sent by Ogello Okullo
Date: Fri, 28 Sep 2007 13:09:47 +0200

Raila ahead in presidential race!

By MUGUMO MUNENE and JEFF OTIENO

ODM presidential candidate has for the first time overtaken President Kibaki to top the latest Steadman opinion poll.

Poll results released this morning by the Steadman pollsters give Mr Odinga 47 per cent, the incumbent ? President Kibaki is at 38 per cent while ODM-Kenya's Kalonzo Musyoka comes third at eight per cent.

A total of 2020 people were asked who they would vote for if elections were to be held right away.

The pollsters said the sample was weighted across the country?s districts according to the distribution of the over 14 million voters who would be eligible to participate in the elections expected in December.

The poll was conducted over the last one week, between September 21 and September 25.

Mr Odinga?s ratings have jumped from 25 per cent in Steadman?s previous poll released in July. The July poll had President Kibaki leading at 45 per cent.

The results have come out only a day before President Kibaki officially launches his campaign to seek a second term.

Mr Odinga will be formally rolling out his own presidential push from Nairobi?s Uhuru Park on October 6.

The new poll reflects the worse performance yet by Mr Musyoka, who led the rankings most of last year.