferred not to disclose their preferred candidate.
The survey was conducted on December 19 and 20, 2025, across all 47 counties, using a nationally representative sample of 1,000 adult Kenyans aged 18 years and above.
Data collection employed Computer Assisted Telephone Interviews (CATI), with a 99 per cent response rate.
Infotrak explained that where achieved interviews differed from the intended demographic proportions, the dataset was weighted to correct for over- or under-sampling, ensuring accurate national representation.
The sampling frame was designed using Population Proportionate to Size (PPS) methodology guided by the 2019 national census. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.10 per cent at a 95 per cent confidence level.
