Kenyans worried about election violence

Most of Kenya’s elections over the last 20 years have involved some level of violence and protests.

The worst was in 2007 when at least 1,000 people were killed and more than half a million displaced.

So it’s not surprising that many in Kenya are looking ahead to the upcoming elections in August with a sense of nervousness.

Kenyan journalist John Allan Namu tells us that it doesn’t help that some politicians are using “unsanitary” language on social media, that the independent election body is underfunded and untrusted by many Kenyans, and that the recent process for nominating candidates was chaotic and controversial.

“We are not rid of the ghost of violence in our elections… Even though it has not been switched on, there is current violence and intolerance that can be turned on at any moment,” he says.

“We are a country that has refused to take the many turning points that have been offered to us either through very painful points in our past or through opportunities,” he adds.

So what hope is there for a peaceful election in Kenya?

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