When Kenyans go to the polls on August 9, the US administration has urged them to hold a free, fair, credible, and verifiable election.
On Thursday, June 9, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the United States applauded the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission’s (IEBC) decision to clear four candidates to run for the presidency.
Blinken confirmed that the US will be watching the election, citing a chat he had with Ambassador Raychelle Omamo, the Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary.
The US Secretary of State also urged the IEBC and the candidates – Deputy President William Ruto, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, George Luchiri Wajackoya, and David Mwaure – to conduct peaceful campaigns.
President Uhuru Kenyatta meets with visiting US Secretary of State John Kerry.
“We welcome IEBC’s certification of candidates for Kenya’s August 9 General Election and the beginning of the electoral campaigns.
“As I said to Kenyan Cabinet Secretary, Omamo, last month, the United States stands with Kenyans in support of free, fair, and peaceful elections,” the Secretary of State stated.
While all stakeholders share responsibility for maintaining peaceful campaigns, the IEBC is constitutionally required to guarantee that the electoral process is transparent.
Blinken’s statement came only days after DP Ruto told European Union Ambassadors that the names of one million voters from his strongholds had been removed from the IEBC voter record, charges that the commission’s Chairman, Wafula Chebukati, has refuted.
The Azimio flagbearer, on the other hand, provided Chebukati with 11 major concerns that he thought needed to be solved before the polls while presenting his paperwork for clearance. Despite this, Raila and Ruto voiced confidence in the IEBC’s ability to carry out its mandate.
Concerns about the role of technology in the election were addressed by the electoral commission on Thursday.
