A Wary Kenya Gears Up For Tense Election

Nairobi, Aug 4 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 4th Aug, 2022 ) :Millions of Kenyans head to the polls next Tuesday, with two political veterans locked in a fierce battle for the presidency.

Memories of violence during previous elections loom large, and the country is grappling with a cost-of-living crisis, widening inequality and a crippling drought.

Four candidates are vying for the top job, with a tight race between frontrunners Deputy President William Ruto and Raila Odinga, the opposition leader now backed by the ruling party.

Campaigning has been dominated by mud-slinging, fake news and the practice of showering prospective voters with freebies including umbrellas, groceries and cash.

There is speculation Kenya may have its first presidential run-off, and concerns are mounting that if losing candidates challenge the results, the discord could erupt into street violence.

"It's very hard to say who will win the election because it's a toss-up on whoever can... be more emotionally attractive" to voters, said Macharia Munene, professor of history at Nairobi's United States International University.

The leading contenders are familiar faces: Odinga, 77, served as prime minister from 2008 to 2013 and Ruto, 55, became deputy president in 2013.

But Ruto -- long cast as President Uhuru Kenyatta's successor -- saw his ambitions thwarted when his boss shook hands with longtime rival Odinga in 2018.

Kenyatta, who has served two terms and cannot run again, has thrown his weight behind Odinga for August 9, giving him access to the ruling Jubilee party's powerful election machinery.

The handshake however dealt a blow to Odinga's anti-establishment credentials, prompting suggestions he had effectively bartered away his autonomy in exchange for Kenyatta's support.

Joining the presidential contest are lawyers David Mwaure and George Wajackoyah -- the latter an eccentric former spy who wants to legalise marijuana.

Kenyans will also choose senators, governors, lawmakers, woman representatives and some 1,500 county officials.