Pressure points: threat of unrest looms as Kenya’s elections approach

Presidential candidate Raila Odinga addresses supporters in Nakuru on 5 June 2022. Photograph: Suleiman Mbatiah/AFP/Getty Images

As Kenya’s presidential elections draw closer, the country’s vulnerability to violence is back in evidence.

Kenyan politicians are infamous for inflaming underlying ethnic tensions, by touching on national pressure points, such as historical grievances over land. And this year’s vote comes at a time when the rising cost of living has left many households struggling.