Millions of voters will go to the polls in Kenya today in an election expected to be a close race between President Uhuru Kenyatta and his rival Raila Odinga.
More than 180,000 police have been deployed across the country amid fears of election violence and rigging.
The contest has been building for months.
Mr Kenyatta, 55, is seeking a second term in office promising development and unity.
"There is no need for us to fight because of politics, we must love each other like Kenyans," he said.
"Your neighbour is your brother and sister, regardless of where they come from, let us cast our votes, go back home and continue living as we have always done before. As I have said, Kenya will still be there after elections."
Opposition candidate Raila Odinga is hoping to break the electoral drought, after failing to win the presidency in 2007 and 2013.
His coalition, the National Super Alliance (NASA) is confident of victory but it has doubts about the Electoral Commission's ability to deliver a proper result.
"We are saying that the law says Kenyans must cast their ballots through the electronic voting system which is called EVID, Electronic Voter Identification Devices, and we have said that if that system does not work, this vote cannot go on," he said.
The campaign has been overshadowed by fears of violence and vote rigging.
The 2007 election led to horrific bloodshed. More than 1,000 people were killed and more than 660,000 were forced from their homes.
In response, more than 180,000 police will be deployed across Kenya for today's poll.
Electoral officials, along with local and foreign observers will keep watch over the voting and counting. Tensions are already high.
Ten days ago, the manager of the electoral commission's electronic voting system was found murdered. The motive for the killing is unknown.
Benji Ndolo, a political analyst and lobbyist said the biggest danger in this election was tribalism exploding into violence.
"The political ideology or political philosophy in Kenya is built upon, I call it nothingness," he said.
"It's built around tribes, ethnic mobilisation. It's very backward, it's very outdated. It needs to change."
Kenya has more than 40 tribes and the divisions between some groups run deep.
Mr Ndolo said some Kenyans feel more allegiance to their tribe than their nation.
"More and more people feel they are not invested in the country, they have nothing to gain from the system, that also has an impact on the propensity, the probability, the potential for people to feel that we are aggrieved, so we are going to burn the country down," he said.
Election day fears after child, husband lost in 2007 violence
Pamela Aoko, 26, knows the cost all too well.
She was hit by a stray bullet during the 2007 violence, while she was inside her shack in the slum of Kibera.
She was not only injured, she also lost her unborn child.
"I was seated on this chair, then I was hit. I saw blood. I miscarried," she said.
Five days later, Pamela's husband was shot and killed in the election violence, as he tried to visit her in hospital.
"I am praying for peace," she said.
Many Kenyans are also hoping today's election will be peaceful, free and fair.
