Kenya Feature: A Beginner's Guide to Today's Elections

President Obama appeals to Kenyans to reject the intimidation of violence and host free, fair and peaceful elections

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Today's elections in Kenya are seen by many as a key to the stability of East and Central Africa, amid neighbours such as Somalia, the recently-divided Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

At the same time, there is the legacy of past election violence and the complication that a leading presidential candidate has been charged with war crimes by the International Criminal Court.

So what is happening today?

The elections are for a new President, MPs, and local representatives. They are the first under the new Constitution, passed in 2010.

What is the background?

In 2007, Kenya was the model of stability and opportunity within an otherwise chaotic region, or so it seemed.

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