In the past decades, researcher and analyst Tom Wolf, has shaped the political agenda with his in-depth opinion polls which give voters a scope of the popularity of candidates.
Wolf has also conducted research on different subjects such as graft and governance. Among his popular research was conducted in 2018 and listed leaders who a section of Kenyans perceived to be among the most corrupt.
Over a third of its respondents, according to the Ipsos Synovate survey, listed Deputy President William Ruto and Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru among the top leaders suspected of graft.
Waiguru, however, challenged the firm to present tangible evidence arguing that she had never been convicted in court. She also threatened to sue the research firm and Wolf, its then lead researcher.
But who is Wolf?
Wolf was elected a student leader of the Tennis Club at Oberlin College in Detroit, US, at the age of 19. The position motivated him to advocate for peace and coexistence in societies.
It was at a time when most African countries had gained independence but were still struggling with tribalism and apartheid.
He wrote a thesis, Tribalism vs Nationalism, that guided his studies at the college in 1967. At the time, the then US President Ronald Reagan created a programme called dubbed Peace Corps, through which Wolf became a teacher at Dr Aggrey Boys Secondary School in Wundanyi in Taita Taveta.
"Tribalism vs Nationalism was my thesis study for Africa, not for any particular country but Kenya," said Wolf in a past interview with KTN News.
Peace Corps is a unique opportunity for volunteers starting with limited or no teaching experience to meet global professional English standards. The program prepares them to teach in a variety of contexts and countries.
Wolf spent three years as a secondary teacher at Dr Aggrey Boys Secondary School and would later become a lecturer of Comparative Politics at the University of Nairobi (UoN).
He became the father of opinion polls in Kenya after joining Ipsos Synovate a few months ahead of the 2005 Referendum.
The South African firm would later come under fire in the lead-up to the 2017 presidential poll when the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader Raila Odinga accused it of skewing the survey in favour of President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Wolf and Ipsos parted ways in 2019 with the researcher stating that "I was given notice in terms of my contract which had some considerable time to run and my last working day was March 31, 2019."
He refuted claims that he was fired over a poll showing the most corrupt government officials.
“I have no intention of leaving Kenya, I will be exploring other opportunities here where my knowledge and skills can contribute to the country’s development,” he stated after the contract was terminated.
His exit from Ipsos, Wolf said, gave him the impetus to keep doing his job as a researcher. At the age of 74, Wolf is still practising as an independent researcher based in Nairobi, currently serving as Trends and Insights for Africa (TIFA) lead researcher.
Wolf has also worked with the Nation Media Group (NMG) as an opinion writer focusing on Kenyan politics.
