As Kenya prepares for a presidential election, why some Kenyans are campaigning for both sides | World News

The two leading candidates in the race for Kenya’s presidency held their final rallies ahead of next week’s vote.

At the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi, yellow flags spread across the stands as supporters chanted the name of Vice President William Ruto.

In the polls, he is just six points behind rival and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga – both of whom say they are confident of victory.

Mr. Ruto’s campaign has focused on one clear theme: advocating for the “hustle nation”, given his position as the hustling general manager.

It’s a catchy tagline for the young people here, who are facing a staggering unemployment rate and close to 40% of the registered vote.

In these difficult times, young Kenyans are finding creative ways to make a living.

At the stadium, we meet a group of Nairobians who appear to be deeply invested in Ruto’s victory. Dressed in bright yellow, hang posters of him above his head and sing along to campaign songs.

We spoke to them outside the parking lot.

“We are hustlers,” Sylvester said, when asked who they were.

By “hustlers” they don’t mean the generic label removed by the Ruto campaign, but real-life hustlers working within the political context itself.

“We get paid,” he said. “Price from 500 shillings – about $5 – $10.”

The election comes amid a deepening cost-of-living crisis as soaring fuel and food prices have plagued millions across the country.

Sylvester explains that getting this money from neighborhood recruiters he calls “political brokers” has become a necessity in these stifling economic times.

After an hour of showing their “support” for the vice president, they left the stadium and traveled 30 minutes across town for their next paid campaign rally.

They stopped on the curb to safely change to the blue and white of Mr Ruto’s main rival, Raila Odinga, out of sight of supporters from either side.

“When you meet the opposition, you have to be very cautious,” says Sylvester.

Many Kenyans are concerned about public safety during this stressful time.

In 2007, more than half a million people were displaced and at least a thousand were killed after widespread violence in a contested election. It was Mr Odinga’s second bid for the presidency and it will be his fifth.

We met him at the back of his campaign’s final rally and asked if he would accept the outcome if he lost.

“We will accept and congratulate the winner if he wins fairly and expect him to do the same,” Mr. Odinga said.

Despite these assurances, it is not certain that fairness and calm will prevail in the coming week.

On the eve of the last rallies, Mr. Ruto shared his confidence of a clear victory.

“By all indications, we won this election,” he said, ignoring the polls.