PODCAST: Hate Speech and Ethnic Tensions Raise Threat of Violence Around Kenya’s 9 August General Election

Sibylline: Refined Insight

In this week's podcast, join Benedict Manzin our Sub Sahara Africa Analyst, and Edie Lipton our Associate Analyst, as we discuss the general election in Kenya.

The polls on 9 August look set to be one of the closest elections in recent Kenyan history. Opposition leader Raila Odinga only narrowly leads Deputy President William Ruto in opinion polls, elevating concerns that the unsuccessful candidate will likely allege fraud, igniting ethnic tensions primed by widespread hate speech online. However, with neither candidate offering significantly meaningful policy differences for Kenya’s electorate, higher rates of voter apathy could potentially mitigate the extent of violence.