Kenya election 2022: Voting day as it happened

1. Vote counting has started after polls closed at 17:00 local time (14:00 GMT)
2. Reports of delays and logistical problems, but generally a smooth process
3. More than 22 million people registered to vote - but early indications suggest a low turnout
4. Near the Somali border, intimidation tactics were used by suspected al-Shabab militants
5. Four candidates are running to replace President Uhuru Kenyatta
6. MPs, senators and county administrations are also up for election
7. The state of the economy has been a big issue in the campaign

Thanks for following the vote as it happened

Reuters

That’s it for our coverage of Kenya’s general election. As counting gets under way, here are some key takeaways from the day:

• Logistical delays and a failure of the identification kit in some parts of the country marred voting in some areas
• But otherwise the process was largely peaceful
• Polling stations are remaining open later if voting started late – and for those still in the queue at 17:00 local time
• An hour before polls officially closed, turnout stood at just over 56%
• Near the Somali border, intimidation tactics were reportedly used by suspected al-Shabab militants
• The election followed an intense campaign dominated by debates about living costs, unemployment and corruption
• Four candidates are vying to take over from President Uhuru Kenyatta, who is standing down after serving two five-year terms
• A tight presidential race is predicted between frontrunners Raila Odinga, a former PM, and current Deputy President William Ruto.

Follow the BBC’s live updates of the results - including in the parliamentary vote - as they are received by the electoral commission from polling stations across the country.

Kenyans in London plan 'nyama choma' parties

Gladys Kigo

BBC News

Anthony Maina

Anthony Maina says the voting in London was smooth

Kenyans in the UK were allowed to vote today - though had to travel to London to the embassy do so.

One of those was Elly Omondi, who lives in Northern Ireland. He was surprised by the efficiency of the process - and the chance to socialise: “We met Kenyans we haven’t met in a long time everything this was good."

But he said it wasn’t good enough to just have two polling stations in Europe for the diaspora - one in London and the other in Berlin.

“The IEBC [Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission] should do better,’’ he told the BBC.

Anthony Maina also voted in London, saying: "The process was nice and quick, and Kenyans were relaxed as they interacted outside the embassy after voting."

Eva Aloo, who also voted in London, was optimistic that the election would be free and fair: "We’ve already voted and now we are sitting somewhere waiting for other Kenyans to join."

She is one of those who have planned parties where London voters are gathering to follow the live transmission of election results as they enjoy "nyama choma", a Kenyan speciality of grilled goat meat.

New passport hitch for diaspora voters in Tanzania

Alfred Lasteck

BBC News, Dar es Salaam

BBC/Frank Mavura

Kenyans in the diaspora have been able to vote - but some in Tanzania have complained about not being able to cast their ballots.

BBC/Frank Mavura

At Kenya’s embassy in Dar es Salaam, the problem seemed to be for prospective voters with newly issued passports.

William Mwema, a Kenyan engineer based in Tanzania, said his name was on the register but he as his current passport number did not match the one on the list he could not vote.

He told the BBC of his disappointment: "It surprises me a lot, I voted in 2013, 2017 at this same polling centre, and now my passport expired, and I got a new one but now they say the new passport is not appropriate.”

Electoral official Samuel Mwangi told the BBC: "The law requires voters to bring identification cards used in the registration process.”

BBC/Frank Mavura

Others were able to vote, including teacher Tiffany Kibue who said she was happy to cast her ballot despite some delays: “At first I put my finger and they took the electronic identification mark but it failed, the officers tried a second time and it failed. So they asked me to sit aside and later I tried again, and I could then vote.”

A total of 992 voters were registered at two polling stations set up at the embassy in Dar es Salaam.

BBC/Frank Mavura

Anxious confusion at Kenya's main tallying centre

Richard Kagoe

BBC News, Nairobi

Confusion rather than relief pervades the national tallying centre in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, at Bomas.

The electoral commission has addressed the media, admitting that problems with voter verification ID kits marred voting in a few areas today.

The polls officially closed at 17:00 local time (14:00 GMT), but will stay open at those voting centres where the start was delayed by the late delivery of voting materials.

An hour before the polls closed, voter turnout was 56.7% - though the commission said this was only from data captured electronically.

Data about voters who were verified using the printed electoral roll in places where the ID kits failed has yet to be included.

Anxious party agents are crowding into the Bomas centre as vote counting begins at polling stations across the country.

AFP

Vote counting has started at polling stations around the country, like this one in Kisumu

Cheers and vote counting in Ruto's stronghold

Emmanuel Igunza

BBC News, Eldoret

BBC

Polls have closed in the majority of voting stations in Kenya's Rift Valley town of Eldoret and the surrounding Uasin Gishu county.

Tallying has already started at individual polling stations with heavy security witnessed in some areas of the town like the heavily populated area of Langas.

BBC

In most places electoral officials say voting started on time and closed shortly after 17:00 local time (14:00 GMT) with many people already having cast their ballot in the morning.

This is a stronghold for presidential frontrunner William Ruto and there is a sense of anticipation here about the count.

A few moments ago in Langas we heard cheering coming from just outside a polling station.

Presidential candidate votes after ID kit failure

Kenyan presidential contender George Wajackoyah managed to cast his ballot this afternoon after the drama of the ID verification kit failing at his polling station this morning:

Reuters

The Roots Party of Kenya candidate had complained bitterly about the kits not working - it turns out that 10% of polling stations in his stronghold of Kakamega county, in the west of the country, were affected by the faulty machines.

The electoral commission then agreed that the 154 polling centres in that county could use the printed voter roll to verify those wanting to vote.

The 63-year-old politician, a professor with a background in law who grew up as street child, addressed his supporters in Matungu constituency at the Indangalasia Primary School polling centre after he had voted:

Reuters

Vote counting yet to start in Kisumu

Roncliffe Odit

BBC News, Kisumu

Reuters

Most polling stations in Kisumu in western Kenya - a stronghold for presidential frontrunner Raila Odinga - remain open as voters are still queuing.

Those who were in line when polls closed 45 minutes ago are still allowed to vote.

So counting has yet to start here, but is expected to soon.

Polls officially close after 11 hours of voting

Polls have officially closed in Kenya - though those still in queues can vote.

The BBC's Marsha Ochieng at a polling station at St Joseph's School in the west of the capital, Nairobi, says the gates of the school were closed promptly by police at 17:00 local time.

This was despite pleas from voters, saying they had friends who had yet to join the queue.

How voting has changed since independence

Camilla Mills

BBC News, Nairobi

At Westlands Primary School polling station in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, the BBC met a couple who first got together at medical school in Poland more than 50 years ago - and described how elections have changed in the East African nation.

BBC

Dr Kea Norra Barua said he first voted in Kenya just after independence and has never skipped a vote since.

He described what that first election was like: “It was lining up outside and you were just counted. You didn’t have a paper that you tick, or you cross. You’re being counted one, two, three, four…”

Today the process took him five minutes.

His 86-year-old wife, who is from Poland and been in Kenya since 1970, also voted today - as did their daughter.

Another person at the polling station was first-time voter Abigail Awili.

BBC

“The experience wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be,” the 22 year old told the BBC.

“I was quite excited. I’ve been waiting for this for quite a long time and I’m happy that I’ve actually had the chance to do it.”

Some tears and a low turnout in central Kenya

Anne Ngugi & Judith Wambare

BBC News, central Kenya

BBC

Voters in central Kenya have been trickling into polling stations across five counties, where there are concerns about a low voter turnout.

There are about three million registered voters here.

This region is where the presidential running mates for the two main political alliances hail: Martha Karua for Azimio la Umoja (Raila Odinga’s coalition) and Rigathi Gachagua for Kenya Kwanza (William Ruto’s coalition).

Yet the electoral commissioner in Nyeri County, Mathenge Wanderi, says so far voter turnout in most parts of the county seems lower than during the 2017 elections.

Both running mates cast their ballots in Nyeri and Kirinyaga counties respectively this morning.

Voting has generally been smooth, but this woman teared up when she realised she could not vote as her name could not be verified at a polling station in Nyeri town:

BBC

BBC

Kenya MP arrested at a polling station

Nakuru East MP David Gikaria has been arrested for allegedly fighting at a polling station.

Local police chief Peter Mwanzo has confirmed the arrest.

Kenya's NTV channel has shared a video of the moment the police vehicle drove off:

Long ballots prove a headache for some voters

Some Kenyan voters have had a hard time going through long lists of candidates on the ballots in some areas.

The longest list of candidates was spotted in Meru county, in the east of the country, which had 27 candidates on it vying to represent Muthara ward in the local county assembly.

The BBC spotted another county assembly list that had 14 candidates in Kitui county, which is east of the capital, Nairobi.

This had older voters understandably taking quite a bit of time in the voting booth trying to decide who to chose.

This was not helped by the poor lighting in voting booths - where some struggled to make out the long list.

Life is getting more expensive

BBC

This vote is taking place against a backdrop of rising prices.

Kenyans, like others around the world, have been finding that their money is not going as far as it used to when it comes to buying the basics.

In June, annual inflation was 7.9%, but the increase in the price of some key food items, including maize flour and cooking oil, was much higher. The government did step in to subsidise the cost of maize flour in July.

And with an ongoing drought affecting three million Kenyans, many are struggling to afford any food at all.

Whistling for voters in Odinga's stronghold

Roncliffe Odit

BBC News, Kisumu

BBC

It is buzzing in Kisumu - the stronghold of Kenyan presidential frontrunner Raila Odinga - as voters continue to throng polling centres to cast their ballots.

His supporters have been going around the town blowing whistles and vuvuzelas since 04:00 local time, two hours before polls opened, reminding people to vote - a tactic encouraged by Mr Odinga, dubbing it the “firimbi (whistle in Swahili) movement”.

Businesses are also closed here and there is a sense of expectation in the air.

BBC

The region has supported Mr Odinga’s four previous presidential bids and now sees the prospect of an Odinga presidency in its sights.

BBC

No major hitches have been reported in Kisumu and its environs so far, with electoral officials exuding confidence that the process will be free and fair.

Polls close at 17:00 local time (14:00 GMT) and vote counting will start immediately afterwards.

Weather watch for Kenya's voters

BBC Weather's Louise Lear has been looking at what's in store for those still queuing to vote in Kenya.

After a cold start for some, especially those in the lines before dawn, temperatures have risen - and despite some fair weather cloud, she says there is little chance of showers this afternoon.

WATCH:

Kenya weather update

What you need to know with a few hours left to vote

AFP

A reminder of how voting is going in Kenya with less than three hours to go until polls close at 17:00 local time (14:00 GMT).

• Three of the four presidential candidates have voted so far; George Wajackoyah hasn't cast his ballots as he was affected by malfunctioning ID verification kits
• Despite such delays and logistical problems, in most places the process appears smooth
• In north-eastern areas along the border with Somalia, voters have been affected by reported attacks and intimidation tactics by suspected al-Shabab militants
• The vote follows an intense campaign dominated by debates about living costs, unemployment and corruption
• The two frontrunners for president are ex-Prime Minister Raila Odinga and current Deputy President William Ruto
• Voters are also choosing MPs, senators, county governors, local assembly members and parliamentary women's representatives.

Kenya's vote does not come cheap

BBC

Democracy is an expensive affair in Kenya.

For this year’s election, the electoral commission is spending $374m (£308m) - that works out at $17 per registered voter.

A good chunk of the money has been spent on the electronic kit being used in the more than 46,000 polling stations - there have been reports that some have malfunctioned meaning that officials have had to use the printed electoral register to verify voters.

Other technological infrastructure has been put in place to try and ensure that this is a free and fair poll.

In 2017 irregularities led the result being declared null and void and the presidential vote had to be re-run.

None of this, of course, takes into account the millions overall spent by the candidates trying to persuade people to vote for them.

More than six million voted by noon - officials

In its latest update about the vote, Kenya’s electoral commission said that by noon local time (09:00 GMT), 6.5 million people had voted.

This amounts to just more than 30% of registered voters. Polls will stay open until 17:00 local time.

Reports that we're getting from different parts of the country have suggested that turnout has been low so far compared to previous elections.

The commission has also tried to address concerns about the electronic kit that checks fingerprints (known as Kiems kits) reported to be malfunctioning in different places.

Commissioner Justus Nyang'anya said that there had been issues with only a tiny proportion - 200 out of more than 46,000.

ID verification kit fails for presidential contender

Presidential candidate George Wajackoyah from the Roots Party of Kenya says he has not been able to cast his vote.

The voter identification kits have not been working in his constituency in the west of Kenya, he told reporters.

In an interview tweeted by NTV, the lawyer and educationalist, who is making his first bid for the presidency, said he was now the only presidential contender not to have voted.

“In my stronghold, Kakamega county, most of the people have not voted this morning."

Officials have confirmed that about 10% of polling centres in Kakamega county have been affected.

The 63-year-old candidate said he had told those of his angry supporters to “cool down”.

Electoral officials had told him to come back later, he said, which would mean he would have to buy another ticket to Kisumu where he was due to travel later.

But he felt others would now not bother to come to vote: “My people are disenfranchised the older people have gone home.

“Why couldn’t they test the kits?"

Following Mr Wajackoyah's complaints, the BBC's Roncliffe Odit in nearby Kisumu says the electoral commission has just ruled that polling stations in Kakamega where the ID kits have failed can use the printed electoral register to verify voters instead.

Out of 1,497 polling stations in the county, 154 have reported faulty kits, our reporter says.

A young nation

BBC

Two out of every five people who have registered to vote are under the age of 35.

And three-quarters of the population overall are under 35.

The lack of formal employment for the youth has been a big issue.

Many between 18 and 35 have no job at all despite having degrees or other suitable qualifications.