In Kenya, voters headed to the polls on Tuesday to elect a new president and officials in a balanced presidential race between longtime allies that later turned into rivals. One of the candidates is associated with Kenya’s founding families and the other claims to represent the struggling working class. The day was marked by reminders of previous election disputes that turned violent, such as in 2007 when the vote led to ethnic clashes that left over a thousand dead and hundreds of thousands displaced. In 2017, Kenya suffered from protests that were met with violence from security forces and ultimately many deaths occurred.
This year, voters have prayed that the elections end up being non contentious and that the country can safely and securely elect a new leader despite the candidate’s differences. Polls have suggested that it will be a tight vote. Election officials are provided with a week to submit results to Nairobi. Some regions’ results may be reported in just a few days, as there are claims that one of the candidates will attempt to rig the voting.
Read More: Kenyans Vote in Tight Race Amid Shifting Alliances and Struggling Economy