Kenya elections 2022: Date, candidates and oda tins to know about di vote

Pedestrians and motorists dey next to campaign posters for Presidential candidates for Azimio La Umoja (Aspiration to Unite) Raila Odinga (L) and United Democratic Alliance (UDA) William Ruto, in Nairobi on June 30, 2022

AFP

Kenya, one of Africa leading economies go elect new president on 9 August.

Di election dey come for di middle of high cost of living, and bad economy wey go be serious challenge for anybody wey win di election.

President Uhuru Kenyatta dey support di rival of im deputy to win di election and keep im legacy.

All di previous elections for Kenya dey either lead to fight, rigging, outbreaks of deadly violence, or all join. But Kenyans dey hope say dis time go dey different.

Who be di candidates?

Di four-time failed presidential candidate Raila Odinga dey try im luck again. Di 77-year-old former prime minister get reputation say e be tough campaigner.

Im strong rival na di 55-year-old Deputy President William Ruto. E don prove say im na match for Mr Odinga on di campaign trail and don gada large crowds.

Two oda pipo dey wey dia name no too catch like dat dey on di ballot paper. Dem no be strong contender.

George Wajackoyah don catch di attention of di masses wit im proposal to legalise marijuana cultivation and to export snake venom.

David Mwaure Waihiga dey run anti-corruption message.

Kenya President Uhuru Kenyatta (R) flanked by opposition leader Raila Odinga, wave to deleagates of Orange Democratic Movement

AFP
Raila Odinga (L) and President Uhuru Kenyatta (R) na opponents for previous two elections

Why di president no back im deputy?

Tins don turn upside down for Kenyan politics. Mr Odinga na one-time serious enemy of di current President, Uhuru Kenyatta.

Di enimity between dem dey traced back to 60 years wen dia papa, both independence leaders, get issues and go dia separate ways.

But in a remarkable turnaround, di two men shake hands and make up for 2018 and Mr Kenyatta throw im weight behind Mr Odinga campaign.

Dis one leave Mr Ruto outside, inside cold and for several years, im relationship wit di top no too sweet.

Wetin be di main issue?

Di focus on di deputy president for dis election na di – economy.

For oda recent elections debates, toks about corruption and justice na im dey take di centre table, but dis time around, pipo dey tink about dia pockets.

Oga Ruto wey come from average but now don get bastard money, dey focus on policies to tackle youth unemployment and for 2018, e coin di phrase “hustler nation” to refer to pipo wey dey struggle to make ends meet.

As act of political symbolism, alongside di usual election serenre, e don give out free wheelbarrows for im campaign rallies.

Kenya Deputy President William Ruto tok on top stage during im first rally after dem officially nominate am as Presidential candidate

AFP
William Ruto cast himself as champion of poor pipo

E also present im candidacy as attempt to end di domination of Kenyan politics by dynastic families: di Kenyattas and Odingas.

Oga Odinga promise to continue di president development agenda and improve di lives of vulnerable Kenyans as e go give dem 6,000 Kenyan shilling ($50; £40) monthly stipend from one new social protection fund if e dey elected as president.

E don also pledge to provide affordable healthcare through wetin e call “Baba Care”, to promote himself as a fatherly figure for di nation of more than 56 million population.

He don also present im candidacy as an attempt to end di domination of Kenyan politics by dynastic families: di Kenyattas and Odingas.

Mr Odinga dey promise to continue di president development agenda and improve di lives of vulnerable Kenyans by giving dem a 6,000 Kenyan shilling ($50; £40) monthly stipend from a new social protection fund if dem elect am president.

E don also pledge to provide affordable healthcare through wetin e call “Baba Care”, promoting imself as a fatherly figure inside di nation of more dan 56 million.

Any ethnic dimension dey to dis election?

For Kenya, dem dey cast votes along ethnic lines and in previous years, e dey sometimes lead to nationwide violence wey pipo dey suffer attack and dey dey killed simply because of di community dem from come.

Di election of December 2007 dey followed by weeks of ethnic-based violence in which an estimated 1,200 pipo die and about 600,000 run leave dia homes.

Since den, politicians dey always beg for peaceful democratic engagement. But the issue of ethnic affiliation still dey.

Oga Odinga, na from Luo, and Oga Ruto, na Kalenjin, both of dem go rely on di votes of dia large ethnic groups to carry dem enta di State House.

But in a calculated move, both of dem don choose dia running mates from di kontri largest ethnic group – di Kikuyu. For Martha Karua, Mr Odinga don also pick di first woman to run on a major political party presidential ticket.

Concerns still dey say some ethnic tensions fit spill ova into violence and some pipo dey move to areas wia dia ethnic groups form di the majority to avoid being targeted.

But, in light of wetin happun afta di 2007 vote, authorities don take steps to ensure say tins dey peaceful.

Di election go dey free and fair?

Pipo go dey watch to see if di electoral commission don straighten out di problems wey for 2017 lead to di cancellation of di initial election result, wey make dem do di election all ova again.

Di issue dat time na di system wey suppose electronically transmit results from every polling station no bin work for some places. Opposition lawyers wey dey represent Mr Odinga argue successfully say dis allow di votes wey tally to dey tampered wit.

Dis time, di authorities say dem don take measures to make sure say electronic transmission go work smoothly.

Di speed of getting di election result go depend on how well dat system works, but for di night of 9 August, every result go dey closely scrutinised by di candidates’ representatives to make sure dem no cheat dem out of di top job.

Oda elections dey happun?

On polling day, Kenyans go dey cast multiple votes.

Alongside di presidential election, pipo go dey vote for MPs and senators wey wan go di national parliament, county governors and county assembly members.

And women get extra vote to elect one of 47 women’s representatives to sit for di national assembly.

How di election go work?

Polls dey due to open for 11 hours from 06:00 local time (03:00 GMT). Anyone wey still dey di queue for closing time no go dey allowed to vote.

Once closed, officials go begin count di votes at each polling station.

E neva clear yet wen di presidential election result go dey announced but di electoral commission get maximum of seven days to count and tally di votes.

To win, a candidate need more dan half di votes cast nationally and at least 25% of di votes cast in each of more than half of di counties.

If dem no reach dat threshold, den di election go enta into a second-round run-off between di top two candidates.



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