What do the most recent polls indicate and how is that affecting the race?
Conflicting polls suggest a close race and while recent opinion polls show President Kibaki trailing Raila Odinga, others show the race as a statistical dead-heat. Minister Kalonzo is in third place, polling in the low double-digits. However, polling in Kenya is very political and not a reliable indication of the electorates’ thinking. How are the president and parliament elected? The president is elected by popular vote to serve a five-year term. In addition to receiving the largest number of votes in absolute terms, the presidential candidate must also win 25 percent or more of the votes cast in at least five of Kenya’s seven provinces to avoid a runoff. Kenya has a unicameral National Assembly (Bunge) with 222 seats. 210 members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms, 12 members are appointed by the president according to party weight in parliament and criteria set out in the National Assembly and Presidential Elections Act. The Speaker and the Attorney general are non
