Kenyans started queuing very early to take part in the general election to choose a new national and local leadership after youngsters went around waking up people at 3:00 AM to make sure that people would discharge their civic rights.
Fourteen to sixteen million voters have to cast six ballots to choose a new president, members of national parliament, senators, governors, members of districts parliament and women representatives.A local source in Nairobi told CRN via internet that the turnout was quite high with three to four-kilometre long queues at many voting centres.
By mid-afternoon Police reported that at least 15 people were killed in the Coast and two in the North-Eastern Province, blaming separatists and Muslim radicals for the deaths.
The second round to choose a president Ð if none of the eight candidates gets 50 percent plus one vote Ð is scheduled for April 11 between the two most voted candidates.
Last general elections in December 2007 ended up in weeks of bloodshed with more than 1,200 dead and 600,000 displaced by the post electoral violence.
Candidate Uhuru Kenyatta is among six people indicted by the International Criminal Court with crimes against humanity during the post-election violence.