By Catherine Ageno
The chairperson of the Commonwealth group observing Kenya’s elections has called for everyone involved to follow the example of the contenders and commit to a peaceful process.
Former Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding was issuing the Group’s arrival statement, ahead of the August 9th general elections.
The twenty-member group that includes former Principal Judge Justice James Ogoola has been selected from across the Commonwealth at the request of Kenya’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
Due to unforeseen circumstances, the former President of Botswana, Festus Mogae, has had to withdraw and has been replaced by Jamaica’s Bruce Golding.
He says just as politicians have made a commitment to a peaceful election, they urge stakeholders, including the electorate, to commit to doing the same, consistent with the Commonwealth’s values and principles.
“We, therefore, hope our presence in Kenya serves as a reminder that the people of the Commonwealth stand together with Kenyans as they exercise their democratic rights, recognising how important these elections are to the people of Kenya, East Africa, Africa, and the whole of the Commonwealth at large’, he said.
As part of its work to support the election, an advance team has been on the ground since 16 July to observe preparations ahead of the polls and campaigns.
After the main Group has been updated by the advance team and met all relevant stakeholders, they will be deployed in small teams to selected counties to observe electoral preparations including the opening of polls, voting, closing, counting and the results management processes.
After this assessment is carried out, the group will issue its interim statement of preliminary findings on 11 August.
