20 Members of the Commonwealth Group Observers of the August 9 Elections Arrive in Kenya
A team of 20 Commonwealth Group observers has arrived in Nairobi at the invitation of Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt. Hon. Patricia Scotland QC, to observe Kenya's August 9th General Election.
Leah Mukangai 
At the request of Kenya's Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, a team from across the Commonwealth will be deployed across the country to observe the entire process (IEBC). In issuing the Group's arrival statement, former Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding urged stakeholders, including the electorate, to commit to peace in accordance with the Commonwealth's values and principles.
“We know how important elections are in a democracy, they empower the people to choose representatives who will, in turn, make decisions on their behalf,” stated Golding.
Former Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding. PHOTO FILE
Golding said in a press statement sent to the newsroom that the Commonwealth's presence in Kenya shows that it stands with Kenyans as they exercise their democratic rights and that the Commonwealth recognizes how important the elections are to the people of Kenya, East Africa, Africa, and the Commonwealth as a whole.
“As part of our work to support the election, an advance team has been on the ground since 16 July to observe preparations ahead of the polls and campaigns,” he stated.
Golding stated that the advance team will provide the main Group with updates on their meetings with stakeholders and preliminary findings, which will be critical for the team's work and subsequent observation role and report.
The Chairperson stated that following the update and the main team meeting with all relevant stakeholders, they will be deployed in small teams to selected counties to observe electoral preparations such as polling station opening, voting, closing, counting, and results from management processes.
The Commonwealth is a voluntary organization of 56 independent and equal sovereign states with a combined population of 2.5 billion people, more than 60% of whom are under the age of 29.
The Commonwealth Secretariat assists member countries in developing democratic and inclusive institutions, strengthening governance, and promoting justice and human rights, in addition to assisting them in growing economies and increasing trade, delivering national resilience, empowering young people, and addressing threats such as climate change, debt, and inequality.
