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| Kenya election: Your questions answered | Kenya election: Your questions answered |
| (3 days later) | |
| Ahead of Kenya's elections in August, we asked you what issues you want us to report on. | Ahead of Kenya's elections in August, we asked you what issues you want us to report on. |
| We will be updating this page with further questions: | We will be updating this page with further questions: |
| How are the politicians funding their election campaigns? | How are the politicians funding their election campaigns? |
| Kenya does not have an election campaign funding law. An attempt by the electoral commission to introduce one last year was defeated by MPs. | Kenya does not have an election campaign funding law. An attempt by the electoral commission to introduce one last year was defeated by MPs. |
| The commission had proposed caps for different seats: | The commission had proposed caps for different seats: |
| The absence of the law means candidates are currently free to spend as much as they want. | The absence of the law means candidates are currently free to spend as much as they want. |
| According to the privately owned Daily Nation, "most of the money is spent on logistics and advertisements but many candidates and parties also bribe voters". | According to the privately owned Daily Nation, "most of the money is spent on logistics and advertisements but many candidates and parties also bribe voters". |
| It reports that in the 2013 election, then opposition coalition Cord spent in excess of $50m (£40m) while the governing Jubilee Party spent more than $100m to run its presidential campaign. | It reports that in the 2013 election, then opposition coalition Cord spent in excess of $50m (£40m) while the governing Jubilee Party spent more than $100m to run its presidential campaign. |
| Politicians raise money from businessmen and some hold fundraisers. Opposition parties however accuse the ruling party of using state resources in its campaigns. | Politicians raise money from businessmen and some hold fundraisers. Opposition parties however accuse the ruling party of using state resources in its campaigns. |
| Will there be post-election violence? | Will there be post-election violence? |
| Ken Opalo, from Georgetown University in the US, says that while there is likely to be some trouble, it will not be on the scale seen 10 years ago, which left more than 1,000 people dead and about 600,000 displaced from their homes. | Ken Opalo, from Georgetown University in the US, says that while there is likely to be some trouble, it will not be on the scale seen 10 years ago, which left more than 1,000 people dead and about 600,000 displaced from their homes. |
| "I am not too worried about the national elections. The real action will likely be at the county level," he said. | "I am not too worried about the national elections. The real action will likely be at the county level," he said. |
| "There will most certainly be violence. But again, that will be more a reflection of what is at stake, rather than some descent into complete chaos and state failure." | "There will most certainly be violence. But again, that will be more a reflection of what is at stake, rather than some descent into complete chaos and state failure." |
| This is a view shared by Nic Cheeseman, professor of democracy at the UK's University of Birmingham and a commentator on Kenyan politics. | This is a view shared by Nic Cheeseman, professor of democracy at the UK's University of Birmingham and a commentator on Kenyan politics. |
| He says "disorderly party primaries are a reason to be concerned, but that they may not lead to greater conflict come election day". | He says "disorderly party primaries are a reason to be concerned, but that they may not lead to greater conflict come election day". |
| What chaotic primaries tell us about election | What chaotic primaries tell us about election |
| What is the true picture of Kenya's economy? | What is the true picture of Kenya's economy? |
| Kenya has maintained steady economic growth rate in the past five years, averaging 5% per year. | Kenya has maintained steady economic growth rate in the past five years, averaging 5% per year. |
| However, rising prices of basic goods like milk, bread and maize flour have pushed inflation up to 12%, and many Kenyan families say they are now struggling to get by. | However, rising prices of basic goods like milk, bread and maize flour have pushed inflation up to 12%, and many Kenyan families say they are now struggling to get by. |
| Kenyans have been using the hashtag #CostOfLivingKe to share the costs of basic items and how they are adjusting their lifestyles. | Kenyans have been using the hashtag #CostOfLivingKe to share the costs of basic items and how they are adjusting their lifestyles. |
| "Every election year, the economy also experiences a shrinkage and that's no different this year as investors wait out on the election period," Kwame Owino, CEO of the Institute of Economic Affairs told the BBC. | "Every election year, the economy also experiences a shrinkage and that's no different this year as investors wait out on the election period," Kwame Owino, CEO of the Institute of Economic Affairs told the BBC. |
| "Some companies are currently cutting down employment, but not in big numbers, and the informal sector remains the biggest employer," he added. | "Some companies are currently cutting down employment, but not in big numbers, and the informal sector remains the biggest employer," he added. |
| Positives: | Positives: |
| Kenya got $1bn in new investments in 2014 following some reforms like reducing the costs of doing business and bureaucracy, investment in infrastructure and lowering visa costs which has encouraged tourism. | Kenya got $1bn in new investments in 2014 following some reforms like reducing the costs of doing business and bureaucracy, investment in infrastructure and lowering visa costs which has encouraged tourism. |
| Negatives: | Negatives: |
| The economy has however been strained by corruption, heightened political tension and state-controlled bank interest rates - a measure meant to reduce borrowing costs that has failed to deliver. | The economy has however been strained by corruption, heightened political tension and state-controlled bank interest rates - a measure meant to reduce borrowing costs that has failed to deliver. |
| The UN's development agency (UNDP) says Kenya has the highest unemployment rate in the region, with four out of 10 Kenyans out of work. | The UN's development agency (UNDP) says Kenya has the highest unemployment rate in the region, with four out of 10 Kenyans out of work. |
| Mr Owino says that dispassionate voters may be guided by who they think will best serve their economic interests. | Mr Owino says that dispassionate voters may be guided by who they think will best serve their economic interests. |
| How bad is corruption? | How bad is corruption? |
| In its 2016 report Transparency International ranked Kenya at position 145 out of 176 countries. | In its 2016 report Transparency International ranked Kenya at position 145 out of 176 countries. |
| It blamed Kenya's low ranking on the incompetence and ineffectiveness of anti-corruption agencies, saying that the failure to punish individuals implicated in graft had been a major stumbling block. | It blamed Kenya's low ranking on the incompetence and ineffectiveness of anti-corruption agencies, saying that the failure to punish individuals implicated in graft had been a major stumbling block. |
| Anti-corruption campaigner John Githongo has called President Uhuru Kenyatta's administration "the most corrupt in Kenya's history". | Anti-corruption campaigner John Githongo has called President Uhuru Kenyatta's administration "the most corrupt in Kenya's history". |
| Mr Kenyatta has, however, said his anti-corruption efforts were being undermined by the courts, who were slowing prosecutions and the anti-corruption agency, who he said were "sluggish". | Mr Kenyatta has, however, said his anti-corruption efforts were being undermined by the courts, who were slowing prosecutions and the anti-corruption agency, who he said were "sluggish". |
| Mr Githongo cites several reported scandals involving alleged inflation of costs of projects and payments to phantom companies. | |
| In 2015, Mr Kenyatta suspended and eventually removed five ministers and other high-ranking officials on corruption allegations. Another minister resigned after public pressure. | In 2015, Mr Kenyatta suspended and eventually removed five ministers and other high-ranking officials on corruption allegations. Another minister resigned after public pressure. |
| Opposition members have also been named in several scandals but some have accused the government of scapegoating. | Opposition members have also been named in several scandals but some have accused the government of scapegoating. |
| Constitutional bodies set up to fight corruption have been accused of being partisan and lacking independence. | Constitutional bodies set up to fight corruption have been accused of being partisan and lacking independence. |
| Kenyan political analyst Barrack Muluka blames ordinary Kenyans for the corruption problem, saying that they are blinded by their ethnicity: "A government can steal as much as it wants and Kenyans will be happy as long as it's 'our thieves'." | Kenyan political analyst Barrack Muluka blames ordinary Kenyans for the corruption problem, saying that they are blinded by their ethnicity: "A government can steal as much as it wants and Kenyans will be happy as long as it's 'our thieves'." |
| He points at the April party primaries where candidates of questionable integrity and those accused of being involved in corruption won their races. | He points at the April party primaries where candidates of questionable integrity and those accused of being involved in corruption won their races. |
| Mr Githongo, calls it "normalisation of the absurdity". | Mr Githongo, calls it "normalisation of the absurdity". |
| He says that theft has become normal: "Those we used to call thieves are now hustlers," he says. | He says that theft has become normal: "Those we used to call thieves are now hustlers," he says. |