Be wary of leaders abusing public trust to sow discord

Stated often as a matter of fact and in a seemingly innocuous way, the idea that there is a link between electoral violence and incumbency, is slowly taking root. The idea has been peddled by several observers without explanation. But the statement gained more salience during the recent National Elections Conference at which Raila Odinga included the statement in his speech. This statement was repeated by Dr Ekuru Aukot, the presidential candidate who aspires to become a benevolent dictator, during a panel discussion on electoral security.

If there is one thing that requires to be stated at the very beginning, it is that merely stating that an election in which an incumbent has sought reelection has been violent, is description and not an analysis. They appear to be confusing the two. Such confusion could be ignored if the potential consequences were not so grave.