Photos: Older citizens turn up to vote as youth opt-out

 A police officer helps an elderly woman as she walks to Chepkobegh Primary School polling station to cast her vote. [Irissheel Shanzu, Standard]

Senior citizens continue to defy age and failing health to choose their preferred candidates despite a decline in the number of young people registering and turning out to vote in Kenyan elections.

Like on August 9 when a significant number of the elderly took to polling stations to elect leaders of their choice, dozens, as of 11am, continue to trickle to polling stations in eight electoral areas after they opened Monday.

Low voter turnout mars Meru's Nyaki West ward election. pic.twitter.com/7p2Ac9XMaA

- The Standard Digital (@StandardKenya) August 29, 2022

Elections in the areas, including governor seats in Mombasa and Kakamega counties as well as MP races in Rongai, Kacheliba and Pokot South, were postponed by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) due to ballot papers mix-ups. Electoral wards in Nyaki West in North Imenti and Kwa Njenga in Embakasi South are also holding elections.

A spot check by The Standard revealed that there is low turnout across the voting areas as the issue of apathy, especially among the youth, in the electoral process continues to bite, 20 days after Kenya went to the polls.

According to IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati, voter turnout from polling data transmitted only through the commission's KIEMS kits during the August 9 General Election was 64.6 per cent.

The elderly have, however, not been held back as demonstrated below:

 An elderly woman being assisted to retrieve identification documents at Chepkobegh Primary School polling station. [Irissheel Shanzu, Standard]

 An elderly woman being assisted to retrieve identification documents at Chepkobegh Primary School polling station. [Irissheel Shanzu, Standard]

 An elderly woman being assisted to vote at a polling station in West Pokot. [Irissheel Shanzu, Standard]

 Former Chief Kadhi Ali Mohamed Mwinzabu, 85, arrives to vote at Kaderboy polling station in Mombasa County with his son Hafidh Ali Mwinzabu. [Kelvin Karani, Standard]

 An elderly voter at Kiruai Coffee Factory polling station. [Phares Mutembei, Standard]

 Elderly woman verifies her biometrics at Chepkobegh polling station. [Irissheel Shanzu, Standard]