Politicians must make a final pitch for a peaceful election

As campaigns go to the home stretch ahead of Tuesday’s polls, politicians must take a stronger stand against violence. Regrettably candidates have largely left it to civil society organisations and other stakeholders to carry the message of peace.

Although the two main presidential candidates, Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga, have called for a peaceful electoral process, they need to go further and encourage their supporters to calmly accept the outcome of the poll with the understanding that grievances — if they emerge — can be handled by the courts. In the absence of this assurance, the underlying message will be that violence could be an option if the credibility of the electoral process is in doubt.