The Commonwealth Observer Group has presented its interim findings on Kenya’s 2022 general elections, as it reported a largely peaceful and transparent process.
The Honourable Bruce Golding, Chairperson of the Group and former Prime Minister of Jamaica, presented the preliminary findings on 11 August.
The Group arrived in Nairobi on 2 August, at the invitation of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission of Kenya (IEBC), and were deployed in small teams to 20 counties across the country to observe all aspects of the election process including pre-poll, the opening of polling stations, the voting process, and the counting of ballots.
They were preceded by an advance Commonwealth Observer Team that has been in the country since 16 July.
Golding commended the efforts by political parties, their leaders, presidential candidates, and the people of Kenya, to foster a peaceful environment in the lead-up to the elections.
The findings of the Group’s observation concluded that election day was largely peaceful and orderly amid a high voter turnout, and reported a high degree of transparency across the whole process.
The Group further noted that some electoral processes may be reviewed and improved in the future; including the use of the Kenya Integrated Elections Management System (KIEMS) kit – which is used to register and identify voters using biometrics –, the application of procedures by polling staff, and the time lag between the announcement of the official results by the IEBC and the media polls.
“I wish to commend the people of Kenya for the peaceful and orderly manner in which they exercised their right to vote on 9 August 2022,” said Golding.
“As the results management phase of the electoral process reaches its finalisation, we call upon all political party leaders and their supporters to continue to show restraint and magnanimity.
“It is our hope that by bringing this electoral process to a successful conclusion, Kenya will serve as an inspiration for the Commonwealth and indeed, the rest of the world, that relevant lessons have been learned from the past, and that each successive election is an improvement on the previous one.”
The comprehensive final report, which will set out the full findings on the entire election process, will be submitted to the Commonwealth Secretary-General and thereafter shared with the Government of Kenya, IEBC, political parties, and Commonwealth governments, before being made public.
The final report will also offer several recommendations for consideration to contribute toward the deepening of democracy and strengthening future electoral processes.
Provisional results suggest a tight presidential race between Deputy President William Ruto and Raila Odinga, a former Prime Minister.
Learn more: The Commonwealth Secretariat
