James Bond-type Campaign in Kenya
HOWELL: Welcome back to Newsroom. Polls have been open in Rwanda's presidential election for a couple of hours now. Almost seven million people are eligible to cast ballots across the country and in more than 30 other countries. President Paul Kagame is widely expected to win a third term there. He's been hailed for modernizing the country after the genocide in 1994 when almost one million Rwandans were killed, but there have also been allegations of repression and violence. He's being challenged by Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green party and independent Philippe Mpayimana. In the meantime, the presidential campaign is nearby in Kenya and it's in its final week. That race getting tighter. The incumbent, Uhuru Kenyatta is hoping to win a second term. He faces a longtime rival Raila Odinga. Let's go live to Nairobi. CNN's Farai Sevenzo following the story this hour. Farai, good to have you with us. As this election draws closer the excitement fair to say is on the ground and also in the air, literally.</s>FARAI SEVENZO, CORRESPONDENT, CNN: It's probable George. A very good morning to you from Nairobi. Everyone is talking about the election that candidate themselves have only got today to campaign, tomorrow the campaign is suspended. And of course, the press is all over it, all eyes are on Kenya. The observers are here, including John Kerry, including some African and former President Thabo Mbeki. But we were interested in finding out how these individuals vying for political office are actually campaigning. There is not cap and election spending and those are the deepest pockets find their way to get their voters as we found out, George.</s>SEVENZO: Well, politicians hoping to pull in a crowd in this Kenyan election, a helicopter may just be the thing, at this opposition campaign rally in the middle of Kenya's Maasai country people can't decide which helicopter to run to. As yet another chopper makes a landing, kicking up dust and drawing people in. They use for efficiency in this vast country and of course flare.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lots of campaigning no more here, so we were very happy to see it's coming here.</s>SEVENZO: Kenya's 2017 general election is approaching the final stretch and the race seems tight. Helicopter after helicopter carrying politicians across the political divide lift-off into the Nairobi skies. There are more helicopters right now in this country that is any time in Kenya's history. And why is that? Because campaigning by chopper has become all the race in this Kenyan industry. Politicians pay an average of $3,000 an hour to rent one. Kenya's lawmakers landing constituencies where the people whose mostly covered earn a half of that in an entire year. And the presence of so many choppers has produced a worrying trend. They're calling it the James Bond effect.</s>GILBERT KIBE, DIRECTOR GENERAL, KENYA CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY: The James Bond is a figure of speech the individual who decides that who want a free ride in a helicopter and the thing that it would be fun.</s>SEVENZO: One James Bond chopper grabber told CNN that he hung on to the chopper because others had been given something and he'd missed out. Kenya's civil aviation authority notice the number of visits to rise and made public service announcement.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We shall not accept to see ever again a James Bond. If you see something that looks dangerous, please, inform us.</s>SEVENZO: One by one the little bird lift-off leaving the voters bemused. As they wave the politicians away beneath the departing choppers there is no sign of James Bond for now.</s>SEVENZO: And there you have it, George, it's fascinating to see it happen. You remember, the way Kenyan election works is very different. It's a very open sort of first pass proposed kind of election system pure democracy, but what happened that even if a man loses the primary t elect him in one seat or another he can run as an independent. Why, because his wallet allows him to do that. So, it's going to be interesting because thousands of individuals are going for this election, not just Mr. Uhullulu -- and other Mr. Odinga. It's many, many individuals vying for political office and we will find out on Tuesday, 8th of August just who they choose amongst all those people, George.</s>HOWELL: We will soon see, Farai, I also saw you stepping out of that helicopter. Hope you can get a ride as well. Farai Sevenzo, live for us. Thank you so much for the reporting today. The football world is known for throwing around a lot of cash but one Brazilian star is taking things well, to another level. His record- setting deal as the Newsroom continues.