Former President, John Dramani Mahama of Ghana is in Kenya where he is leading a 15-member Commonwealth Observer Group to monitor and report on the August 08, 2017 election in the country.
This will be the 5th Election in the East African country since 1991 when it ended its one party state rule.
Mahama jetted into Nairobi yesterday morning under the invitation of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, IEBC.
He is expected to lead a 15-member group, which was constituted by Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland.
“Former President Mahama arrived this morning in Nairobi from Ghana, and the majority of other observers are arriving today. At least one due tomorrow. The observer mission will be having briefings throughout this week,” one of the group’s senior officials told Kenyan newspaper, The Star yesterday.
The former President and his team will stay in the country until August 14 and will be supported by the Commonwealth Secretariat led by head of the electoral support section Martin Kasirye.
The group will assess the pre-electoral environment, voting, counting and tabulation and the announcement of results to ensure the entire process is credible.
They will make a report and submit it to the Commonwealth Secretary-General, who will later send it to the Kenyan government, the IEBC, political parties, the Commonwealth governments and the Kenyan public.
They will make recommendations to help strengthen future electoral processes in Kenya.
Voters in the Kenyan polls will elect the President and his deputy, members of Parliament and devolved government members.
Incumbent President, Uhuru Kenyatta, who beat Raila Odinga in the previous election to become president, is facing a stiff competition from Odinga again to retain power.
__________
Follow us on Twitter at @thesignalng
Copyright 2017 SIGNAL. Permission to use portions of this article is granted provided appropriate credits are given to www.signalng.com and other relevant sources.
