Several cops killed as Kenya polls open
2013-03-04 07:26
Nairobi - Long lines of Kenyans queued from far before dawn
as polls opened on Monday for hard-fought elections, hours after several
policemen were killed in an ambush in the port city of Mombasa.
The elections are the first since bloody post-poll violence
five years ago in which over 1 100 people were killed, and observers have
repeatedly warned of the risk of renewed conflict.
However, voters standing in lines several hundreds of metres
long - and several people thick - crowded peacefully outside polling stations
across the country.
Voters began lining up outside polling stations from as
early as 04:00 to cast their votes in the historic election, two hours ahead of
the officially opening of the polls, although there were short delays reported
in some areas.
In middle-class areas of Nairobi, parked cars blocked the
streets around polling stations.
Voters packed side streets as they queued in long lines in
the port city of Mombasa, despite the gun attacks hours earlier blamed on a
coastal separatist movement in which several police officers were killed.
Kenyan police chief David Kimaiyo said there had been
"casualties from both sides" when an armed gang ambushed police officers
in Kenya's second city.
"There was a clash between people we suspect are MRC
attackers," Kimaiyo said, referring to the Mombasa Republican Council
(MRC), a group seeking the secession of the coastal region popular with
tourists.
Police sources said at least five officers had been killed,
but officials could not immediately confirm the toll. Police have blamed the
MRC for a string of attacks last year, and the group had threatened to boycott
the polls.
Tensions running high
Neck-and-neck rivals for the presidency, Prime Minister
Raila Odinga and his deputy Uhuru Kenyatta, have publicly vowed there will be
no repeat of the bloodshed that followed the disputed 2007 polls.
Crimes against humanity trials later this year at The
Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) for Kenyatta and running mate
William Ruto have raised the stakes: should they win the vote, the president
and vice-president could be absent on trial for years.
After hard fought campaigns tensions are running high.
In Nairobi's shanty town Kibera, scene of some of the worst
ethnic clashes during the heavily contested 2007 elections, thousands waited to
cast their ballots, with the start of voting delayed for almost an hour.
"I got here at 03:45, I came so early as I wanted to
avoid the long queues," said Denis Kaene, 34 years and unemployed.
"It's a very good day, because we are looking for a
change. It will be a very calm day, I want peaceful elections."
At least 14.3 million Kenyans are eligible to vote in the
multiple elections for a new president, parliamentarians, governors, senators,
councillors and special women's representatives.
More than 99 000 police have been deployed to ensure the
vote is peaceful, and about 23 000 observers, including 2 600 international
monitors, will be on hand, officials say.
"I feel good, it is a good day, we need to promote
peace," said Joseph Murunga, 25 years old and unemployed.
Deep tribal divisions
"We have been waiting for this moment for five years.
It is time for new leaders," said 38-year old high school teacher Timothy
Njogu outside the Ngara polling station in Nairobi's Starehe constituency.
In the western town of Kisumu - the heartland of Raila
Odinga supporters who went on the rampage in 2007-2008 after he was
controversially pipped to the top job by President Mwai Kibaki - people blew
whistles and sang as they waited to vote.
The start of voting there was delayed by some 30 minutes to
wait for sunrise due to a lack of lighting, with people blowing plastic
vuvuzela trumpets.
"We slept here last night because we want real change
and we want our candidate - Raila," said Susan Morell, 30. "We want
real change but we want peace. We will accept the result as it comes out
because we are sure of winning."
"I feel so good to have voted," said one of the
early voters Samson Odoyo, 37, a motorcycle taxi driver showing off the purple
inkstain on his fingernail.
"I voted for Raila. I think he can win and bring real
change, now I am going back to work but I will follow the results
closely."
The 2007-2008 violence exposed widespread disenchantment
with the political class, deep tribal divisions and shattered Kenya's image as
a beacon of regional stability.
More checks are in place this time to limit vote rigging,
while a new constitution devolves powers and has made the poll less of a
winner-take-all race.
But the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) has condemned
evidence of politicians handing out cash for votes.
