Kenya's polls close after huge turnout

Campaigning was less violent than previous polls

Election officials in Kenya have begun counting the votes after a day of polling which saw people flock to cast ballots to elect a successor to President Daniel arap Moi.

But hundreds of people found that their names were not on the electoral register, amid opposition accusations of vote-rigging.

Tension is building up in polling stations in all parts of the country, but mostly in Nairobi

Kingori Mwangi
Police spokesman

Election in quotes

The BBC's Ishbel Matheson in Nairobi says the election has been the most peaceful poll in the country since the introduction of multi-party system in 1992.

Opinion polls have predicted the first change in power since independence in 1963, with a win for the opposition National Rainbow Coalition (Narc), led by the veteran opposition leader Mwai Kibaki.

But correspondents say the candidate for the ruling Kanu party, Uhuru Kenyatta - who was handpicked by President Moi - has mounted a strong campaign and the race could be a close one.

Final results are not expected until Sunday or Monday.

Three other candidates are running for the presidency, and Kenya's 10 million voters have also been electing MPs and local authorities.

Many Kenyans can only remember one president throughout their lifetimes - Mr Moi.

Fighting corruption

Long queues formed before polling stations opened and grew steadily throughout the morning.

In the western district of Kisii, one man said he had been prevented from voting after travelling 100km, because his name did not appear on the electoral roll.

Mwai Kibaki voted from inside his car because of an injury

Senior opposition figure Raila Odinga said that many of those who found their names missing from the electoral roll had surnames from ethnic groups which have previously backed the opposition.

"So that is a very deliberate error, a deliberate act to try to disenfranchise particular communities... It cannot be normal human error," he said.

ELECTION FACTS

10 million voters

Voting for president, MPs and local authorities

Five presidential candidates

President Moi barred from standing

Polls close at 1500 GMT

Regional guide

"Tension is building up in polling stations in all parts of the country, but mostly in Nairobi," national police spokesman Kingori Mwangi told Reuters news agency.

"We are concerned. We are monitoring the situation closely... People who are not finding their names in the poll register are saying they will not go home or allow counting of votes."

Eight people have been arrested in the port city of Mombasa for allegedly paying people to vote for their party, although it was not know what party they belonged to.

One Kanu supporter was knifed to death overnight in the Nairobi slum of Kibera, according to the French news agency, AFP.

'Big men'

The opposition has focused on promises to end corruption and has attacked Kanu's record during its 39 years in power.

The economy is stagnating and more than half of the 30 million population live on less than $1 a day.

Kenyatta also promises a new start

Kanu has run Kenya since it became independent from Britain. It was led first by Jomo Kenyatta - the late father of the party's presidential candidate - and then Mr Moi.

Analysts say that Mr Moi is one of the last of Africa's "big men" - who built up personality cults in the countries they ruled - often for many decades.

But the current Kanu politicians are also promising to break with the past.

Uhuru Kenyatta has had to fight claims he was only picked as a puppet for President Moi, who is banned from seeking re-election by the constitution.

Scores of international monitors, including 140 from the European Union, have been deployed across the country.