Long queues of voters were seen at different polling stations in Nairobi as voting to elect Kenya's president for the next five years began on Tuesday morning.
The country's election commission said the voting process began at 6 a.m. local time (0300GMT) and will continue until 5 p.m. local time (1400GMT) across 46,229 polling stations.
The commission reports that 22.1 million registered voters are exercising their democratic rights in the general elections, which are being monitored by 18,000 observers, including 1,300 international observers.
Electorates are casting ballots for the president, governor, members of parliament, and members of county assemblies.
The National Assembly is made up of 290 elected members, each representing a part of a county, 47 elected women from each of the 47 counties, and at least 12 members nominated to represent women, youth, and the marginalized. This gives the country 349 members to govern its affairs.
Many political pundits believe the elections will be a two-horse race between the country's 77-year-old former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and the deputy president, 55-year-old William Ruto.
For the past 10 years, Kenyans have been governed by President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy, William Ruto. During his presidency, enormous expenditures on infrastructure were made, leaving Kenya more developed but also in debt.
Two other candidates have also been cleared by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to contest the race.
Odinga, who is running for the presidency with the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Alliance party, and his running mate Martha Karua, 64, have promised a government that focuses on manufacturing to promote wealth and fight unemployment.
Ruto, who is running for president with his Kenya Kwanza coalition, says his government will focus on a manifesto that is aimed at transforming the country's economy to achieve durable growth while maintaining macroeconomic stability and empowering the people at the bottom of the pyramid.
Heavy security, drawn from all branches of the police forces, was present at all voting sites to ensure the smooth running of the elections. -
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