Elections In Kenya: Is Bloodshed Inevitable? at The Frontline Club

In 2007, Kenya’s disputed presidential election descended into violence in which more than 1,000 people were killed. On 4 March all eyes will be on Kenya, as once again the country goes to the polls in what is set to be another heated election. We will be examining the results and what they mean for the future of the country. The government has faced criticism that it has not done enough to bring to justice those that incited violence at the 2007 election. The International Criminal Court (ICC) stepped in, resulting in four Kenyans facing charges of crimes against humanity at the Hague. Two of these are Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto, who are running on a joint ticket for president and vice president, raising the stakes yet further in March. Since the last election, a new constitution has come into force which has divided Kenya into 47 new counties, each with its own governor and parliament. The overarching idea of the new constitution is that the people will decide. Is this likely to be effective or wil it create further division?