Kenyan election: Hotly contested race to presidency sparks fears of violence

Kenyans surged to the polls yesterday in a hotly-contested general election as politicians called on voters to accept the results amid fears of a repeat of the violence that has marred previous elections.

Raila Odinga, 72, is making his fourth attempt at the presidency in a bid to unseat President Uhuru Kenyatta, son of Kenya’s first president, in a race that has been overshadowed by the murder of a senior election official and the opposition’s allegations of rigging.

Ahead of polls opening, the race was considered too close to call, leaving open the possibility that the losing side would reject the results. However by Tuesday evening, partial preliminary results showed Mr Kenyatta taking 55 per cent of the vote to Mr Odinga's 44 per cent with nearly half of all polling stations having been counted.

As polls opened at 6am Tuesday morning, long queues formed, snaking round polling stations, with observers predicting huge turnouts. Voters braved early starts and drizzle, with many starting to queue in the early hours of the morning.

By the time the polls officially closed at 5pm, there were still long queues at some polling stations, and voting was extended in parts of northern Kenya, where bad weather hampered the delivery of ballot papers.

This election has come under particularly close scrutiny amid concerns that any perceived irregularities could trigger deadly unrest in East Africa’s most developed and stable democracy. A decade ago, vote tallying abruptly stopped mid-count when the opposition was polling ahead. Its lead quickly evaporated, and the incumbent, Mwai Kibaki, was declared the winner. The opposition’s rejection of the results plunged the country into bloody violence along ethnic lines that left more than 1,200 dead, and 600,000 displaced.

Mr Kenyatta and William Ruto, now his vice president, were taken to the International Criminal Court for their alleged role in the violence, but their cases later collapsed for lack of evidence. Both men denied the charges against them.

Little separates the two men in terms of policy, and voting was expected in large part to follow tribal lines, particularly outside of the capital. Mr Kenyatta comes from the Kikuyu elite, while Mr Odinga hails from the Luo tribe, which has its stronghold in western Kenya.

In the lead-up to the election, which also sees contenders for a range of other posts from governor to city councillors, the mood had turned increasingly ugly. Chris Msando, a key election official, was found tortured and murdered a week before the vote, and the government deported foreign advisers to Mr Odinga’s campaign team. Mr Odinga has repeatedly suggested that the ruling Jubilee party will attempt to influence the outcome of elections.

By the time polling stations had closed, however, the opposition had offered little serious criticism of the process.

Mr Kenyatta, vying for his second term in office, said he would step down if he lost, and urged his main rival to do the same.

"In the event that they lose, let us accept the will of the people,” he said after voting at his local polling station 20 miles north of Nairobi. “I am willing, myself, to accept the will of the people, so let them too."

It is not clear when the final results will be known, but it could be as early as Wednesday morning, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission has said.

As voters streamed to the polls yesterday, the mood in parts of Nairobi was one of excited, if nervous, anticipation. Many believe that a rerun of the violence of a decade ago is unlikely, saying that the country’s electorate has matured, and recognises that too much is at stake.

“I think we’ve matured politically,” said Caroline Nthiwa, 34, a university lecturer after voting in central Nairobi. “I don’t think we’ll rise up to some chaotic thing. I think we’ve learned our lesson.”

Sarah Mwangi, 30, said that the post-election violence of 2007/8 had encouraged her to vote in subsequent polls. “I didn’t vote in 2007. I thought, ‘Why do I want to get rained on and stand for three hours?’” But when she saw corpses and severed limbs in the streets, she changed her perspective, and promised herself she would never opt out again.

“It was a reality check - a bad reality check,” she says.

International observers on the ground praised what they said was a more orderly and transparent process than in previous years. Kenya is using biometric voting and electronic transmission of results, which will be announced at constituency level, thought to reduce significantly opportunities for fraud.

Nevertheless, tensions are high as Mr Odinga has claimed that in both the 2007 and 2013 elections, victory was stolen for him. This is widely seen as his last bid for the presidency, and a ‘do or die’ moment for him.

In Kibera, Nairobi’s sprawling slum, huge cheers went up as Mr Odinga arrived to vote in the opposition stronghold. Youths clambered up onto trees and walls lined with shards of glass and barbed wire, to get a glimpse of the politician.

“Get out of my way,” one young woman cried at a man watching the scene. “You’re keeping me from my president!” Others blew on vuvuzelas, whistles, and cheered in support.

Many opposition voters said they would respect the result if it was considered credible. But others said they feared developments could quickly spiral out of control if the ruling Jubilee party is accused of stealing votes.

“In 2007, [the violence] came abruptly. Nobody expected it,” said Teresa Akini, a 23-year-old beautician. “This time, people are really waiting, and it will be a great disappointment [if Mr Odinga loses]. I know these people - they have transported their wives and kids home, and have come back ready to fight.”