Kenyans await results from the presidential elections

In Kenya, counting is underway after Tuesday's presidential elections.

After almost a decade under President Uhuru Kenyatta, citizens were called to choose between Deputy President William Ruto and Raila Odinga, the veteran opposition leader now backed by the ruling party.

"We are waiting, we are really waiting! we are very expectant that our candidate will win. Personally, for the last 12 years, I’ve never voted but this time round, I went to the vote (shows her inked nail) because I want Mr. President, the fifth Ruto, to come on board", said Margaret Kamau, a shop owner in CBD. 

Preliminary results suggest a tight race for the two candidates. 

Although turnout was low, suggesting growing frustration with the political elite, some remain optimistic about the future.

"We are not impatient, we are very sober and calm. For the first time in Kenya, we are experiencing a different atmosphere politically. (...) Because of the two front runners, there might be tension ‘_kidogo_’ (little) here and there, but the government is well prepared, I can see security personnel are almost everywhere. I don’t see any tension", claims social worker Benson Juma. 

If neither Ruto nor Odinga wins more than 50 percent of the vote, Kenya will stage a run-off for the first time in its history.