Kenya has begun its first general elections since the disputed vote in 2007 that triggered weeks of violence in which over 1,100 people were killed.

More than 14 million Kenyans are eligible to cast their ballots for a new president, parliamentarians, governors, senators, councilors and special women’s representatives on Monday.

Kenyan voters queued outside polling stations from far before dawn to pick the country’s fourth president since its independence 50 years ago.

“I got here at 3:45 a.m., I came so early as I wanted to avoid the long queues,” said a voter.

Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, the frontrunners of the presidential election, have vowed to take proper measures against any event similar to the violent incidents that followed the disputed polls in 2007.

Kenyatta is due to stand trial at the International Criminal Court over allegations of involvement in orchestrating the violence in 2007. The deputy prime minister denies the allegations.

About 23,000 observers, including 2,600 international monitors, will monitor the elections. Meanwhile, more than 99,000 police officers have been deployed to ensure the vote is peaceful.

The elections have had a violent start as several Kenyans, including security forces, were killed in an attack by gunmen hours ahead of the opening of the polling stations in the port city of Mombasa.

Kenyan police chief David Kimaiyo said there had been “casualties from both sides” in the incident.

“There was a clash between people we suspect are MRC attackers,” Kimaiyo said, referring to the rebel group Mombasa Republican Council.