Kenya's presidential poll re-run as it happened

As I reported earlier, 19-year-old George Odhiambo died after he was brought to the main hospital in Kenya’s western city of Kisumu.

He had been bleeding heavily from a thigh wound after being shot by police amid clashes with opposition supporters, who were boycotting the presidential election re-run.

I met nurse Henry Ondiek ­at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Hospital, who explained to me how medics tried to save the young man:

Counting has started in Kenya's election re-run, as AFP's deputy bureau chief for East Africa shows in this video she has posted.

BBC Monitoring's Sammy Maina reports that the polls closed at 17:00 local time (14:00 GMT).

But in places where bad weather or technical hitches delayed opening of the polling stations, time will be allowed to compensate.

In four counties voting has been postponed to Saturday. These are Migori, Siaya, Kisumu and Homa Bay.

As for when we'll know the result, information will be trickling in over the next few days.

The BBC's Anne Soy explains that, unlike the August election, this time we won’t have almost instantaneous updates from polling stations.

No text results will be sent to the National Tallying Centre – only scanned copies of the forms.

That means that the system won’t be automatically adding up the figures and giving us the total number of votes each candidate has at any given point.

The changes were made because the systems were configured to accommodate the results of only two candidates, but then a late court ruling directed the electoral commission to have all eight candidates. The technology provider OT Morpho said it wasn’t feasible to do so in time for the election.

We may have the total votes cast in each constituency by Thursday morning, but the final outcome might be announced much, much later.

The commission has seven days to do so.

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Staff at a polling centre in Mombasa, on the coast of Kenya, have the unenviable task of cleaning up human faeces left by protesters keen to show - and share - their disgust with the electoral process.

Residents stormed Bagladesh polling station with buckets of human waste and dumped it there, according to local reports.

One protester was even broadcast on national news broadcaster KTN telling a reporter that he was carrying toilet paper so that he could go and defecate at a polling station.

The news has been a source of entertainment for people on social media.

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The ethnic divide in Kenya can be seen in the voting today, with a high turnout so far in regions where President Uhuru Kenyatta's Kikuyu community and Deputy President William Ruto's Kalenjin community reside.

In parts of western Kenya where opposition leader Raila Odinga's Luo community is mostly based, there is a near 100% boycott of the poll.

In fact voting has been suspended in four counties in the region.

Ethnic-based politics is deep-seated in Kenya, fuelled by the illusion that if "one of us" is in power then people from that community will benefit.

President Kenyatta and Mr Odinga enjoy almost god-like loyalty from their ethnic groups.

Kenyan politicians openly appeal for ethnic support although they disdain being labelled as ethnic leaders.

To counter this label they build political alliances with other ethnic groups to create a nationalist flavour.

Ethnic alliances are however fluid. The Luo and Kikuyu, who are avowed political foes, came together in 2002 to back Mwai Kibaki as president. He was Kikuyu.

Mr Odinga and his running mate in the August poll, Kalonzo Musyoka, fell out in 2007 election but patched up their differences to run on a joint ticket in 2013.

There have been some curious developments in areas that do not have strong ethnic appeal for the main players.

In eastern Garissa county, where Mr Kenyatta beat Mr Odinga in the August poll turnout has been low and the ongoing drought could be a factor.

In Kisii and Nyamira counties, which have been called swing regions, early figures show that turnout is low compared to the last election.

Some Kenyans may also feel Mr Odinga’s withdrawal makes the competition somewhat redundant; others may be just fed up with the ongoing political crisis – factors that could all affect the overall turnout.

As we reported earlier, at least one person has been killed and five others injured by police in the opposition stronghold of Kisumu in western Kenya.

Our correspondent in Kisumu reported that police used tear gas and live rounds to disperse protesters who are boycotting today's re-run of the presidential election.

Kenya's national police service however is denying as "patently false" reports that they have used live rounds in Mathare, a poor area of the capital Nairobi.

They confirm in the same tweet "a case of a shooting in Homa Bay county "where, they say, a small group of police officers had no choice but to use "live fire to protect themselves" against "a large mob".

Police say that "isolated pockets of violence" have broken out in a few parts of Kenya, but say that voting has otherwise been "proceeding well".

They end the tweet saying "police officers deployed countrywide are under strict instructions to respond to acts of public disorder use lawful means and... appropriate force."

Intense pictures have been coming through showing the clashes between police and protesters in opposition stronghold Kibera, in Kenya's capital Nairobi:

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EPACopyright: EPA

EPACopyright: EPA

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I have been out asking people why they have chosen to vote in today's presidential election re-run.

In the capital, Nairobi, one voter told me they braved the cold for the sake of the future:

Quote Message: I don't mind whether it’s cold or not, I have played my part and now I am going home to do my work, this is what I want for my child."

I don't mind whether it’s cold or not, I have played my part and now I am going home to do my work, this is what I want for my child."

In Nairobi most polling stations are open and voters are lining up, but in relatively small queues compared to the 8 August presidential election.

Over in central Kenya, President Uhuru Kenyatta cast his vote in his hometown Gatundu, where the ruling Jubilee party enjoys near-fanatical support. A visibly confident Mr Kenyatta said Kenyans have a right to exercise their democratic duty to vote for a candidate of their choice:

Quote Message: My message, like I have been repeating severally, those who are desirous to vote should be allowed to vote, those who do not wish to vote it’s also their democratic right - but no right supersedes another."

My message, like I have been repeating severally, those who are desirous to vote should be allowed to vote, those who do not wish to vote it’s also their democratic right - but no right supersedes another."

ReutersCopyright: Reuters

The situation was different in opposition strongholds of western Kenya and the coastal region. Police battled crowds of youths who had barricaded roads to prevent voting in Kisumu and the coastal city of Mombasa. However, one determined voter was frustrated because he could not cast his ballot:

Quote Message: IEBC [the electoral commission] called for elections, I turned up at my polling station but there were no election officials. They are facing logistical difficulties and say that some staff have not appeared, vehicles for transporting elections materials have not appeared."

IEBC [the electoral commission] called for elections, I turned up at my polling station but there were no election officials. They are facing logistical difficulties and say that some staff have not appeared, vehicles for transporting elections materials have not appeared."

Main opposition leader Raila Odinga has called for people to boycott the vote - which he calls "a sham" - and stay at home instead.

The East Africa Bureau Chief for for the New York Times has tweeted this picture which appears to be the only vote in a ballot box in Kibera nine hours after polls opened:

Kibera is a poorer area of the capital city Nairobi and is an opposition stronghold.

As Kenyans vote in a re-run of the presidential election, police and opposition supporters have clashed in Kibera - an opposition heartland the capital, Nairobi.

The main opposition leader Raila Odinga has called on his supporters to boycott the vote, advising them to stay at home.

Instead, some have been blocking access to polling stations.

Opposition supporters have brought machetes and rocks to their election protests, and one man can be seen in the video below saying:

Quote Message: We also have guns.

We also have guns.

Quote Message: If they fight us, we'll fight them back."

If they fight us, we'll fight them back."

Kenya's Chief Justice David Maraga made history when, along with three of his colleagues, he annulled the August presidential election.

He later said he was "prepared to pay the ultimate price" to protect the rule of law, criticising attempts to "intimidate the judiciary" from protesters who were unhappy with the Supreme Court ruling which declared the poll "invalid, null and void" - leading to fresh presidential elections.

Yesterday he cut a lone figure in the Supreme Court when he announced that the court was unable hear a petition calling for a delay of the re-run because not enough judges were available to hear the case. Only two of seven Supreme Court judges attended the hearing when they needed five to make a binding decision.

Today he has been pictured casting his vote:

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Read more about Chief Justice David Maraga here.

A group which describes itself as a grassroots organisation demanding accountability has tweeted a video of prisoners voting in Nakuru, western Kenya:

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At least one person has been killed and five others injured by police in the opposition stronghold of Kisumu in Western Kenya.

Police have used tear gas and live rounds to disperse protesters who are boycotting today's re-run of the presidential election.

Nineteen-year-old George Odhiambo was brought to the main hospital in Kisumu bleeding heavily from a thigh wound. He died as medics tried frantically to save him.

A doctor at the hospital told the BBC that Mr Odhiambo had lost too much blood after being shot in a slum area in the city.

His brother told me that they had been sitting outside their house watching opposition demonstrations.

Four other patients nursing gunshot wounds were also brought to the hospital at the same time. They are all however in a stable condition.

Police have engaged opposition supporters in running battles all morning.

Most people have heeded the boycott call by the opposition - and many polling stations have been barricaded to stop any would-be voters.

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Shortly after casting his ballot at his home constituency in Uasin Gishu county, western Kenya, Deputy President William Ruto told the BBC he wasn't impressed by the opposition threat to start civil disobedience to push for reforms:

Quote Message: We are a country governed by rules. Anybody who tells us now that this is [going to change] is simply not telling us anything positive.

We are a country governed by rules. Anybody who tells us now that this is [going to change] is simply not telling us anything positive.

Quote Message: All attempts to create civil disobedience and disorder in Kenya will not succeed.

All attempts to create civil disobedience and disorder in Kenya will not succeed.

Quote Message: We know that there is an attempt by others to drive a narrative of illegitimacy, but that will fail.

We know that there is an attempt by others to drive a narrative of illegitimacy, but that will fail.

Quote Message: Because the people of Kenya have stepped forward – except those who have been prevented by hooligans and rioters – to discharge their responsibility.

Because the people of Kenya have stepped forward – except those who have been prevented by hooligans and rioters – to discharge their responsibility.

Quote Message: The legitimacy of this election is going to be measured not by people… but [by] the constitution.

The legitimacy of this election is going to be measured not by people… but [by] the constitution.

Quote Message: Will this election meet the constitutional threshold for us to have a president? That is the yardstick upon which this election will be measured.

Will this election meet the constitutional threshold for us to have a president? That is the yardstick upon which this election will be measured.

Quote Message: And I want to tell you: we will get to that yardstick with flying colours."

And I want to tell you: we will get to that yardstick with flying colours."

So far today we have reported on two candidates in the Kenyan presidential election re-run - the incumbent Uhuru Kenyatta and the opposition Raila Odinga.

But there are actually eight candidates to choose from on the ballot paper today.

One is independent presidential candidate Joseph Nyagah.

After he had voted, he told KTN television news that, although he had voted, he was very sad for the country:

He is looking ahead to what happens after today's vote:

Quote Message: May I pray, that even after what we have gone through what we are going through today, that the leadership of this country will sit down, irrespective of the outcome of today’s elections, and find a way forward.

May I pray, that even after what we have gone through what we are going through today, that the leadership of this country will sit down, irrespective of the outcome of today’s elections, and find a way forward.

When a man was photographed holding a bag of snacks while waiting in line to vote in August it quickly captured Kenyans' imaginations.

UnknownCopyright: Unknown

Tens of thousands of social media users have talked about the unidentified man using the hashtag #GitheriMan.

He was nick-named Githeriman because it turned out he was eating a traditional meal of boiled maize and beans called Githeri (also known as mutheri) which is filling, nutritious and cheap.

An appeal was even launched to find the mystery man.

Today, 'Githeriman' has been spotted once again, much to the delight of Kenyan journalist Teddy Eudenge:

Read more about 'Githeriman' here.

A Daily Nation article looks out how Kenya got into the situation today, where the opposition are boycotting a re-run of the presidential election.

It goes with the headline "Why last-ditch effort to broker poll deal fell apart".

Daily NationCopyright: Daily Nation

It claims that under-the-radar mediation failed.

It adds that a meeting took place last Saturday at a Country Club hosted by business people.

It describes it as "the last in a series of quiet gatherings in the past two weeks involving a cross-section of interest groups, who were all keen to broker a ceasefire and prevent an eruption of ethnic and political violence over the contentious election".

But ultimately these meetings didn't succeed, as the Nation reports, "the groups could not agree on a common position" to present to President Uhuru Kenyatta and National Super Alliance leader Raila Odinga.

Live bullets have been fired in Kisumu, western Kenya, the BBC's Emmanuel Igunza reports.

Two people have been wounded - both have had gunshots to the thigh.

One of the injured is a 15-year-old boy and the other is a 21-year-old man.

They are both being treated in hospital.

Relatives at the hospital say police shot the live rounds.

Our correspondent adds that tear gas has also been fired and crowds have dispersed from the main square in the opposition stronghold.

This photo shows police using water cannon:

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A Twitter user has posted pictures from around Garissa town in eastern Kenya, showing empty polling stations:

Garissa is the hometown of National Assembly Majority Leader, and Jubilee MP Adan Duale.