“Are you the white man from Steadman?! Your work is very good!” A Reply to Thomas P. Wolf

Alexander B. Makulilo

Abstract


Opinion polls during the Kenya’s 2013 general elections were highly disputed by academics, politicians and the general public that they were biased. This was despite the enactment of the Publication of Electoral Opinion Polls Act No. 39 of 2012 which meant to regulate standards by pollsters. Related to the above, I interrogated the polling industry focusing on the Ipsos Synovate. I noted that sampling, question design, and reporting were flawed. As a reaction, Thomas Wolf insists that Ipsos’ polls have always been scientific and error-free. It is not surprising that Wolf cobbles falsehood and forces it down on the reader in the most unpalatable style with jumbled phrases and incongruent expressions that even affront research. His claims are incoherent and not evidence based. Unfortunately, while his response does nothing to dispel these criticisms, it multiplies the problems that my article raises.

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