EU EOM present its final report on the country’s August 9 general elections
The European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) to Kenya has today presented its final report, including a range of recommendations, on the country’s August 9 general elections.
Chief Observer Ivan Štefanec, member of the European Parliament, noted that although the elections highlighted many positive elements in the country’s electoral process, improvements were needed to enhance transparency by strengthening the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to fulfill its objective.
“The elections highlighted many positive elements in Kenya’s electoral process, confirming Kenya’s democratic status; but we believe improvements are needed to enhance transparency and public trust, in particular by strengthening the IEBC’s ability to fulfil its mandate and further increasing inclusion in the electoral process,” he said.
The EU EOM final report contains a total of 21 recommendations aimed at improving the country’s future elections.
In particular, the report suggests changes in the regulatory framework to ensure constitutional provisions on gender equality are fully implemented and to enforce legislation on campaign finance.
It also calls for improvements in election technology and for the IEBC to be provided with timely resources to implement continuous voter education.
The report is the result of a comprehensive analysis of the August 9 general elections, which takes into consideration all aspects of the electoral process; the political environment, the role of the media and social media in the campaign, the performance of the IEBC, as well as the compliance with national and international law.
In his concluding remarks, Štefanec expressed his appreciation for the cooperation of electoral stakeholders with the EOM.
“We hope that these recommendations contribute to conversations and engagement on electoral reforms in Kenya and thus strengthening the full achievement of fundamental principles and values of democratic elections in line with the expectations of the Kenyan people,” he noted.
However, Azimio One Kenya coalition leader, Raila Odinga still believes that despite the Supreme Court ruling, the recent held general elections was not conducted in a free and fair manner.
Raila is on record saying that IEBC robbed Kenyans of their democracy.
