| Friday, 27 December, 2002, 14:10 GMT
Huge turnout for Kenyan poll
The campaigning has been less violent than previous polls Kenyan voters have flocked to polling stations, eager to cast their ballots in an election which decides who will replace Daniel arap Moi as president.
But thousands of people have found that their names are not on the electoral register, amid opposition accusations of vote-rigging.
But correspondents say the candidate for the ruling Kanu party, Uhuru Kenyatta - who was handpicked by President Moi - has mounted a strong campaign and the race could be a close one. There are three other candidates running for the presidency, and Kenya's 10 million voters are also electing MPs and local authorities. Many Kenyans can only remember one president throughout their lifetimes - Mr Moi. Fighting corruption Long queues formed before polling stations opened and grew steadily throughout the morning. In the western district of Kisii, one man said he had been prevented from voting after travelling 100km, because his name did not appear on the electoral roll.
Senior opposition figure Raila Odinga said that many of those who found their names missing from the electoral roll had surnames from ethnic groups which have previously backed the opposition. "So that is a very deliberate error, a deliberate act to try to disenfranchise particular communities... It cannot be normal human error," he said. "Tension is building up in polling stations in all parts of the country, but mostly in Nairobi," national police spokesman Kingori Mwangi told Reuters news agency. "We are concerned. We are monitoring the situation closely... People who are not finding their names in the poll register are saying they will not go home or allow counting of votes." One Kanu supporter was knifed to death overnight in the Nairobi slum of Kibera, the French news agency, AFP, reports. 'Big men' The opposition has focused on promises to end corruption and has attacked Kanu's record during its 39 years in power. The economy is stagnating and more than half of the 30 million population live on less than $1 a day.
Kanu has run Kenya since it became independent from Britain. It was led first by Jomo Kenyatta - the late father of the party's presidential candidate - and then Mr Moi. Analysts say that Mr Moi is one of the last of Africa's "big men" - who built up personality cults in the countries they ruled - often for many decades. But the current Kanu politicians are also promising to break with the past. Uhuru Kenyatta has had to fight claims he was only picked as a puppet for President Moi, who is banned from seeking re-election by the constitution.
Mr Kibaki, 71, who is recovering from injuries sustained in a car crash during the campaign, cast his ballot from his car. Poll officials in the central Othaya constituency carried the ballot box and papers out to his Mercedes Benz car. Counting will start at polling stations as soon as they close at 1500 GMT, but final results are not expected until Sunday or Monday. Scores of international monitors, including 140 from the European Union, have been deployed across the country. Among those who cast their vote early was the outgoing president, who steps down on 5 January. "I want to wish good luck to whoever I hand over to. I will step down happily, having completed my two terms in multiparty democracy," Mr Moi said. |
See also:
27 Dec 02 | Media reports
23 Dec 02 | Africa
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