KENYA: Voting started around 6 a.m. in most parts of the country on Tuesday, when Kenyans went to the polls to elect their fifth president and other leaders.
The UDA presidential candidate, Deputy President William Ruto, was the first to vote at the Kosachei Primary School voting station in Turbo Constituency, Uasin Gishu county.
Martha Karua, the deputy presidential candidate of Azimio la Umoja, arrived at Mugumo Primary School polling station in Gichugu, Kirinyaga County, just before 6 a.m. She was the first individual to cast a ballot at the center.
Some voters in Nairobi’s Embakasi East Constituency had arrived at voting sites at 4:30 a.m., intending to cast their ballots and get to work on time.
Locals in Uasin Gishu County began lining up at Langas Primary School in Kapseret Constituency at 5 a.m., with some interviewed urging other Kenyans to keep calm.
Voters were already queuing at Gatundu Primary School in the Gatundu South Constituency, with some locals using vuvuzelas to rouse their neighbors up as early as 3 a.m.
Many Locals have been queuing since 4 a.m. at the Nabongo Primary School polling station in Lurambi, Kakamega County, waiting for the polling station to open.
The IEBC mandated voting hours are 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. across the country.
According to the electoral commission, 22,120,458 Kenyans are scheduled to vote in the country’s 46,233 polling sites.
Men account for 11.25 million of the voters, while women account for 10.87 million.
There are 8.8 million youth and 4.2 million people with impairments.
There are 10,444 diaspora voters, while 7,483 are imprisoned.
Kenya has 16,100 candidates standing for various elected seats, with 14,137 male candidates and 1,962 female candidates. Candidates who are running for the electoral positions under a political party are 11,574 while 4,526 are running as independent candidates.
