THE controversial re-election campaign of Mwai Kibaki, the Kenyan president, was masterminded by an Old Etonian public relations consultant who previously promoted Bob Geldof’s Live 8 campaign to tackle poverty in Africa.

Marcus Courage oversaw the communications team for Kibaki, whose government faces possible European Union sanctions for alleged vote-rigging.

Mombasa has been rocked by violence as bands of opposition supporters fight running battles with police in protest at Kibaki’s victory.

Yesterday Kibaki said that he was ready to form a government of national unity to steer the country back from violence that has killed more than 300 people and created a humanitarian crisis.

The tribalism that colours Kenyan life

The eruption of violence following Kenya's elections has brought to the fore the latent tribalism present in every day life

Multimedia

• Video comment: Richard Dowden, Africa expert

• Video: violence in Nairobi

Multimedia

• Pictures: Kenyan elections protests

Background

• FCO issues Kenya travel warning

• 50 die in blazing church as tribal war looms

• ‘We’ve spent three days hiding in our homes’

• British tourists told to stay indoors

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Courage said he played a “central role” in organising the Kibaki campaign for the most aggressively fought election in Kenya’s history. Kibaki, a man known for his well-tailored suits, switched to the brightly coloured long sleeved shirts popularised by Nelson Mandela, and blitzed the country with billboards, and daily television and radio advertisements.

Human rights groups have accused both candidates’ supporters of peppering speeches and leaflets with ethnic slurs against rivals. Courage, whose firm Africa Practice was contracted by Kibaki, denies any untoward behaviour and described the opposition claims as “rubbish”.

He first worked for Kibaki in 2002. Last month, a United Nations-sponsored report said a quarter of Kibaki’s £4.8m campaign costs were funded by money siphoned from the state. Courage denied that he had been paid with any corrupt monies and says funds were raised legitimately from Kenyan donors.

Courage’s role has angered the opposition, who accuse him of spreading defamatory pamphlets of their candidate, Raila Odinga. “He has personalised and played up the ethnic differences in this country . . . when we get into government [Courage] will be persona non grata [in Kenya],” said Ahmed Hashi, Odinga’s communications director.

In 2005 Courage became an adviser to the Make Poverty History campaign. Africa Practice later solicited support for African “trade justice” from business leaders such as Sir Richard Branson, Tom Glocer, the Reuters chief executive, and Sir Terence Conran.

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