22.1m Kenyans to elect new president today

No fewer than 22.1 million registered voters are heading to the poll to elect Kenya’s fifth president today.

The electorate will equally vote for county governors, parliament representatives and other positions.

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All polling stations will open between 6am and 5pm and each voter will be required to have an identification card or passport to be used by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) officials for verification.

Also, 55,100 KIEMS kits distributed across the country will be used to electronically identify voter’s facial image and fingerprints as well as civil data to commence casting their votes.

Four candidates are jostling to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta who exhausted his two terms as limited by the constitution.

Forerunners in the election are the veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga, 77 and the deputy president, William Ruto, 55.

Analysts observe that the race is close and could go to a runoff for the first time in the country.

Official results will be announced within a week of the vote.

To win outright, a candidate needs more than 50 per cent of all votes and at least 25 per cent of the votes in more than half of Kenya’s 47 counties. 

However, a runoff election would be conducted within 30 days if none of the candidates wins outright.