And, to give residents a more consistent method for reading and responding to email from their mobiles, Google just launched Gmail SMS in Ghana, Nigeria and Kenya.

ENGADGET: Google launches Gmail SMS for text-based email in Ghana, Nigeria and Kenya

Google's Kenya elections hub enables voters to register online, receive SMS confirmation and locate polling stations on a map, while YouTube has launched a dedicated Kenya Election 2013 channel, in collaboration with Storyful.

CNN: Can mobiles help stop Kenya election violence?

Geva Rechav, a Google product manager for emerging markets, confirmed in a blog post that Gmail SMS messages will be free to receive, but standard fees will apply for outgoing emails.

ENGADGET: Google launches Gmail SMS for text-based email in Ghana, Nigeria and Kenya