Low voter turn out has characterised early hours of voting in four parliamentary electoral areas on Thursday morning.
Past by-elections in the country have been marred by low voter turn out, indicating lack of enthusiasm among voters to cast their votes in such elections.
Voters in Garissa Township and Kandara Constituencies are voting to elect their members of Parliament after Aden Duale and Alice Wahome were appointed as cabinet secretaries respectively.
Elections are also underway in Elgeyo Marakwet where voters are picking their next Senator to succeed Kipchumba Murkomen who was also appointed as CS for Transport and Public Works.
There are reports of low turn out as polling stations opened at 6 am on Thursday.
The voting exercise is set to continue until 5 p.m. when the polling stations will be closed.
However, stations that will be affected by late opening will have extension of equal amount of time to recover lost minutes or hours.
A part from elections for MPs, there is also an election for MCA position in Shella Ward in Lamu.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) confirmed on Wednesday that it was all systems go for the by-elections.
The IEBC had on Wednesday successfully delivered voting materials to every polling station as required ahead of the opening of polling stations on Thursday morning.
In Elgeyo Marakwet, there are 21 candidates battling it out to succeed Mukromen.
They include ex-MP William Kipsang, who is flying the ruling party UDA ticket; activist Jerotich Seii under a Safina Party ticket and Tim Kipchumba (Party of Peace) among others.
In Kandara, Chege Njuguna is flying the UDA party ticket, Njau Mbuchu (Ford Asili), Kibiru Junior (Usawa Kwa Wote), Samuel Kioi (The National Democrats) and Joseph Mbugua (Justice and Freedom).
Pius Muiruri, David Kamweti and Erastus Gatehi are running as independent candidates.
In Garissa Township, Mohamed Barrow Dekow who is enjoying the support of Duale is flying the UDA ticket.
He is facing off with Nassir Mohamed Dolal of UDM party, Ibrahim Malow (Narc Kenya), Muhiadin Abdirashid (DAP-K), Abdifaisal Amin (ODM) and Abdikarim Osman (DP).
