Kenya election vote-counting begins

Posted on March 03, 2013

Kenya election vote-counting begins

Votes are being counted in Kenya after an election that observers describe as the most important in the country's history.

Polls were due to close at 17:00 (14:00 GMT) but officials said those in queues at that time would be allowed to vote.

The electoral commission said some delays were caused by a new system intended to reduce fraud, which observers hope will prevent the kind of widespread ethnic violence that followed the last poll in 2007.

Provisional results suggested the two main presidential candidates were far ahead of the rest of the field.

Partial preliminary results from areas where polling ended on time gave Uhuru Kenyatta a lead over Prime Minister Raila Odinga, although analysts cautioned that these results came from Kenyatta strongholds.

The two front-runners were well ahead of the other presidential candidates.

Mr Kenyatta is due to face trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC) next month in connection with the widespread bloodshed that followed the disputed 2007 election - he denies organising attacks.

Eyes on Presidency

Mr Odinga says he was cheated of victory last time.

Election officials put the turnout at over 70%, marginally greater than in 2007, but said the figure could be higher because many polling stations had stayed open for some hours to cater for the queues of voters.

Kenyans are choosing a president, members of parliament and senators, county governors and members of 47 county assemblies.

All eyes are on the presidency: Eight candidates are standing but it is essentially a two-horse race pitting Mr Odinga against Mr Kenyatta, analysts say.

Some observers say they are particularly concerned about violence erupting should neither of the two front-runners poll more than 50% - in which case the vote will go to a run-off, probably on 11 April.

Earlier there was violence near the port town of Mombasa, with at least five policemen killed in one attack.

Authorities had urged Kenyans to avoid a repeat of the 2007 ethnic and political violence that killed more than 1,000 people amid claims the poll had been rigged.

BBC/Williams