Kenyans began voting on Monday in a general election,
in which two top contenders for President are war crimes suspects and a
half-brother to US President Barack Obama is running for governor.
Kenyan Presidential candidate Uhuru Kenyatta casts his vote
With 14 million registered voters heading to the polls,about 23,000 observers, including 2,600 international monitors deployed
Voters on Monday remained queued past the 14:00GMT deadline. Many waited for more than six hours at a time to cast ballots for a president, senators, members of parliament, county governors and representatives to the newly formed county assembly
Turnout topped 70%, the head of the Independent Boundaries and Electoral Commission said
The electoral commission will have seven days to announce the results.
Presidential Candidates
Prime Minister Raila Odinga(CORD Alliance) is making his third attempt at the
presidency, having unsuccessfully stood in 1997 and 2007. Widely
regarded as the favourite this time, he claims to have been robbed of
victory by vote-rigging in the last election.
Born the son of Kenya's first vice-president, Jaramogi Oginga Odina, in 1945, he has a passionate following in his native Nyanza region, in Kenya's west. He is unpopular in central Kenya, the heartland of the Kikuyu community, who are seen as rivals of Mr Odinga's Luo people.
He is the candidate of the Coalition of Reforms and Democracy (Cord)
Born the son of Kenya's first vice-president, Jaramogi Oginga Odina, in 1945, he has a passionate following in his native Nyanza region, in Kenya's west. He is unpopular in central Kenya, the heartland of the Kikuyu community, who are seen as rivals of Mr Odinga's Luo people.
He is the candidate of the Coalition of Reforms and Democracy (Cord)
Uhuru Kenyatta,Dy PM of Kenya(TNA Alliance)born in 1961 is the son of Kenya's founding President, Jomo Kenyatta, and also said to be heir to one of the country's largest fortunes.
He has been indicted by the ICC for alleged crimes against humanity during the 2007-8 post-election violence
Uhuru Kenyatta lost to President Kibaki in 2002 after having been groomed as
successor to former President Daniel arap Moi. He backed Kibaki in
2007, becoming one of the most powerful members of his cabinet
Kenyatta's Jubilee Coalition has a powerful source of support in two of Kenya's major ethnic groups - his own Kikuyu and the Kalenjin of running mate William Ruto, who has also been indicted by the ICC. The Kikuyu in particular see Mr Kenyatta as the Njamba ("hero") who "defended" them in 2007.
Kenyatta and his vice-presidential running mate William Ruto are among four people indicted by the International Criminal Court for their alleged role in the bloodshed
Kenyatta's Jubilee Coalition has a powerful source of support in two of Kenya's major ethnic groups - his own Kikuyu and the Kalenjin of running mate William Ruto, who has also been indicted by the ICC. The Kikuyu in particular see Mr Kenyatta as the Njamba ("hero") who "defended" them in 2007.
Kenyatta and his vice-presidential running mate William Ruto are among four people indicted by the International Criminal Court for their alleged role in the bloodshed
The
elections come amid fears of a repeat of the
ethnically driven violence that was unleashed in December 2007, when Mr.
Kibaki triumphed over Mr. Odinga in a presidential run-off vote.More
than 1,000 people were killed and hundreds of thousands displaced
by the time the two leaders formed a unity government in April 2008.
Opinion polls show a tight race between Prime Minister Raila Odinga and his deputy Uhuru Kenyatta.
Opinion polls show a tight race between Prime Minister Raila Odinga and his deputy Uhuru Kenyatta.
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