Waking up to dogs barking -- the clock reads 5:15 a.m. – it is beginning --voting day.
In the darkness, people can be heard talking in hushed tones as they walk in groups to the polling stations hoping that if they arrive early they won’t have to stand in the hot sun all day.
A Kenyan friend is among a group who arrives at the polling station at 5:30 a.m. Even at that early hour a queue (line) has already formed and he joins at the end of it for the wait.
There are millions of Kenyans who will vote today, over a million in Nairobi alone. The newspaper describes the security which will be out; over 99,000 officers garnered from police, forestry, national parks, prisons, and the youth league will be milling around, stationed at polling areas, to ensure no violence breaks out today.
The voting process is quite arduous. A list of exactly what to expect and the process one must go through to vote was printed in the newspaper.
There are seven steps:
1. Voters queue outside polling stations (Voting begins at 6 a.m. and closes at 5 p.m.).
2. Inside the voting room an official verifies your identity using your identification documents.
3. A second official inspects your fingers to make sure there are no ink marks (ensuring you only vote once).
4. A third official takes your identification documents, finds your name on the voter role, loudly calls out your name and cancels you out on the voter role.
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| The identification mark -- I have voted! I guess this means no nail polish today! |
6. Taking the ballot, you vote – it didn't say if there would be a curtained area in which to vote. There might possibly be just a single table sitting off from everyone where a voter can fill out the ballot.
7. After inserting the completed ballot in the box, the last official marks the fingernail of your smallest finger on your left hand with indelible ink. You collect your identification documents and are encouraged to return home and wait for the results.
Our friend returned at 11:00 a.m. saying many were complaining. “The queue is too long (going for miles) and it is moving very slowly. Some will not get to vote, they cannot reach the room before it closes,” he commented.
The newspaper said results could be expected within 48 hours of the close of voting; meaning by Wednesday evening the results will be announced. Continue to pray. . . We have already heard a report of four policemen killed in Mombasa today.
This whole week will be one of tension.
Pray for calm hearts, peaceful thoughts and a desire for unity no matter what the outcome.