Nakuru city remained a ghost city for the better part of the day as area residents turned up in large numbers at their polling centers to cast their votes.
Businesses at the usually busy Kenyatta Avenue, which is the city’s commercial hub, remained closed with a number of the businesses displaying closure notices at the entrances.
At the Clean-shelf supermarket, a closure notice reads in part, ‘all clean-shelf branches shall remain closed on 9th August, 2022 to enable all our staff and partners cast their votes’.
A spot check by KNA also revealed that the usually crowded Central Business District (CBD), remained deserted and only few persons could be seen walking along the pavements.
Matatu terminus and boda boda operating shades were not spared either as they remained empty save for a few riders spotted transporting voters to and from the polling centers.
The usually congested parking bays along the main commercial streets were also empty with most personal vehicles seen parked near polling centers including railways and old town hall polling centers within the city.
At the Nakuru open market, only a few stalls were operating with a handful of customers spotted at the market.
One of the traders at the market identified as Wa Shiku told KNA that she had voted early at the railway polling center before opening her stall.
Nakuru County which is the third populous county in the country has 11 constituencies, with more than 1.05 million registered voters.
The constituencies including Naivasha, Gilgil, Nakuru town East, Nakuru town West, Bahati, Subukia, Rongai, Njoro, Molo, Kuresoi North and Kuresoi South with a total of over 2000 polling centers.
By Esther Mwangi
