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86% of Kenyans say they have been keen on the ongoing campaign between Republican hopeful Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton who is running on a Democratic ticket. 82% think that Hillary will clinch the presidency and that this will improve the US relations with Kenya.
The United States of America citizens will today, 8th November, be electing their next President. The interest in the US elections by non- Americans has been high with reported cases of interference by Russia through cyber-attacks and FBI involvement.
In Kenya, the feeling on the ground is that interest in this election has not been as high as the last one in which President Barack Obama, born of a Kenyan father was running.
A good number of Kenyans have been following the US election campaign with many rooting for Hillary Clinton according to a GeoPoll Flash Survey conducted recently.
On Monday 7th Nov, Kenyans took to twitter to give their thoughts on the elections using the hashtags #AmericaDecides and #USADecides which quickly became top trending topics in the country on Monday and Tuesday respectively.
Many Kenyans have been using twitter to share their thoughts and preference in the candidate they hope will win. Others chose to bring in a bit of humor to the elections via the social media platform with many rooting for Trump so that he can deport the many Kenyans living in the US, who – as they put it, “ have refused to come back home despite being active online”
Please America vote for Trump, My uncle is stuck in the US and Trump us the only one who can depot him, we need him home?? #USADecides
— #theSOCIAL Czar (@julius6za) November 8, 2016
Kenyan mainstream Media, keen on tapping on this interest, have been providing news updates on the race with some stations going as far as giving insights into how exactly the US Electoral college works
How the US Electoral College works https://t.co/BTijeV3f7E #USADecides pic.twitter.com/jLZX6NPGQA
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) November 8, 2016
A likely Female president
86% of Kenyans said they have been keen on the ongoing campaign between Republican hopeful Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton who is running on a Democratic ticket. 82% of Kenyans think that Hillary will clinch the presidency.
If Hillary becomes the next US president, as many Kenyans are hoping, she will be setting a trend of “Women taking over the world” as one tweeter put it.
From Theresa May, Angela Merkel and now Hillary Clinton… Women taking over the world!? #USADecides
— esikuri dennis (@EsikuriDennis) November 8, 2016
As #USADecides @HillaryClinton Looks at writting History as the #1stFemaleUSPresident, @BillClinton the 1st Gentleman. #USElections2016
— ®Michael© (@IsamichaelFresh) November 8, 2016
Can a woman truly break the glass ceiling? #USADecides
— Grace Murugi (@gracemurugi) November 8, 2016
The subject of how US is poised to have its first ever female president is one that a lot of Kenyans – male and female are excited about.
As #USADecides @HillaryClinton Looks at writting History as the 1st Female President of the United States of America. #USElections2016
— ®Michael© (@IsamichaelFresh) November 8, 2016
My hope is that Hillary Clinton will win this elections… #AmericaDecides#USADecides then Michelle Obama next!
— Douglas Omariba (@sir_dagi) November 8, 2016
US Kenya Relations
When we asked what it would mean for the Kenya US relations if either candidate wins, a majority of Kenyans (59%) think that our relations will be strained should Trump become the US President. 24% do not think his win will affect our relations and 10% think a Trump win will actually improve our relations with the US
44% said Kenya’s relations with the US will improve should Hillary become the next US president. 36% did not think the outcome of a Hillary win will affect our existing relations and 15% think our relations will be strained as a result.
Kenyans on twitter shared their concerns regarding Trump’s comments on immigrants. Many speculate that a lot of Kenyans and Africans living in the US will be deported if Trumps becomes the next US president.
#USADecides
When trump wins he’ll be like
Kenyans you’re fired
Mexicans you’re fired
Latinos you’re fired— bridges (@mugala_was_here) November 8, 2016
US Elections & Kenya Elections in 2017
As US citizens cast their votes, 97% of Kenyans will be closely following the election results either from the internet or their local TV channels.
Some Kenyans online chose to make fun of those who have taken more interest in the US elections than the Kenyan elections. Kenya is headed to national elections in the year 2017.
Kenyans busy trending ????? but our own politics are a mess! I don’t know what will save Kenya yet 2017 is almost here. #USADecides
— James™ (@iJamesKarimi) November 8, 2016
Kenyans clearly know the best candidate for ?? but have no idea who to vote for in 2017 ?
#AmericaDecides— Tairus® (@_tairus) November 7, 2016
This Flash Survey was conducted amongst 170 respondents across Kenya using GeoPoll’s real-time survey platform.