As early as 05:15 am, the first people, a couple, arrived at the Kenyan High Commission in Rwanda located in Kacyiru, to exercise their civil right of electing their next president. The couple pitched camp at the gates of the High Commission premises waiting for the polls to start. By the time the gates opened at 06:15 a.m, there was already a queue of Kenyans waiting to cast their ballot and head to work. Like all other compatriots in the diaspora, the Kenyan community in Rwanda only voted for president. Voting continued throughout the day and by the time The New Times visited the High Commission which hosts the only polling station, there were several voters turning up to cast their ballot. The queue was quite short and some people opted to hang around the compound for a meet and greet. Mary Kirote arrived at the High Commission at around 11:00am with her family to cast their vote. Right after voting, the family stayed within the compound taking photos of each other. “It’s exciting but also a privilege given to us to exercise our constitutional rights,” she said. For Gladys Kianira who was voting for the second time, “This is a good opportunity for us youth in contributing to our future as Kenyans but also having a say on home affairs. Today feels like we are in Kenya.” Kianira, just like other voters, also said she was enjoying the mood in which elections were being conducted at the High Commission. This year’s elections are presumed to be different compared to the previous ones. According to Edwin Odhuno, the Vice Chancellor of Mount Kenya University Rwanda, this year’s elections are about inclusivity and issues-based. “I only voted simply because I now find the reason to vote. Before that, I didn’t find any reason to vote. There is too much to expect from these elections that are issues-based,” he said. Some Kenyans in Rwanda say they will be gathering to follow the preliminary outcomes of the election. Officials of the Kenyan electoral commission at the High Commission are expected to tally the votes and transmit them to the national tallying center in Bomas, in Nairobi. The Kenyan acting high commissioner to Rwanda, Philip Mundia Githiora said that the voting in Kigali was going on smoothly. “There is a steady flow of voters, people are happy, there is no political talk as people interact and everything is being done in a fashionable manner,” he said. Reports from Kenya indicate that by midday, 6,567,869 million Kenyans had voted representing 30.66% of the registered voters. Polling stations close at 5pm Kenyan time, which is 4pm Kigali time.
