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Sunday, December 28, 1997 Published at 15:49 GMT



World

Kenyan campaigning enters final day
image: [ Opposition candidate Mwai Kibaki: The time has come to end President Moi's 19 years in power ]
Opposition candidate Mwai Kibaki: The time has come to end President Moi's 19 years in power

Candidates in Kenya's presidential and parliamentary elections have been holding a last day of campaigning before the vote on Monday.


The BBC's Jeremy Vine reports on the state of Kenya after 10 years of Moi rule (Dur:8'05")
Several of the 15 presidential candidates, including the incumbent head of state Daniel Arap Moi, have been holding final rallies.

A final opinion poll has predicted Mr Moi, who has been in power since 1978, will win most votes overall.


[ image: 15 candidates are competing for the presidency]
15 candidates are competing for the presidency
While opposition slogans promise change, President Moi's campaign has highlighted the disunity of the opposition.

In his final election rally, Mr Moi told a crowd of about 2,500 in his home Rift Valley province that he would make fighting unemployment and corruption his key priorities if elected.

His main rival, Mwai Kibaki, a former minister, told a rally in the capital that now was the time to end President Moi's 19 years in power.

The campaigns of the leading presidential challengers have been dogged by poor organisation, delays and funding problems.


[ image: Last minute appeals for votes]
Last minute appeals for votes
On the eve of the poll, the presidential candidates once again took out full page advertisements in a national newspaper, urging people to vote for them.

Those taken out by President Moi's ruling party KANU were in colour, the others in black and white, a reflection of the way KANU has been able to draw on much bigger campaign funds than anyone else.

The level of violence has been relatively low, as has the level of enthusiasm for the election.

In many places, including Nairobi, only a few campaign posters strung across roads indicate that an election is taking place.

Arrangements finalised


[ image: Ballot boxes under guard]
Ballot boxes under guard
Kenya's Electoral Commission has said it has finalised arrangements, including security and delivery of ballot boxes, for the elections.

The Commission chairman Samuel Kivuitu appealed for people to turn out and vote.

"The commission appeals to every voter to cast his or her vote. The vote is free but it is of immense value to the voter and to the country," he said.

He said the Government would provide security to ensure the voting, to be observed by some 28,000 monitors, went smoothly.

Some monitoring groups said they were concerned at reports of candidates bribing voters.

Voting in the presidential and parliamentary elections starts at 6 am local time (0300 GMT) and continues for 12 hours.


 





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