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AU appoints Uhuru to head election observation mission to South Africa

Then-President Uhuru Kenyatta attends the AU Joint Committee Meeting of the MVCM, on the Ethiopia-Tigray Peace Agreement, on December 1, 2023. (Photo: X/Uhuru Kenyatta)

By Mwangi Maina | 29 Apr 2024

This is Uhuru Kenyatta's second such appointment in a year, the first one being in Nigeria.

Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has been appointed to head the African Union Election Observation Mission for South Africa in May 2024.

Kenyatta, who served from 2013 to 2022, will lead a team of 60 observers for the poll scheduled for May 29.

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This is his second such appointment in a year, following one in March 2023, when he led the AU election observer mission to Nigeria.

As per the AU, the mission aims to deliver a precise and unbiased evaluation of the electoral process, assessing the extent to which the elections adhere to regional, continental, and international democratic standards.

It will also give recommendations for enhancing future elections while demonstrating the AU's solidarity and commitment to fostering democracy, peace, stability, and development in South Africa.

South Africans are due to vote for provincial legislatures as well as a new parliament, which will then choose the next president. Incumbent Cyril Ramaphosa is seeking a second term.