Usually it is within six months of a general election that temperatures rise high enough to bring about the kind of violence that produces casualties. But election-related deaths have come remarkably early this time around. This tells us that the 2022 election will not be a replay of the 2002 transitional election, in which election-related violence was minimal. Indeed, our current president, Uhuru Kenyatta, who was the loser in the 2002 presidential election, very gracefully conceded defeat and congratulated the winner, Mwai Kibaki. After all, is it not obvious from the history of each presidential election that we have ever had, that when it comes to the casting of votes Kenyans practice what is formally known as “identity politics”—what may more bluntly be called tribalism.

Source: The Star October 08, 2020 00:56 UTC