Two days after voting in Kenya, key observer missions including teams from the African Union (AU), Commonwealth, the East African Community (EAC) and the European Union (EU) have made statements on their assessment of the electoral process so far.

Generally, most observer groups believe that despite few minor incidences, the process of voting, counting, and tallying at polling stations has been peaceful, transparent, and credible. Former South African President, Thabo Mbeki, head of the AU observer group said that the process was in line with AU policies, and commended the commission and Kenyan citizens on a job well done. Both the AU and Commonwealth missions noted however that the high number of rejected votes suggests the need for more voter education.

Former Ghanaian president John Mahama and head of the Commonwealth mission said the elections on the whole has been conducted in a credible manner. “On the whole it seems the actual performance of the voting machines has not been called into question… I think Kenya must be commended for the technology used during this elections” He added that anyone with grievances should follow the appropriate legal processes.

Many groups have condemned the murder of high-level election official Chris Msando and call for a full investigation into his death. The EU observer mission in their statement congratulated the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), but repeated the call for an independent probe into Chris Msando's murder and how it may have impacted the whole electoral process. 

The EU observer mission further urged Kenyans to have patience and restraint in awaiting the final results saying “elections should never be a life and death issue.”
So far, the IEBC has released results from 40 109 out of 40 883, putting incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta ahead with 54.26% (8,094,351 votes) and opposition leader Raila Odinga in second place with 44.86% (6,692,062 votes).

AEP