NAIROBI — Flanked by cheering crowds and blaring vuvuzela horns, the frontrunners in
Kenya’s presidential election vowed to revive the country’s troubled economy
Saturday as they made their final push for votes ahead of the August 9 polls.
اضافة اعلان
Deputy President
William Ruto and
Raila Odinga, a veteran opposition leader now backed by the
ruling party, are fighting for the chance to lead the East African powerhouse
as it grapples with a cost-of-living crisis.
Previous polls
have been marred by violence — including inter-ethnic clashes — and continue to
cast a dark shadow over the country, where 22.1 million voters will now choose
the next president, as well as senators, governors, lawmakers, woman
representatives, and county officials.
The battle for
votes has been dominated by mud-slinging, tit-for-tat claims of rigging, and a
freebie bonanza for supporters, who have been showered with umbrellas,
groceries, and cash for attending rallies.
After months of
frenetic campaigning across the vast country, the two candidates staged their
final offensive in the capital Nairobi, addressing thousands of flag-waving
supporters.
A former
political prisoner who is making his fifth run for president, Odinga promised
to transform the multi-ethnic country into a land “of hope and opportunity, a
Kenya not for individual tribes, but one big Kenya tribe”.
Ruto, who has
cast himself as “hustler-in-chief”, said his government would tackle inflation
and create jobs, vowing: “We are going to have a nation that leaves no Kenyan
behind.”
With lawyers
David Mwaura and George Wajackoyah — an eccentric former spy who wants to
legalize marijuana — also in the fray, speculation has mounted that Kenya may
see its first presidential run-off, sparking worries that a disputed result
could lead to street violence.
Close race
A wealthy businessman with a rags-to-riches background and a shadowy
reputation, Ruto, 55, was long expected to be President
Uhuru Kenyatta’s successor,
but was sidelined when his boss — who cannot run again — joined hands with
longtime rival Odinga in 2018.
Kenyatta’s
endorsement has given Odinga, 77, access to the ruling Jubilee party’s powerful
election machinery, but has also dealt a blow to his anti-establishment
credentials.
Nevertheless,
some analysts believe Odinga will emerge the winner in a close race, with
Oxford Economics highlighting the fact that “several influential political
leaders”, including Kenyatta, back him.
Odinga has made the fight against corruption a key
plank of his campaign, pointing out that Ruto’s running mate is fighting a
graft case.
Ruto meanwhile
has taken aim at the “dynasties” running Kenya — a reference to the politically
powerful Kenyatta and Odinga families — hoping to strike a chord in a nation
where three in 10 people live on less than $1.90 a day, according to the World
Bank.
Evance Odawo, a
23-year-old tailor attending Odinga’s rally, told AFP: “We expect from the next
president that the economy improves and the living standards, too.”
Grace Kawira, an
unemployed mother-of-two, was waiting for Ruto’s arrival at a separate venue.
“There’s no
work. We don’t have a job. We are the hustlers,” she told AFP, echoing concerns
shared by many across Kenya.
“We are just
surviving.”
New chapter
The election will open a new chapter in Kenya’s history, with neither
candidate belonging to the dominant Kikuyu tribe, which has produced three of
the country’s four presidents.
Analysts say the
economic crisis will likely compete with tribal allegiances as a key factor
driving voter behavior.
With large
ethnic voting blocs, Kenya has long suffered politically motivated communal
violence around election time, notably after a disputed poll in 2007 when more
than 1,100 people died, scarring the nation’s psyche.
The run-up to
this year’s poll has been largely calm, with the police planning to deploy
150,000 officers on election day to ensure security and the international
community calling for a peaceful vote.
Since 2002,
every Kenyan presidential poll has been followed by a dispute over results. The
Supreme Court annulled the 2017 election due to widespread irregularities in
the counting process and mismanagement by the
Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.
The commission, which is
under pressure to ensure a free and fair poll, insists it has taken all
necessary precautions to prevent fraud, with Kenyans hoping for a peaceful
vote.
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