EU Ambassadors say Kenya election is among the ‘best’ in Africa
Nine Ambassadors and High Commissioners drawn from European countries have jointly lauded the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) for the manner in which it conducted the concluded general election.
In a statement, the ambassadors said the electoral process now sets a standard for the African continent.
“Kenya has set an example to the region and continent as a whole. We call upon all actors to uphold the spirit of peace in the coming weeks,” the statement read.
The nine are representing Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Netherland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
They have encouraged all political parties and leaders to follow all the existing mechanisms for dispute resolution as guided by the constitution.
In the concluded election, the electoral commission for the first time in history used the KIEMS kit as a primary method to identify the voters.
The Manual Register was also available in all the polling stations as a backup in case the digital register fails to identify the voter’s details.
Also, the electoral body availed all the figures from all the constituencies on its website, where anybody could visit and tally to arrive at the winner of the presidential election.
The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken through his Spokesperson Ned Prince also urged the parties to solve any dispute peacefully and avoid any form of violence.
IEBC Chairperson Wafula Chebukati announced William Ruto as the President-elect after garnering 7.1 million votes, which translates to 50.5 per cent of the total votes cast.
The Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition party candidate Raila Odinga became second with 6.9 million votes, which is equal to 48.85 per cent.
However, Mr. Odinga has rejected the results and hinted at contesting the election outcome in court.