The U.S. State Department has cautioned American citizens living in or traveling to Kenya about possible violence in rallies or protests, ahead of general elections slated for Aug. 8th, Reuters reports.
“Rallies, demonstrations, and protests may occur with little notice and even those intended to be peaceful can escalate into violence,” the State Department said in a travel alert.
It urged US citizens to avoid areas where protests or demonstrations are occurring and to “exercise caution if unexpectedly in the vicinity of any such events.”
Candidate selections for national and county offices are taking place this month, the State Department noted
Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga said in February that mass protests were possible if the August elections were rigged. After a disputed poll in 2007, more than 1,200 people were killed in weeks of fighting after political protests turned into ethnic clashes, but 2013 elections passed relatively peacefully.
