Quartet confident of victory as they vote
The frontrunners in this year’s presidential election, Deputy President William Ruto and the Azimio la Umoja candidate Raila Odinga voted in Turbo and Kibra constituencies respectively early yesterday.
Ruto exuded confidence in winning the election.
The DP caught Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) officials by surprise when he turned up at Kosachei Primary School, a stone's throw away from his Sugoi home at about 5.50 am.
Ruto, who was accompanied by his wife Rachel, called on Kenyans to elect leaders who can transform the country for the better.
He also pledged to accept the will of the people.
“I’m very happy the exercise of choosing the next leaders for the next five years is underway,” said the DP.
“I am very confident the people of Kenya will make choices that will take our country to the future,” he added.
Ruto said he had decided to vote early because he did not want to inconvenience his neighbours.
“I just made a deliberate decision to vote early today. I felt voting during the day would become an inconvenience to fellow voters who would also be lining up to vote,” said the DP.
Raila voted at the Old Kibra Primary School in Nairobi at about 10.40am.
The former Prime Minister’s arrival at the polling station caused a standstill as he was surrounded by a cheering crowd.
For some time, voters who had queued abandoned the queues to join Raila and later escorted him to the main road.
The ODM boss arrived at the polling station in a convoy of ten vehicles accompanied by his wife Ida.
The two went to different streams at the polling station where they were guided by the polling clerks and officials. After voting, they left immediately.
His security detail had a rough time controlling the crowd.
Shake hands
Speaking at his Karen residence before he left for Kibra, the veteran politician said he was confident of winning the election.
“I am confident the people of Kenya are going to speak loudly in favour of democratic change,” he said.
Raila said he had been informed of the hitches at polling stations adding that they had suspected the same and that was why they had asked for the inclusion of the manual register.
Ida said she believed the Azimio team had put up a good campaign and it was now up to Kenyans to decide.
The Agano Presidential candidate David Mwaure Waihiga cast his vote at about 7.15am at Upper Hill School, Nairobi.
Mwaure said he was optimistic of winning. He, however, said that should he lose, he would concede and congratulate the winner.
“I expect to win. I expect that Kenyans will vote for me. I will come in with a big broom and make Kenya great as it should be… that is my dream. If I lose, I will concede and I will shake hands with whoever will win,” said Mwaure.
There was drama at the Indangalasia Primary school polling centre in Matungu constituency, Kakamega county after the Roots Party presidential candidate George Wajackoyah initially failed to vote following the failure of the Kiems kits.
Wajackoya, who was flanked by his wife and family members, caused a stir, accusing the electoral body of trying to rig the election.
“I am the only presidential candidate who has not voted. Why are the kits only failing in my Kakamega and Bungoma strongholds? They said I had two per cent votes, why don’t they want those two per cent to vote?” he protested.
He later went back to the polling centre and was allowed to vote at around 1.45pm using the manual voter register.
—Reporting by Zadock Angira, Wycliffe Kipsang and Irene Githinji
