Empty streets and packed polling stations as Kenya decides

Empty streets everyone is in the polling station.

It is a public holiday in Kenya today and shops are closed businesses on standstill as citizens play their citizenry duty in a national referendum.

Voters started lining up as early as 6pm local time in most places just to finish their part and go back home. Some citizens, however, had given up anything to do with the ballot box soon after the December 2007 election that was marred with vote rigging   or whose results were never honored.      

Voters lining up to cast their votes

This is the most sophisticated electoral process in East Africa and Kenya’s second referendum in 5 years. The groundwork has received overwhelming media coverage to an extent that it overshadowed the African athletic championship whose host and winner was Kenya. 

The US envoy to Kenya Mr. Michael Renneberger was accused by the ‘NO’ campaigners of meddling in the process and disrespecting Kenya's sovereignty. But he maintained that his duty was limited to “carrying out civic education”. This morning, the envoy was seen in some polling stations in Nairobi.

Charles, an early bird at the polling station, is back home chatting with other voters on facebook.

By Owuor Otiang'aCopyright © 2010 Chelsea J. Miller