“The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures,” Article 21.3, of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights(UNDHR). The UNDHR was adopted on 10th December 1948 proved a basis of democracy bringing into perspective the concept of free, fair and credible elections in Democratic states.
To protect Democracy which is the cornerstone of any society, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) formulated the process and framework of Election Observation. Some Kenyans believe the International Observers keep the IEBC on their toes to ensure the elections are credible while other Kenyans do not see the need of the observers.
“The purpose of election observation is to provide an impartial and accurate assessment of the conduct of electoral processes by the Electoral Management Body (EMB) and other relevant stakeholders. Election observers, both domestic and international, are usually invited to observe all phases of the electoral process,” IEBC General Elections Handbook for Observers.
The National Police Service was graced with election observers from the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR). The discussions centred on preparedness of state actors in creating a conducive environment for IEBC to conduct the General Elections. The NPS pledged continuous support, collaboration and provision of security to all state and non-state actors. The NPS went further to assure the public of its commitment to provide adequate security across the country to enable the commission and stakeholders to deliver a peaceful, free, fair, and credible General Election.
