Trump's team issues new rules to Kenya on August Elections

david nganga

July 18, 2017 2:12 PM

The Trump administration has set out tough terms in a bid to ensure free and fair elections

The US Government, through the Congress, said that it would introduce new terms so as to ensure the country holds free, fair and credible polls.

The first of those is a call to all Kenyans to resolve any disputes through the legal system.

It also supports the assistance provided by the State Department and USAID for election-related preparations, as the United States is the largest bilateral donor to Kenya’s electoral process.

The last of those terms is seeking the participation of the civil society in ensuring a peaceful pre- and post- election environment.

This will be by providing critical early warning and response measures to avert election-related violence.

The Congress argued that the resolutions would see Kenya avoid a repeat of the “shambolic” elections witnessed in 2007 and 2013.

Representative Eliot Engel, a member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs said that the world is concerned by “delayed preparations” which could throw the credibility of the polls into question.

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“With Kenya's elections less than a month away, I'm concerned by reports of delays in preparation and the fact that there may be insufficient time to test critical voting equipment," said Rep. Engel.

He further urged the government and political parties must ensure Wananchi participate in a process that allows them to have confidence in the accuracy of the results.

The Congress representatives stated that Kenya remains a key US partner in the promotion of regional security and as a hub for humanitarian assistance, finance, and transportation.

david nganga