Elections in Kenya: Avoiding violence in 2013

In March 2013 Kenya goes to the polls. The elections occur against a backdrop of tension and controversy: two of the four main contenders face charges at the International Criminal Court relating to the 2007–08 post-election violence; the previous electoral round left behind numerous victims, displaced people, and economic damage. During the build-up to the current election there have been eruptions of violence in political hotspots. Small Arms Survey consultant Manasseh Wepundi—author of a study on Kenyan electoral violence and another on firearms and security in Kenya—discusses the enduring impacts of the catastrophic violence which occurred in the past electoral cycle, and explains some of the precautions being taken to avoid a recurrence.