Putting Hate Speech in Context: Observations on Speech, Power, and Violence in Kenya

When I visited Kenya in August 2008 many people expressed their high hopes for Barack Obama in the upcoming election and for close U.S./Kenyan relations afterwards. But they also spoke about their fears. Many were convinced that Obama could be attacked or killed during the campaign. They anticipated violence to follow if he won, or if he lost. Their views of the election were framed by their experiences of multiple forms of post- election violence in Kenya just 8 months prior, which had left over 1000 individuals dead and perhaps half a million displaced. I tried to calm their fears by noting that measures were in place to protect the candidates.