Long queues in Nakuru County as repeat poll kicks off

Voting exercise kicked off without any hitches in polling stations across the region with a low voter turn-out reported in most polling centres as the country goes into fresh presidential elections.

In Nakuru County, polling stations opened at 6am with some centres in Nakuru Town East and Naivasha reporting long queues as early as 5am.

The repeat presidential election has been marked with a slow start in most of the polling stations within Nakuru County.

Although some of the voters started queuing at 5:30am, most of the voting centers registered slow start in the exercise that was largely peaceful and went on smoothly.

Those interviewed said they were impressed by the way the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission had organized the exercise.

"So far so good. We have not witnessed any challenges in the exercise," said Peter Njoroge, a voter at Menengai Primary School polling station.

According to Ms. Sunny Orangi, a Presiding Officer at Soko Mjinga polling station in Nakuru Town West Constituency the exercise commenced at 6.00am under tight security.

In polling stations like Kaptembwo which has 680 registered voters there is a slow start with few voters turning up to vote.

At the Muslim Primary in Nakuru Town West, Presiding Officer Jonathan Koskei noted that unlike the August 8 polls there was a low turn-out but expressed optimism that the situation will improve.

At Heshima Primary, there is a low turn-out according to presiding officer Serah Obunga. The polling station has 612 registered voters.

Voting has also commenced in polling stations in Subukia and Bahati constituencies though electoral materials delayed to arrive in some stations due to heavy rains that had affected transport.

At Kericho Highlands primary School, County Assembly polling station and a couple of other polling stations within Kericho town, the queues are getting longer by the minute.

County presiding Officer Yonah Ogal and County Commissioner Muktar Abdi says all the six constituencies in the county reported safe release of voting materials and personnel to polling centres.

In various polling stations in Laikipia and Nyandarua counties polling stations opened on time with no hitches reported as area residents turned out to vote.