Infotrak issued a public notice to disown a fake opinion poll circulating online, which claimed to predict the results of the July 16 Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election.
The research firm also clarified that it neither conducted, commissioned, published, nor endorsed the fabricated survey. It urged the public to verify any opinion poll through its official communication channels.
“A poll currently circulating online regarding the Ol Kalou Member of Parliament by-election is NOT from our organization. We did not conduct, commission, publish, or endorse the poll,” Infotrak said.
The fake poll, dated July 11, incorrectly listed United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate Samuel Muchina Nyagah as the frontrunner with 54.6% support, putting Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) candidate Sammy Douglas Kamau Waweru second with 41.0%.
The fake poll also contained obvious mathematical errors. It listed other candidates from the Jubilee Party, the National Liberal Party (NLP), and the People’s Renaissance Movement (PRM) at 1.4% and 1.0%, respectively, among others.
The graphic used Infotrak’s branding and website to persuade an unwitting audience that the survey was real.
But the July 16 by-election results did not match the poll’s claims. On Friday, July 17, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) announced that DCP candidate Sammy Douglas Kamau won the Ol Kalou parliamentary seat.
He beat UDA’s Samuel Muchina Nyagah by more than 30,000 votes in a landslide.
Waweru received 35,440 votes, while Nyagah tallied 5,450. Jubilee’s Wilson Mwaniki Kigwa finished a distant third with 198 votes, and NLP’s Stephen Wanyoike Waithaka polled 103 votes, based on results from all 144 polling stations.
Infotrak said that only polls published on its verified social media pages and official website are authentic.
The firm also cautioned the public against misinformation and urged people to check facts before they share anything.
“We urge the public to verify information through our official communication channels before sharing it. Our polls are only released on our verified social media platforms and official website. Don’t be misled by misinformation. Verify before you share,” warned Infotrak.
