Kenya’s accession to the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance
Joint Statement by Ambassadors and High Commissioners in Kenya
Kenya’s accession to the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance
28 February 2022
Ambassadors and High Commissioners from Kenya’s international partners warmly welcome Kenya’s recent accession to the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, which sets strong frameworks in support of democracy.
We strongly encourage all political actors to follow the principles and articles set out in the Charter.
As Kenya prepares for political party primaries and the August elections, we commend Kenya’s work to advance early preparations, elections security and support for independent institutions, such as the IEBC, that has the constitutional mandate to conduct the elections itself. We appreciate the recent dialogue we had with the Executive, that affirmed their commitment to facilitating a conducive environment for the August polls.
We also commend Kenyan non-state actors for their important contributions in promoting electoral integrity and citizens’ knowledge and participation including women’s political participation, in the electoral process.
Kenya can rightly be proud of its status as one of the leading democracies in Africa. We as partners will continue to engage with Kenyan leaders, citizens, and organizations across the country in the months ahead.
We, like the people of Kenya, recognise the importance of free, fair, credible and peaceful elections this August to Kenya’s prosperous and stable future. We share the fundamental principles outlined in the African Charter of transparency, accountability, equal representation, rule of law, and respect for human rights.
This statement has been issued by the following Ambassadors and High Commissioners to Kenya:
AUSTRALIA – Luke Williams, High Commissioner
CANADA – David Da Silva, Acting High Commissioner
DENMARK – Ole Thonke, Ambassador
NETHERLANDS – Maarten Brouwer, Ambassador
NORWAY – Gunnar A. Holm, Ambassador
SWEDEN – Caroline Vicini, Ambassador
SWITZERLAND – Valentin Zellweger, Ambassador
UNITED KINGDOM – Jane Marriott, High Commissioner
UNITED STATES – Eric Kneedler, Chargé d’Affaires a.i.