The counting of votes has begun in Kenya following the end of the voting process. Millions of Kenyans went to the polls on Tuesday to elect fresh representatives including the President.
President Uhuru Kenyatta is due to retire after serving two terms in office.
Long lines snaked their way in and out of polling stations as Kenyans exercised their constitutional duty. While there are four presidential candidates, the choice is between Prime Minister Raila Odinga who enjoys the support of incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta, and Kenyatta’s Deputy William Ruto.
Ruto was among the first to vote as polls opened. He voted in his home constituency in Western Kenya, and moments after voting, he was confident that the exercise would go smoothly.
In Nairobi, hundreds of Raila Odinga’s supporters followed him into the polling station. Odinga cast his ballot just after ten in the morning.
Vote counting underway: Sarah Kimani reports
The exercise was, however, marred by delays occasioned by the failure of the electronic identifying kits.
The electoral commission announced that it had authorised the use of manual registers in several polling stations.
The Raila Odinga-led Azimio la Umoja coalition has protested the failure of the electronic identifying kits indicating that it would affect voter turnout.
The electoral commission announced that by 4 PM, voter turnout was at 56.1%.
Polls closed at 5 PM in several polling stations but in areas where the exercise started late, time extension was allowed.
Kenyan Elections I Polls closed in Kenya’s presidential and parliamentary elections:
