Kenya’s election to be discussed at Chattam House, London

By Digital Reporter

Kenya will be discussed on Tuesday at the Royal institute for International Affairs, also known as Chatham House, one of the world's most distinguished venues for discussion of international issues.

Among the critical concerns to be debated by the scholars and speakers will be Kenya’s next general election.

Statements posted on Chattam House website confirmed that Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s advisor Salim Lone will present a paper entitled: Kenya’s Pre- and Post-Election Challenges: The End of the Kibaki-Raila Decade.

Participants will be seeking to discuss the challenges of transitional general election which will see President Kibaki retire from power.

A statement on the site said: “As Kenya approaches presidential polls in 2013, memories of the violence which surrounded the country’s last national elections remain fresh.

The coming months will be a time of shifting and sensitive politics for Kenya, as the coalition government must complete the implementation of the new constitution and deal with increasing threats to the country’s security.

The ambitions of prominent Kenyan politicians – including current Prime Minister Raila Odinga and the two presidential candidates indicted by the International Criminal Court – will be of particular interest as President Kibaki must stand down at the next elections.

Ahead of the publication of his book, War and Peace in Kenya, Salim Lone will draw on a decade of political experience in Kenya to highlight the transformations which the country has undergone in recent years and the possible impact these will have on Kenya’s political future.

The session will be chaired by Lord Chidgey, Co-Chair of the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Party Committee on International Affairs (DfID).

The mission of Chatham House is to be a world-leading source of independent analysis, informed debate and influential ideas on how to build a prosperous and secure world for all.

Chatham House was founded in 1920 and is based in St James' Square, London.

Chattam House Rule famous throughout the world for facilitating free speech and confidentiality at meetings, originated here.

'Chatham House' is both the name of the building and the name by which the Royal Institute of International Affairs is widely known.