Publication:

Report of the African Union Election Observation Mission on the 9 August 2022, General Elections in the Republic of Kenya.

On 9 August 2022, Kenya held General Elections to elect key political leaders, including the President, where William Ruto was declared President-elect by the IEBC on 15 August 2022. The AU and COMESA jointly deployed a Short-Term Election Observation Mission (STO) from 4 to 12 August 2022, preceded by pre-election assessment missions and a Long-Term Observation (LTO) mission. These missions assessed the political, legal, and administrative environment before, during, and after the elections. The political atmosphere was stable, and campaigns shifted from ethnic-based to issue-focused discourse. The legal framework was conducive to democratic elections, safeguarding rights such as freedom of speech and association, though voter registration and verification faced low turnout due to voter apathy and limited education efforts. Despite concerns about political tensions between the main coalitions—Kenya Kwanza and Azimio la Umoja—the elections remained largely peaceful. The IEBC, Judiciary, and other institutions enjoyed public confidence for their professionalism. On Election Day, observers deployed across 38 of Kenya’s 47 counties reported transparent and credible polling, despite minor administrative and technological challenges. Ruto secured 50.49% of the vote, narrowly defeating Raila Odinga, who contested the results in the Supreme Court. The AU-COMESA mission acknowledged the IEBC’s transparent conduct and offered recommendations to enhance future electoral processes, including timely funding, improved communication, enhanced voter education, passage of electoral reforms, and ongoing peacebuilding efforts. The mission urged regional bodies to stay engaged in supporting Kenya's democratic consolidation.