Millions of Kenyans voted in the country's fiercely-contested race that some consider a test for democracy as citizens tensely await for results after the closing of polls.
A wave of relief flooded the nation on Tuesday as the presidential election passed largely peacefully after several months of bitter jostling and mud-slinging. Supporters feted one of the front-runners, Raila Odinga, at his Nairobi stronghold.
Kenya Presidential Election
On the other hand, his determined rival, William Ruto, praised the majesty of democracy after casting his vote before dawn. As the polls closed, the country's election shifted into a new and unpredictable phase that, if previous elections are any indication, could be rocky.
Previous elections gave way to periods of tense uncertainty involving accusations of vote-rigging, protracted courtroom dramas, bouts of street violence, and even a murder mystery. The situation could last for weeks, even months, before a new president is sworn in.
A factory manager, Charles Owuiti, said that people just do not trust the system, while he waited to cast his ballot in Nairobi, the line snaking through a crowded schoolyard. However, the ethnic divisions that framed previous votes have been dialed down, as per the New York Times.
In the scene of previous clashes, Rift Valley, fewer people than in the past fled their homes fearing they might be attacked. Instead, Kenyans streamed into polling stations across the nation, some in the predawn darkness, to choose their prescient, as well as parliamentarians and local leaders.
Odinga, who is among the four candidates for president, is a 77-year-old opposition leader running for the fifth time. Ruto, on the other hand, is the outgoing vice president and self-declared champion of Kenya's "hustler nation."
According to CNN, Odinga is a businessman and politician who served as the prime minister of Kenya for five years following the disputed presidential election of December 2007. He is part of the country's political dynasty with his father, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, being the first vice president of independent Kenya.
Fiercely-Contested Race
He earned a master's degree in mechanical engineering in East Germany in 1970 and was a one-time lecturer at the University of Nairobi after his studies abroad. He has pledged to set up social protection and a universal healthcare program called Babacare, due to him being known as "Baba" by Kenyans, for poor households.
The elections come as the cost of living, high unemployment, and rampant corruption have dominated the campaign season. While polls were scheduled to close at 6:00 p.m. local time, there were reports of extended voting in some locations.
These include stations that opened late and where some biometric kits used to identify voters failed to work properly. In Gatundu in central Kenya, there were technical and logistical problems reported in several polling stations. However, overall, "voting went smoothly," said Catherine Soi.
Members of the Maasai community wore their traditional clothing as they waited patiently in line to vote for their chosen officials. Some analysts argued that Kenyans want politicians to focus on issues like the country's economy, Aljazeera reported.
Related Article:
Growing Resistance Forces Challenge Russia's Control Over Seized Areas in Ukraine
