Generally, Kenya’s multi-tier elections went on smoothly until minutes before the announcement of the presidential result. The Azimio party of the Rt. Hon Raila Odinga disagreed with the final tally and so their representatives at the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, (IEBC), sought to prevent IEBC’s, Wafula Chubukati, from announcing the presidential result. The scuffle that ensued in the full view of the public and the international elections observers tended to cast a dark cloud on the whole process.
This is particularly in view of the fact that four of the seven electoral commissioners disowned the results saying that the process leading to the final tally was ‘opaque.’ Nonetheless, the Chubukati led Commission went ahead and announced deputy President Ruto as duly elected President.
The controversy sparked off protests mainly in Azimio strongholds which raised fears of violence as was witnessed in 2017 when thousands of Kenyans lost their lives. The unfortunate developments automatically triggered the African Union (AU)’s ‘Preventive Diplomacy’ component of the continental body’s Elections Observer Mission (EOM).
Assisted by Burundi’s former President Domitien Ndayizeye, Sierra Leone’s statesman, Ernest Bai Koroma, held discussions with African and Western ambassadors in Nairobi, religious leaders, the two factions of the IEBC, the leadership of the United Nations (UN) and the two leading presidential contestants: the Rt Hon. Raila Odinga and Deputy President William Samoei Ruto. While both leaders called for calm. Mr Odinga told the nation and his supporters in a televised broadcast that he would challenge the outcome in court.
Meanwhile, the head of the AUEOM, on Thursday 18 August flew to Dakar, Senegal, where he briefed the chair of the AU, President Macky Sall, on the overall electoral process. The two also discussed the next steps on how the AU could accompany the people of Kenya through the petition onto the final closure of the East African nation’s August elections.
On Monday 22 August 2022, the Azimio party filed in court its petition of the result. While the nation waits in bated breath, the AU urged the leaders to continue to exercise restraint and guide their nation through to a peaceful conclusion that will be to the pride of all Kenyans.
“Following the unfortunate developments before and after the announcement of the presidential results, we have been preoccupied with efforts to mediate this impasse. While we are pleased with the magnanimity of the IEBC declared ‘president-elect’, we also note the dissention by four Commissioners and the statement made by Rt Hon Raila Odinga. We commend the statesmanship of both leaders, and applaud their calls for calm and preference for constitutional resolution of disagreements,” said former President Koroma.
He also entreated all Kenyans to keep the peace, the religious leaders & the international community in Kenya to continue their great interlocutory role and assured that the AU will remain supportive of dialogue and a peaceful conclusion of that historic electoral process.
