Election Day: Kenyans write a new history through the ballot
Kenyans on Tuesday braved the cold weather, long queues, turning out in large numbers to cast their vote in the country’s most defining election that pits President Uhuru Kenyatta against challenger Raila Odinga.
More than 19, 611, 423 voters formed long lines at many polling stations before dawn, waiting for their turn to cast ballots for the presidency as well as for more than 1,800 elected positions, including governors, legislative representatives and county officials.
Quick Facts
19,611,423 eligible voters: 10,469,148 (male) & 9,142,275 (female).
4,393 Diaspora registered voters
5,528 prisoners registered to vote
40,883 polling stations in the country.
290 Returning IEBC Officers and their Deputies
7 Clerks at each polling station
14,550 candidates competing for the 1,882 elected posts of president, governor, senator, women representatives, members of parliament, and members of county assembly. Eight candidates are contesting for the presidency – Uhuru Kenyatta of Jubilee Party, ODM’s Raila Odinga, Cyrus Jirongo of the United Democratic Party (UDP), Ekuru Aukot of Thirdway Alliance, Abduba Dida of the Alliance for Real Change (ARC), and Independent candidates Joseph Nyagah, Michael Wainaina and Japheth Kavinga.
The seat for County Ward Representative has attracted the most number of candidates totaling 11,857 followed by the position of the member of National Assembly where 1,893 candidates have been cleared to run.
The Senate contest has attracted 256 contestants while 299 women have been cleared to contest for the 47 County Woman Representative posts across the country.
IEBC cleared 210 candidates to vie for various gubernatorial posts across the country.
Read: Kenyans Head to the Polls for Historic Vote Pitting Uhuru and Raila
In 2013, 12,776 aspirants competed.
Guys have been lining up at Moi Avenue Primary School in Nairobi since 9pm last night to cast their votes in today… https://t.co/bWOvq4r60M pic.twitter.com/Aoz6nro4ES
— Mwangi Kirubi (@mwarv) August 8, 2017
Queues outside Langas Primary School are large. Most are excited to vote #KenyaDecides #ElectionKE2017 pic.twitter.com/EkscWSFyQR
— Charlie Ensor (@charlieensor) August 8, 2017
First BVR failure story at Volunteer primary school of Wajir county. Manual voting started already. #SpotChecks
#KenyaDecides— Abdirahman Issack (@Wajia02) August 8, 2017
Read: Kenyan Telcos will provide IEBC a secure conduit to transmit poll results
We have voted. Photos credit @allangichigi #ElectionsKE2017 pic.twitter.com/ffAzNcM9MX