Kenyans head to the polls amid tightened security

By Andrew Wasike and Magdalene Mukami

NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) - Millions of Kenyans on Tuesday turned up to vote in the 2017 general elections in a bid to elect a new government that will serve the country for the next five years.

Voters cut sleep short and began to line up as early as 12 a.m. EAT (2100GMT on Monday) to vote in what many are terming as game-changing elections as incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta, a businessman and son of Kenya's founding father Jomo Kenyatta faces off with Raila Amollo Odinga who has tried to become president four times in the past but has never emerged victorious.

Over 150,000 police officers have been deployed to provide security to election officials and to ensure everything runs smoothly across around 41,000 polling stations in the country.

Anadolu Agency spoke to some of the people who were queuing at Moi Avenue Primary School in Nairobi.

"I came here at 1 in the morning even though the voting starts at 6. I love my country and that is why I sacrificed to be here in the cold so that I can just vote and leave for work. I am a driver so even though it's a holiday, that doesn’t apply to me," Dennis Kamau said.

With her baby shielded with folds of blankets, Miriam Njeri said she prayed for peace so that the country did not descend into post-election violence like back in 2007, when more than 1,300 people were killed and over 630,000 others displaced.

"I just came from casting my vote and I want to go home early and wait for the results. We are praying. I am praying for peace," she said.

Those who have voted are having their fingers inked to distinguish them from those who are yet to vote. The electoral body is also inking the fingers of infants to avoid the "loaning" of children with an aim to bypass the long queues.

Close to 20 million Kenyan voters are participating in the biggest polls since March 2013, according to The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.

Kenyans are voting to elect the president, members of the senate, county governors, county women representatives, members of county assemblies and members of parliament in 40,883 polling stations across the country.

The results are expected to be announced by Wednesday morning, although the IEBC said there could be some delays because 11,000 polling stations out of the 40,883 lack 3G or 4G network connectivity.

In the previous polls, opposition leader Raila Odinga had claimed that 2 million votes were used to rig the election.