The various observer missions monitoring the elections in Kenya have called for peace in that country.
Preliminary presidential election results project a convincing win for incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta but the opposition leader Raila Odinga has cried foul, claiming “fraud” in the election process, which began on Tuesday.
There are now heightened tensions in the country following Odinga’s claims.
[contextly_sidebar id=”yMwAXbNYdHHpzBD50dQNMjErasLVfhgq”]Meanwhile, the joint statement from nine observer mission including the African Union appealed to the citizens of Kenya “to remain committed to peace and the integrity of the electoral process.”
“We urge candidates and parties to use the legally provided channels of dispute resolution in case of any dissatisfaction with the process and to urge their supporters to remain calm. We call upon the security agencies to provide necessary protection while avoiding any excessive use of force,” the statement added.
The missions also called on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) of Kenya to be transparent and fair to the parties involved in the election.
“Following our discussion of our observations and the recent events in Kenya, remind all stakeholders that the electoral process is ongoing. We recognize the tallying of results at all levels is a critical part of the process. We therefore call on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to undertake the tallying with full integrity and transparency so that all Kenyans can trust the announced results. To achieve this, IEBC personnel need to be able to work freely in a secure environment, with time to complete the process,” the statement added.
The observer missions included the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the Commonwealth, East African Community (EAC), European Union (EU), International Conference of the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), National Democratic Institute (NDI) and the Carter Center (TCC).
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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin