Give police proper equipment ahead of polls

Not all insecurity problems bedevilling the country are connected to the March 4 General Election. Thus, to draw a direct line between one conflict or another and the upcoming presidential contest would be wrong, unless there is good reason to think the dynamics of both are linked. There may well be reason to be concerned and vigilant. After all, given the high stakes some of our leaders place on the outcome of the next election, many such situations may be exploited by the disaffected.

But, as even the most alarmist observer will concede, violence in the vein of the 2007 and 2008 chaos is not inevitable. Following the post-election violence of 2007, Kenyans agreed on a roadmap to peace that included short-term measures, like creating a transitional Grand Coalition and dealing with crimes committed in the period, and longer term goals like resolving historical injustices, securing the reform agenda and handling the land question. Some progress has been made on the long-term issues, known as ‘Agenda Four’ items in the National Reconciliation Accord. But, a great deal remains to be done.