Elections in Kenya: Its Time to Elect AGAIN...Millions Out To Vote

Under heavy security, millions of Kenyans voted Monday in a nationwide election that will usher in a new presidential era, five years after post-election violence splintered this East African nation and devastated its economy.

Despite reports of some bloodshed, Kenyans across Nairobi and in most parts of the country patiently queued for hours in long, snaking lines to cast ballots for presidential, parliamentary and provincial candidates. Many arrived bundled up at the polls before sunrise and prepared for a long wait.

 The voting appeared to unfolding smoothly in most parts of the nation, despite problems with digital voting equipment and delays at some polling stations. The turnout — some 14 million Kenyans are registered to vote — is predicted to be the biggest in the country’s history.

“It’s very different from 2007,” said Ruth Namulundu, an election monitor in the Nairobi slum of Kibera, an epicenter of the violence that ignited after the 2007 elections. “It’s more calm now. If the voting continues like this, everything will be fine.”

Still, a pre-dawn assault on Monday that killed several police officers in the southern port city of Mombasa was a reminder of the existing tensions and how easily violence could erupt. Police officials said a gang wielding machetes clashed with police who were deployed to keep the peace during the vote. Police said the assailants were suspected of being members of the Mombasa Republican Council, a regional separatist movement that opposes the election. - Washington Post

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