Opposition buoyant as Kenyans choose Moi's successor

Nothing was going to stop James Murage and his wife Monica from voting yesterday – or at least certainly not 1,000km of Kenyan potholes.

Over the past two days the couple endured a bone-rattling, 20-hour return journey from their home area near Lake Victoria to Nairobi. They stayed just long enough to help vote the Kenya Africa National Union (Kanu) out of power.

"There are too many problems," said Mr Murage as he stood in line in a muddy field at Ngong, south of Nairobi. "Now it is time for real change."

Kenyans voted with a sense of historical purpose yesterday as they carefully choose a president to replace their leader of 24 years, Daniel arap Moi, and, hopefully, lead Kenya out of its economic morass.

Polls and pundits predict an opposition victory for Mwai Kibaki, leader of the cross-tribal National Rainbow Coalition (Narc). His Kanu rival, Uhuru Kenyatta, son of the independence hero Jomo and also of the Kikuyu tribe, maintained he was still set to win.

Counting was slow and the Electoral Commission had announced no results early today, more than 12 hours after most polling stations in this East African nation closed.

The Institute for Education in Democracy, an independent body that is observing the elections, said preliminary results showed that Mr Kibaki had won 220,372 of votes counted so far, while Kenyatta had won 60,633 votes.

The institute, which is part of an umbrella of Kenyan organizations providing election observers, has 178 volunteers at polling stations, where votes are being counted for the first time in Kenya.

Citizen Radio, an independent station, said Kibaki had so far won 308,082 of votes counted, while Kenyatta had won 95,906.

Some 10.5 million people registered to vote at 18,366 polling stations in the elections. Official results for the presidency, 210 seats in parliament and 2,104 local council seats are not expected until Sunday or Monday.

A spate of voting irregularities marred an otherwise peaceful, orderly poll. In Kibera, a stinking slum a stone's throw from President Moi's Nairobi mansion, hundreds of voters were told they were not listed on the roll, sparking scenes of fury and indignation.

"I feel pissed off. It is a sort of hanky-panky, to prevent us from voting for the opposition," said Duncan Ooko, a 24-year-old factory worker clutching a valid voter's card and identification. Similar registration problems were reported at several centres in Nairobi and Mombasa.

The anger threatened to spill over into violence during the afternoon when a 200-strong mob chased after an election official with cries of "no more rigging", "let the people vote", and "lynch him". The man escaped into a classroom and the crowd calmed down.

Anders Wijkman, EU election observer mission chief, estimated the irregularities would affect only "a few per cent" of voters. Otherwise, he said, polling had been "a real improvement on 1997". Elsewhere, voting passed off peacefully in a sign that Kenyan democracy has matured. Traditional voting patterns, wrought by 24 years of tribal manipulation under President Moi, seemed to be breaking.

A cluster of Masai were voting inside a rickety school building at Ilmasin, a breezy settlement along the spine of the Ngong Hills. In previous elections the Masai voted like automatons for Kanu, said Joseph Marikuku, a 30-year-old herder. But not any more.

"We are also dancing according to the rhythm – otherwise we might be left behind," he said, reflecting the rush to opposition ranks that has seized Kenyan politics in the past two months.

Further back in the line was Richard Leakey, the famed archaeologist, conservationist and, until President Moi fired him last year, head of Kenya's civil service.

He cautioned against polls that predicted a landslide win for Kibaki's Narc. "I don't think we should underestimate the apathy in rural areas, and the ability of the administration to tell people what to do," he said.

In Thika, Uhuru Kenyatta's stronghold 40km north of Nairobi, voting was also going peacefully. Kenyatta supporters remained undeterred by predictions of their leader's impending demise.

"We need a man who is young, like me, to lead the nation," said vegetable seller Victor Muriuki, 41, after casting his vote.

Mary Nyokabi, a mother of nine, agreed. She voted for Kibaki in 1997 but he had become an old man, she said. "Let him go home and look after the goats. We want the kid."

After casting his vote yesterday, President Moi promised to respect the wishes of the electorate – whomever wins.

Counting started at most of the 18,366 polling stations immediately after they closed at 6pm last night. A provisional result is expected as early as lunchtime today, with a final result by tomorrow.