Campaigning has officially kicked off in Kenya ahead of 2017 general elections scheduled for August.
The electoral commission cleared former Prime Minister Raila Odinga as well as two other independent presidential candidates.
President Uhuru Kenyatta who is running for his second and final term will seek clearance from the commission later Monday.
There are eight presidential candidates but the battle will be between Kenyatta and Odinga.
The electoral commission on Sunday cleared the way for Odinga to vie for the presidency; this is fourth attempt at Kenya’s top job.
Opinion polls have put Kenyatta ahead of Odinga but that was before a United Opposition fronted Odinga.
Still the opposition will find it difficult to oust Kenyatta who will be seeking a second and final term on the strength of his development record.
While the opposition accuses Kenyatta of failing to tame corruption, high levels of international debt and high costs of living, Kenyatta says his government has borrowed to develop infrastructure.
This week, he will inaugurate the Standard Gauge Railway, and motivated project which seeks to connect East Africa by rail.
Odinga will be in Western Kenya one of the opposition strings holds to seek votes.
– By Sarah Kimani
