(Bloomberg) --

Kenya’s four presidential contenders promised to uphold peace and refrain from hate speech or insults during campaigning before the Aug. 9 election, the country’s Sunday Standard newspaper reported.

United Democratic Alliance’s William Ruto, Azimio la Umoja’s Raila Odinga, Agano’s Mwaure Waihiga and Roots Party’s George Wajackoyah signed a pledge in Nairobi this weekend, binding them to peaceful electioneering and accountable leadership before, during and after the vote.

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In elections in 2017, opposition protests against the results of the initial August polls resulted in the death of at least 17 people, according to the Kenya Red Cross. A disputed voted in 2007 claimed at least 1,100 lives.

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Kenya is the fifth-biggest economy in sub-Saharan Africa, the world’s largest exporter of black tea, and a regional hub for companies including Google Inc. and Coca-Cola Co.

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