JITTERS IN KENYA
NEWS ANALYSIS: Why Kenya's 2007 election violence is stoking tension today
The fight between old foes for the presidency is heated, and there are fears that tensions may spill over into violence
Days before Kenya goes to the polls, concern about the risk of violence amid a deepening political crisis is stoking tension. Kenya still bears the scars of post-election violence in 2007, when at least 1,300 people died and more than 500,000 were displaced. There are fears that violence could rear its head again if there is any doubt about the credibility of the election results. These fears were heightened this week after senior Kenyan election official Chris Msando was found dead, and colleagues said he had been tortured. Both the incumbent president, Uhuru Kenyatta, and his main rival, Raila Odinga, have made it clear that they will not take defeat lightly. Odinga’s coalition, the National Super Alliance (Nasa), has also controversially questioned the integrity of Kenya’s electoral commission. For both candidates, the stakes are high. At 72, Odinga is widely believed to be running his last campaign for the presidency, the elusive culmination of his long political career. For Ken...
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