Ugandan to head EAC team at Kenyan polls

By Moses Mulondo

Uganda's former East African Legislative Assembly MP Lydia Wanyoto Mutende has been appointed to head the East African Community team which will observe the Kenya general elections slated for March 4 this year.

Wanyoto has been appointed by the East African Community secretary general Dr. Richard Sezira to head the secretariat which will be based in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi.

According to the appointment letter seen by New Vision, the East African Community Election Observer Mission will start its work from February 24 to March 2013.

“You have been identified as one of the eminent East Africans with expertise and experience to coordinate the EAC Election Observation Mission to the Kenya General Elections with integrity and professionalism,” Sezibera told Wanyoto in the letter.

Sezibera requested Wanyoto and her team to observe the elections in a manner that creates public confidence in the electoral processes based on internationally accepted standards.

Wanyoto left Uganda this week for Kenya to set up the secretariat in Nairobi where the EAC team will be operating from.

“I am grateful for this opportunity which has been given to me to coordinate EAC’s Election Observation Mission.

“I will do the work with professionalism. I believe as Ugandans and the rest of East African countries, we will have a lot to learn from the Kenyan elections which are being held under a new constitution,” she said.

A final eight candidates were nominated for the presidential race as Kenyans are set for a new face at the helm of the country’s leadership after the departing president Mwai Kibaki.

They are; Raila Odinga of Orange Democratic Movement, Uhuru Kenya of National Alliance Party,  Musalia Mudavadi of the Jubilee Coalition, Peter Kenneth of Kenya National Congress, Raphael Tuju of Party of Action, Joseph Ole Kiyiapi of Restore And Build Kenya Party and Martha Karua of NARC Kenya.

Most reports in the Kenya media have put Raila Odinga and Uhuru Kenyata in the lead followed by Musalia Mudavadi.