By John Oyuke
NAIROBI; KENYA: The African Union (AU) and Africa’s largest trading bloc, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa), have launched an initiative to ensure peaceful, free and fair elections.
A panel of wise persons from AU and a committee Comesa elders said they are keen to ensure Kenya remains stable after the March 4 General Election.
“We have come in solidarity with Kenyans to ensure structures put in place by various parties prevent occurrence of any violence,” AU’s Dr Brigalia Bam said.
During the last 2007/2008 polls, about 1,333 Kenyans were killed as a result of the disputed presidential results, and 650,000 others displaced. Speaking during a courtesy call on Standard Group Chief Executive Officer, Sam Shollei, Bam asked journalists to play a pivotal role in the electoral process by ensuring balanced coverage.
Away from anarchy
“Kenya is an important country in this region and its success is the success of Africa as a whole,” she said.
Shollei said the General Election would be a platform for Kenyans to move away from the anarchy witnessed in 2007, saying the media will do everything possible to ensure peace prevails.
“We will do all we can to ensure there is no violence before, during and after the elections,” he said.
Bam led a delegation from AU and Comesa including Mme Marie-Madeleine Kalala-Ngoy and Ambassador Simbi Mubako.
The Panel of the Wise of the AU is one of the pillars of the African Peace and Security Architecture while Comesa governments established the Committee of Elders to promote preventive diplomacy.
AU mission
Bam said the mission is in line with a decision of the AU Assembly mandating the Panel of the Wise and its regional counterparts to undertake systematic and routine missions in all Member States of the Union.
She expressed AU and Comesa’s support to the efforts of the Government, political actors and civil society to create a conducive environment for holding of free, transparent, credible and peaceful elections.
“The visit will avail the delegation the opportunity to express the continent’s support for the continuation of Kenya’s democratic process,” she said.
The visit, which runs up to January 23, comes as political parties finalise their primaries to nominate candidates to vie for elective seats.
Kenyans will elect six candidates (President, Governor, Senator, Member of Parliament, Women Representative and County Ward Representative) in the General Election.
