EAC appoints former CJ Maraga to lead election observation mission in Rwanda

The East African Community (EAC) has appointed Kenya's former Chief Justice David Maraga to head its election observation mission for the vote in Rwanda, slated for July 15.

President Paul Kagame is expected to secure a fourth term in office in the election, running against two opposition candidates with modest expectations.

The 66-year-old played a key role in ending the 1994 genocide in Rwanda and has been president since 2000. He faces only two rivals as six other potential candidates were not cleared to run by the state-run electoral commission.

Rwanda's President Paul Kagame sits to submit his candidature, where he seeks re-election in the upcoming polls due in July, at Rwanda's National Election Commission in Kiyovu, Kigali, on May 17, 2024. (Photo: Jean Bizimana/Reuters)

Observer team

EAC Secretary General Veronica Nduva announced Maraga's appointment at the mission's launch in Kigali, Rwanda, on Friday, emphasising the bloc's commitment to promoting good governance and democratic principles.

“Within my mandate as the Secretary General of the East African Community, I have appointed Chief Justice Emeritus David Kenani Maraga of the Republic of Kenya, to lead the East African Community Election Observation Mission to the Rwanda general election 2024,” she said.

Made up of 55 people, the observer mission will ensure a transparent and fair electoral process.

It comprises representatives from various sectors, including the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), national parliaments, national electoral commissions, human rights commissions, EAC affairs ministers, and youth ambassadors from Kenya, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.

In her announcement, Nduva highlighted the EAC's dedication to fostering democracy at both the national and regional levels.

“The EAC prides itself on its cardinal and fundamental principle of enhancing good governance and the culture of democracy both at national and regional levels,” she stated.

She also noted that election observation is crucial for improving electoral processes in the Partner States.

“Election observation helps to improve electoral processes in the partner states. It is against this backdrop that the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community mandates us to deploy election observation missions in all our eight Partner States."

📍 🇷🇼 Today I officially launched and deployed the EAC observer mission of the Rwanda Elections 2024. I also handed over the team to head of observer mission Hon. Chief Justice (emeritus) David Maraga. I take the opportunity to wish the Republic of Rwanda a successful election. pic.twitter.com/cIj265vn2v

— Veronica M. Nduva, CBS (@SGNduva) July 12, 2024

Maraga's promise

According to EAC officials, Maraga's team is tasked with assessing the preparedness of key electoral stakeholders and their compliance with electoral processes.

Maraga, who has been in Rwanda since July 8, highlighted the mission's neutrality and adherence to legal and democratic standards.

“Our mission, being neutral, is to report whether the electoral process has complied with the law of the land, first and foremost, and to ensure that everything moves on smoothly, to show whether or not that has been complied with,” he stated.

The mission will assess adherence to the EAC's democratic principles as outlined in the EAC Treaty.

EAC Secretary General Veronica Nduva is pictured with Kenya's former Chief Justice David Maraga in Kigali, Rwanda, on July 12, 2024, during the officiation of the Election Observation Mission. (Photo: EAC)

The observers will be deployed across Rwanda, returning to the mission headquarters in Kigali on July 16, a day after the vote. The field reports will form the basis of a preliminary statement to be released on July 17, with the mission departing Rwanda on July 18.

“So far, we have observed, generally, a calm electoral, political, and security environment ahead of the polling day. For this, we wish to thank the political leadership, the people of Rwanda, and the institutions managing the electoral process in this country,” Maraga noted.

He emphasised that a peaceful and successful election would be a victory not only for Rwanda but for the EAC.

Rwanda's National Electoral Commission (NEC) announced on July 12 that over 1,100 election observers had been accredited, including 334 international observers, with the remainder being domestic.

Additional reporting by Mwangi Maina