Kenyan Polls Were Wonderful Despite Wrong Information Around Social Media; EAC Observers Claim

With the exception of social media misinformation, the East African Community (EAC) delegation, which is in the nation to witness the General Election, has hailed the Tuesday process as genuine.

The EAC Observer Mission, which is headed by the former president of Tanzania, Jakaya Kikwete, announced on Thursday that its 52 observers, who were stationed all over the nation, had evaluated the election process, including the campaigns, distribution of voting materials, voting, and results management at polling places.

“Campaigns were conducted in a calm and peaceful atmosphere. Parties and candidates had the opportunity to campaign freely, although there were reports of some challenges and incidents encountered by some parties and some members, they do not reflect the whole election process,” Mr. Kikwete said.
Disinformation, misinformation, and hate speech on social media were among of the primary issues noted during the election process, according to the former Tanzanian president who was presenting the preliminary report of the EAC Observer Mission.

He applauded the media, civil society, and faith-based organizations for their efforts to advance peace before and during the elections.

“The mission commends the mainstream media for the important contribution they have made towards addressing some of these challenges.

“We also commend the wonderful work they have done on voter education and coverage of the electoral process. We hope they will continue to do so after the election results are declared,” said Kikwete.

At the same time, Kikwete further noted that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) had improved in transparency, preparation and management of the elections, but noted that more needed to be done for a smoother process.

“In future, there should be better communication by the IEBC and the various stakeholders… IEBC should take corrective measures to ensure that these deficiencies (in polling station delays) do not occur again,” he stated.

According to the EAC Observer Mission, 218 polling places allowed for election observation.
IEBC Chair Wafula Chebukati, IEBC commissioners, Chief Justice Martha Koome, Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, the media, and other observer organizations were among those with whom they held meetings.

On Thursday, the second day of voting began across the nation, and returning officers announced the final results for Member of Parliament seats.

The electoral authority has seven days to compile and declare the results, therefore it is anticipated to have done so by Monday, August 15, for all the various seats, including the presidency.