The European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) to Kenya presented its final report, including a range of recommendations, on the General Elections of 9 August 2022. Chief Observer Ivan Štefanec, Member of the European Parliament, noted: “The elections highlighted many positive elements in Kenya’s electoral process, confirming Kenya’s democratic status; but we believe improvements are needed to enhance transparency and public trust, in particular by strengthening the IEBC’s ability to fulfil its mandate and further increasing inclusion in the electoral process.”

The EU EOM final report contains a total of 21 recommendations aimed at improving future Kenyan elections. In particular, the report suggests changes in the regulatory framework to ensure constitutional provisions on gender equality are fully implemented and to enforce legislation on campaign finance. It also calls for improvements in election technology and for the IEBC to be provided with timely resources to implement continuous voter education.

The report is the result of a comprehensive analysis of the August 2022 general elections, which takes into consideration all aspects of the electoral process: the political environment, the role of the media and social media in the campaign, the performance of the IEBC, as well as the compliance with national and international law.

In is concluding remarks, Mr Štefanec expressed his appreciation for the cooperation of electoral stakeholders with the EOM and noted: “We hope that these recommendations contribute to conversations and engagement on electoral reforms in Kenya and thus to strengthening the full achievement of fundamental principles and values of democratic elections in line with the expectations of the Kenyan people.” 

The EU EOM final report can be found here, as well as posted on the website www.eomkenya2022.eu and on our Facebook and Twitter social media accounts: @eueomkenya2022

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This press statement is available in Swahili, but only the English version is official.

For press inquiries, please contact:

• Silvia de Félix, silvia.defelix@eomkenya2022.eu
• Faith Wamalwa, faith.wamalwa@eomkenya2022.eu