Voters in Kenya are electing a president, parliament, and local councils in the second multi-party elections in the country's history.

President Daniel arap Moi, after nineteen years in office, is asking for a final five-year term and it is widely expected that he will be successful.

Daniel arap Moi

President Moi's party, the Kenya African National Union (Kanu) has been in power for over 30 years. Mr Moi has been president since 1978.

For much of that time Kenya had a one-party state. Opposition leaders were frequently jailed, and human rights abuses were widespread.

Greg Barrow reports on the political career of the 'great survivor' (5'38")

After international pressure was brought to bear on the country, the first multi-party elections for 26 years were staged in 1992. The opposition was split, and there were accusations of election rigging as President Moi swept back to power.

This time round, there have been renewed reports of electoral engineering, bribery and corruption.

Greg Barrow reports on the divided opposition (4'50")

The opposition remains divided along ethnic lines, and is badly organised. There are 24 parties, and 14 of them have put up presidential candidates. Their agendas are ill-defined, but they are united in wanting to oust President Moi.

Main opposition candidates

Michael Wamalwa

Michael "Kijana" Wamalwa is chairman of the Forum for the Restoration of Democracy (Ford-Kenya) and the official leader of the opposition. Kijana is his nickname, and it means "youth" in Swahili, because he was thought to be too young for politics when he first attempted to enter at age 30 in 1974. He was second vice-chairman of Ford in 1992, Kenya's first opposition party.

Joseph Martin Shikuku

Joseph Martin Shikuku is leader of Ford-Asili. He was secretary-general of the original Ford in 1992, but fell out with Oginga Odinga, one of its founders. When the party split to form Ford-Kenya and Ford-Asili, he joined Ford-Asili. He was known as the "people's watchman" because he used to champion the cause of the poor.

Raila Oginga Amolo Odinga

Raila Oginga Amolo Odinga is chairman of the National Development Party. Son of Oginga Odinga, original leader of Ford-Kenya, he was detained three times by the Moi government. He is a member of the Luo ethnic grouping, which has suffered from discrimination under the present government. He commands broad support in Western Kenya, especially amongst the young.

Charity Kaluki Ngilu

Charity Kaluki Ngilu of the Social Democratic Party is one of two female candidates. She is popular with the poor in the Eastern Province, and has alleged that she has been intimidated in her attempts to campaign by Kanu members. A member of the Kamba ethnic group, she used to be a member of the Democratic Party but left this year to pursue her presidential ambitions.

Mwai Kibaki

Mwai Kibaki is chairman of the Democratic Party of Kenya. A member of Kenya's largest ethnic group, the Kikuyu, Kibaki was appointed vice-president and minister of home affairs in 1978 by President Moi, but was subsequently demoted to health minister. In 1991 he resigned from the government to form his own opposition party.

Koigi wa Wamwere

Koigi Wa Wamwere is a well-known dissident and outspoken critic of the Moi regime. He used to belong to Richard Leakey's Safina party, but is now running for Kenda. He was born to poor, landless parents, and entered politics in 1973 on a platform for fighting for the landless. He has been jailed several times for his political activity.

Back to top | BBC News Home | BBC Homepage	©