By Mwenda Njeru
Worth Noting:
- Nyamira Governor Amos Nyaribo and Isiolo County Governor Abdi Ibrahim Hassan took positions eight and nine with 66.2 per cent and 65.4 per cent respectively while Siaya Governor James Orengo with 63.8 percent came 10.
- According to the poll, Governor Njuki became the second transformed County Chief because of improved water infrastructure through improvement of major water projects.
- In the agriculture sector, Governor Njuki has also brought a lot of transformation through the introduction of drought resistant crops and modern irrigation which have greatly boosted food production ending the era of starvation in the county.
Tharaka Nithi County Muthomi Njuki has been ranked the best performing governor in Mt Kenya region and second nationally with an approval rating of 75.1 per cent.
The survey released yesterday by Politrack Africa graded the embattled Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza second in the mountain region and seventh nationally.
The poll, which evaluated governors’ performance at approximately mid-point of their five-year tenure ranked Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa the best nationally with an approval rating of 76.5 per cent.
The third and fourth positions were taken by Narok County Governor Patrick Ole Ntuntu at 73.2 per cent and Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi at 70.7 per cent respectively while Nandi Governor Stephen Sang came fifth at 68.9 per cent and Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga sixth with 68.9 per cent.
Nyamira Governor Amos Nyaribo and Isiolo County Governor Abdi Ibrahim Hassan took positions eight and nine with 66.2 per cent and 65.4 per cent respectively while Siaya Governor James Orengo with 63.8 percent came 10.
According to the poll, Governor Njuki became the second transformed County Chief because of improved water infrastructure through improvement of major water projects.
In the agriculture sector, Governor Njuki has also brought a lot of transformation through the introduction of drought resistant crops and modern irrigation which have greatly boosted food production ending the era of starvation in the county.
Trade is the other area which made Governor Njuki shine in the region because of the construction of modern markets and storage facilities for traders that have promoted the economy.
In the poll which was conducted between November 10 and 17th, a total of 3211 respondents across the country were interviewed.
The participants were questioned on the governor’s performance satisfaction, public participation, as well as compliance with county planning as per the County Governments Act 2012.
The survey also explored the implementation, execution, and transparency of automated revenue collection systems with data collected through a survey as well as that from the Office of the Controller of Budget, the Auditor General and the quotas from the youth and the public.
The poll noted a strong correlation between development and re-election and recommended governors to priotise on public needs rather than self-initiated projects that rarely addresses the main challenges facing the residents.
Mr Emmanuel Kutosi, the Politrack Africa data analyst also noted that over time, the political approval ratings often decline making it difficult to maintain or improve the ratings.
“The mean approval rating is at 55.8 percent meaning that governors have a big room for improvement and they move towards the end of their five-year-tenure,” said Mr Kutosi.
He also noted that those above 50 per cent rating and are serving their first term have a chance of being re-elected while those below may face significant challenges to convince the voters for another term.
Mr Kutosi made it clear that the poll was self-funded by Politrack Africa to ensure impartiality and independence in reporting public opinion.
He added that based on the findings, his firm was recommending that governors with high approval ratings should maintain their current strategies and share best practices with other counties.
Further, he noted, low-performing governors should conduct in-depth assessments of public concerns and develop targeted improvement plans.
