Kenya's president has pledged to crackdown on politically instigated violence ahead of December's polls. Mwai Kibaki was speaking after being cleared by the Electoral Commission to contest for a second and final term. "Let us vote peacefully, there is no need to intimidate one another. Let us show the world that we are peacefully people who want to develop," he said. Some 20 people have been killed since July in political violence and some opposition rallies have been disrupted.

Close race

President Mwai Kibaki is running for the presidency for the third time in his political career spanning 44 years. He won elections in 2002 to replace long-time leader Daniel arap Moi. He is running on the newly formed Party of National Unity (PNU) ticket and is banking on a strong economic growth record for his re-election bid. In front of thousands of his supporters, who escorted him to present his nomination papers to the Electoral Commission, he urged politicians to stop intimidating their competitors. Meanwhile, Mr Kibaki's main opponent, Raila Odinga, is presenting his manifesto to his supporters at a rally in the capital, Nairobi. In the last few months, opposition rallies have been disrupted by PNU supporters. Electoral Commission Chairman Samuel Kivuitu has so far cleared six candidates to run for president. Political parties must now pick their parliamentary and civic candidates by 16 November.