Kenya election opens in tight race as Raila Odinga seeks another shot at the presidency

Polls opened on Tuesday in Kenya’s unusual presidential election, where a longtime opposition leader who is backed by the outgoing president faces the deputy president who styles himself as the outsider.

The election is considered to be a close race and East Africa’s economic centre could have a presidential run-off for the first time. Hundreds of voters lined up hours before polls opened in some locations.

The top candidates are Raila Odinga, who has vied for the presidency for a quarter of a century, and Deputy President William Ruto, who has stressed his journey from a humble childhood to appeal to millions of struggling Kenyans long accustomed to political dynasties.

“In moments like this is when the mighty and the powerful come to the realisation that it is the simple and the ordinary that eventually make the choice,” a smiling Mr Ruto told journalists after becoming one of the first voters. “I look forward to our victorious day.”

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