Former presidential candidates Kizza Besigye of Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) and Robert Kyagulanyi of the National Unity Platform are in Kenya to monitor the August 9 general elections.

In a social media post on Sunday, August 7, Kyagulanyi announced he was in Kenya as part of the Africa observation team. “In Nairobi with other African leaders for the election observation mission courtesy of the Brenthurst Foundation."

Campaigns in the hotly contested Tuesday, August 9 Kenya’s general election came to an end on Saturday. President Uhuru Kenyatta who is just 61 years of age has served for his two terms and will be handing over to the winner of the August 9 election.

President Kenyatta has thrown his weight behind Opposition leader Raila Odinga who is vying for his fifth term under the Azimio-One Kenya Alliance after falling out with his Deputy William Ruto who is vying under the United Democratic Alliance/Kenya Kwanza Alliance.

A number of International Observers are in Kenya to monitor the highly contested elections.

On August 5, a team of 20 members of the Commonwealth Group observing Kenya’s August 9th General Election arrived in Nairobi at the invitation of the Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt. Hon. Patricia Scotland QC. 

The team that will be deployed across the country to observe the whole process has been selected from across the Commonwealth at the request of Kenya’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) led by former Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding.

On August 5, the African Union (AU) and the Common Market for Southern and Eastern Africa (COMESA), also announced they had officially launched their joint election observation mission for  the upcoming General Elections in Kenya. The Joint Mission is led by former President of Sierra Leone, Ernest Bai Koroma, supported by former Minister of Health and Social Development of Seychelles, Ambassador Marie-Pierre Lloyd, a Member of the COMESA Committee of Elders.

The East African Community has also deployed 52 election observers led by former Tanzania President Jakaya Kikwete.