MONDAY, 6.00PM:
At least two Kenyan voters were killed on Monday, the day of elections, both involved in a political clash in the western Siaya district, 300 kilometres north west of the capital, Nairobi. No details are available about the incident, or the parties involved. On Sunday, three people were killed, bringing the death toll in the run-up to elections to over 50.
In the Muranga district in central Kenya, a bodyguard to Education Minister Joseph Kamotho fired at a truck carrying supporters of the opposition FORD-People party, injuring the driver and damaging the vehicle. The opposition supporters had confronted Kamotho’s group and accused them of hiding ballot papers. A scuffle followed in which a car was overturned and another set on fire.
MONDAY, 4.00PM:
KENYAN presidential candidate Charity Ngilu and her supporters stormed an electoral office in central Kitui, and ‘confiscated’ 1 000 voter cards that she alleged had been ‘bought’ by officials of the ruling Kenyan African National Union party. Ngilu says she will challenge the election results in court.
MONDAY, 2.00PM:
KENYA’s second multi-party election in 31 years got off to a troubled start on Monday morning, with some polling stations opening up to four hours late.
The Electoral Commission reported problems at numerous polling stations — some ballots were delivered late and to wrong locations, while at others, polling officials arrived late.
The commission is considering whether to extend voting hours beyond 6pm local time (15.00 GMT) to make up for the delays.
MONDAY, 10.00AM:
KENYANS started queueing at polling stations early on Monday morning to vote for a president, parliament and local government councils. Outgoing President Daniel arap Moi, 73, seeking a final five-year term, is up against 14 challengers. While he and his Kenya African National Union (Kanu) are favourites to win, analysts say the results may be close.
Moi ended his campaign by playing on his compatriots’ fears of the violence that has swept through neighbouring countries recently. He told a rally in his Rift Valley stronghold that voter should go to the polls on Monday “with sober reflection that will ensure continued peace and stability for our country”.
Moi, who voted in Tanbui, near rural home in central Kenya, had to be reminded to cast a ballot for his parliamentary seat. “We are winning,” Moi said after dropping his ballots into sealed boxes.
On the eve of the national voting holiday, three people were killed and four wounded in ethnic violence in south-west Kenya, police said. About 50 people were killed in the Trans Mara area in the weeks before the election. Some residents said Sunday’s killings were sparked by Moi supporters trying to intimidate his opponents into not voting. Meanwhile, in the port of Mombasa, a charismatic leader of the unregistered Islamic Party of Kenya, Khalil Balala, was arrested late on Sunday, hours after he and hundreds of his followers protested what they described as a rigged election.