Kenya Presidential Election: Why are the presidential elections to be held in Kenya considered important, what are the issues and challenges of the people

After being in power for a decade in Kenya, the exercise to choose the successor of Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has started. The people of Kenya are about to vote for a new president. Leader of the Opposition Raila Odinga is considered a strong candidate. He is contesting the fifth round of elections for the presidency. He is backed by former rival Kenyatta. The second candidate is William Ruto, Kenyatta's deputy.

These issues being raised

Both the candidates are focusing more on domestic issues. Both are in the public eye with promises to reduce tensions in neighboring Ethiopia or disputes between Rwanda and Congo. Kenya is the economic center of East Africa. Its population is about 56 million. The country has a history of turbulent elections. Yet the country stands by its relative stability in the region.

Ruto is raising these issues

55-year-old Ruto is promoting himself as a leader of the youth and the poor. He is raising the issue of higher agricultural productivity and economy. Agriculture is the mainstay of Kenya's economy. About 70 percent of the rural workforce is engaged in agriculture. He said that if he becomes the President, his government will work to increase job opportunities.

Money in elections

There is no transparency in donations or spending for election campaigns in Kenya. Access to power, both legal and illegal, is estimated to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars on the part of some candidates for parliament and other positions. The official results will be declared within a week after the polling on Tuesday.

That's why this election is being considered important.

The major issues of every election include widespread corruption and the economy. Kenyans are troubled by rising food and fuel prices after Russia's attack on Ukraine. This crisis has freshened the wounds of the corona epidemic. Unemployment is a big problem in the country. More than a third of the country's youth are unemployed. In the last presidential election in 2017, for the first time in Africa, a top court overruled the results and ordered re-voting. If this happens, the burden on the economy will increase, which will increase the problems of the people.