NAIROBI – The East African Community (EAC) has deployed an election observation mission in Kenya to monitor the August 8 polls, officials said on Tuesday. Edward Rugumayo, Head of the EAC Election Observation Mission, told a media briefing in Nairobi that the mission will fulfill the provisions of the treaty that established the economic bloc. “The mission will comprise of 60 members drawn from electoral management bodies, National Assemblies, and civil society from the partner states,” Rugumayo said. The mission is in the country following the invitation by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission. The observer group was preceded by a team of election experts from the six EAC partner states who arrived on July 20. Rugumayo said that the team will remain in Kenya until Aug. 11 and plans to observe the concluding stages of the election campaigns and engage with various stakeholders as well as monitor voting and counting processes. He noted that the EAC attaches great importance to the promotion of democratic governance as a strong foundation for ‘‘our political and economic integration which is also the guarantee for political stability in the region.’’ He added that the vision of a prosperous, competitive, secure, stable and politically united EAC can only be attained through economic growth, peace and security with a stamp of legitimate governments by the citizenry. “This is why we are keen on free and fair, transparent and credible elections in all partner states,” he said. According to Rugumayo, the EAC mission will be guided by the democratic principles and values outlined in the African Charter for Democracy, Elections and Governance. Xinhua
