Photo: Bradley Austin/IFES

The delay in announcing election results has been caused by large voter turn-out, according to the electoral commission chairman, Isaack Hassan (file photo).

Tension was high yesterday in several polling stations in Murang'a after Biometric voters registration machines failed.Irked voters expressed their frustrations after the kits malfunctioned at Vidhu Ramji Secondary School polling station and they were forced to wait for several hours as IEBC officials tried to repair the machine.

A similar problem was witnessed at Mbiri Primary School in Kiharu, Holy Rosary social hall in Kangema and Maria-ini in Murarandia. At Holy Rosary, IEBC officials efforts to repair the computer failed and they were forced to source for another from Murang'a.

Voting at the station was further delayed after voters turned down a request by the officials to use the voters register instead of the BVR."It doesn't matter how long we will take here, we have to vote using the machines we used to register," said a voter.

Area returning officer Isaac Ruto urged voters to vote without the BVR."The BVR is only used to identify the voter and this can be done using the voters register," he said.

In Mukurwe wa Nyagathanga Primary School polling station in Kiharu voting had not started by 8 am as polling clerks were still waiting for a BVR machine from Thika.

Outgoing Mathioya MP Clement Wambugu said the BVR machines are not enough to cater for all voters and were causing voters, who got there as early as 3am, to take longer than necessary.