Kenyans go to the polls on Tuesday, August 8, to choose their next crop of leaders for various elective posts.

The presidential election is billed as one of the most tightly contested in the country’s electoral history, with the most recent opinion polls showing a 1-3 percentage gap between the incumbent Uhuru Kenyatta of the Jubilee Party and Raila Odinga of the National Super Alliance.

While the cost of living, unemployment, corruption, security and free public services are key issues having an impact on the lives of Kenyans, the ultimate winner will be determined by a motley of factors. The EastAfrican's Peter Munaita lists the top ten.

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1. TRIBALISM OR REGIONALISM

Politicians talk of shunning it, at least until an election comes around...

2. MONEY AND SOURCES

“We cannot support you and give you money for the campaigns”...

3. INCUMBENCY

A network afforded by incumbency would be difficult for an opposition to marshal...

4. 2022 POLITICS

The man within a heartbeat of the presidency is also the man to beat...

5. CAMPAIGN STRATEGY

Jubilee campaign strategy is quite basic — continuity, while that of Nasa is a call for reforms...

6. PERSONALITY AND CHARACTER

Easy-going Kenyatta versus reserved Odinga. Will these personalities influence outcome?...

7. VOTER TURNOUT

Politicians are already coming up with hilarious ways to ensure high voter turnout...

8. DEMOGRAPHICS

A candidate’s appeal to the youth could give an advantage...

9. IEBC

Faith in the arbiter can determine the participation and performance of a player, a team or fans...

10. SECURITY AND ELECTION-RELATED VIOLENCE

A claim by Nasa presidential candidate Mr Odinga that the military was to be involved in rigging the elections outcome stoked controversy, with some feeling he had gone too far in his politicking.

The government and the military have denied this saying the military must prepare to complement the police force in case of violence in about half of the 47 counties that have been declared as hotspots.

Mr Odinga’s worry has been that heavy security presence could discourage voters, a concern backed by two per cent of those who feared the polls might not be free and fair.

Across the country, however, 10 per cent of respondents said there was likely to be political violence in their area.

The presidential election was the most likely to trigger violence in Nairobi, Nyanza and Western while local elections could cause unrest in Rift Valley, Eastern and Nyanza.

Outside ordinary crime, political rivals, police, extremists, other communities and vigilante groups were seen as the main threats to security during the election period.

LAST WEEK: The 10 crucial issues in Uhuru, Raila's second duel