Africa-Press – Kenya. The European Union Election Observation Mission to Kenya has given the August elections a clean bill of health but recommended improvements on transparency.
The observer mission presented its final report on the August 9 general election and made a range of recommendations on the poll process.
Chief Observer Ivan Štefanec said the elections highlighted many positive elements and affirmed Kenya’s impressive democratic status.
“We believe improvements are needed to enhance transparency and public trust in particular by strengthening the IEBC’s ability to fulfill its mandate and further increasing inclusion in the electoral process,” he said.
The EU EOM final report contains 21 recommendations aimed at improving the country’s future electoral processes.
Among the suggestions is the enforcement on legislation on campaign financing and introduction of changes in the regulatory framework to ensure constitutional provisions on gender equality are fully implemented.
The group also calls for improvements in election technology and for the IEBC to be provided with timely resources to implement continuous voter education.
The report was prepared after a comprehensive analysis of the August elections taking into consideration all aspects of the electoral process.
These are the political environment, the role of the media and social media in campaigns, the performance of the IEBC as well as compliance with national and international law.
“We hope that these recommendations contribute to conversations and engagement on electoral reforms in Kenya to strengthen the full achievement of fundamental principles and values of democratic elections in line with the expectations of the Kenyan people,” the report states in part.
Results of the August 9 presidential elections were contested at the Supreme Court largely on the basis of lack of transparency in the tabulation and transmission of the results.
Azimio presidential candidate Raila Odinga who finished second in the race with over 6.9 million votes claimed the tally was rigged in favour of William Ruto who was declared winner with 7.2 million votes.
The petition was, however, thrown out by the apex court for lack of credible evidence.
For More News And Analysis About Kenya Follow Africa-Press
