Nairobi, Rabi'II 22, 1434, Mar 4, 2013, SPA - Kenyans began voting Monday in a general election in which two top contenders are contesting for president and a half-brother to US President Barack Obama is running for governor. Opinion polls show a tight race between Prime Minister Raila Odinga and his deputy Uhuru Kenyatta. President Mwai Kibaki is standing down after reaching the two-term limit. Some 14.3 million people are registered to cast their ballots for president, parliament and local officials at 24,558 polling stations, according to the electoral body quoted by DPA. Voters are 290 National Assembly representatives and 47 senators-along with numerous governors, county representatives and women's representatives. High unemployment, chronic poverty, food shortages due to drought and an infrastructure deficit is among the main issues facing the East African nation of some 43 million people. In the west of the country, the US president's half-brother Malik Obama is standing for the post as governor of Siaya, the county where their father Barack Obama Sr was born and raised. Malik Obama focused his campaign squarely on poverty eradication and infrastructure development. The election result is expected on March 11, with a presidential run-off vote set for April if no candidate wins an outright majority. --SPA 11:36 LOCAL TIME 08:36 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/1084025