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Retired President Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta has been appointed to lead the African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) ahead of the General Election in Nigeria.
Nigeria is set to hold its General Elections on February 25, 2023.
According to a statement from the AU, the AUEOM is a short-term election observation mission consisting of ninety (90) members drawn from various AU Member States.
The team includes representatives of election management bodies, civil society organizations, independent experts, women and youth, as well as AU Organs such as the Pan African Parliament and Permanent Representatives Committee.
Kenyatta's primary objective is to lead the team in providing an accurate and impartial assessment of the electoral process in Nigeria.
This includes observing the degree to which the conduct of the elections meets regional, continental, and international standards for democratic elections.
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Additionally, the Uhuru-led mission will offer recommendations for future elections based on the findings and will demonstrate the AU's solidarity and support towards the consolidation of democracy, peace, stability, and development in Nigeria.
As part of its observation process in Nigeria, the AUEOM will engage with various stakeholders and observe the polling process.
Based on the findings, the AUEOM will issue its preliminary statement on the electoral process on 27 February 2023 in Abuja.
This initiative by the AU is expected to further promote democratic principles and transparency in Nigeria's electoral process while providing an opportunity for African nations to showcase their commitment to good governance, democracy, and the rule of law.
This latest appointment will throw Kenyatta back in to the murky environment of elections, which he just came from in Kenya's General Election of August 9, 2022.
The former head of state continues to be infuencial in Africa, also serving as the AU-Kenya Peace Envoy and Facilitator of the EAC-Led Nairobi Peace Process.
He has been heavily involved in efforts to restore peace in conflict areas in EAC such as in DRC and Ethiopia.
However the former Kenyan president recently missed a key summit in Bujumbura that aimed to resolve the ongoing conflict in eastern DRC.
The event, which was attended by several heads of state, was meant to broker a ceasefire in the troubled region.
President Evariste Ndayishimiye had called the summit in the hopes of finding a solution to the ongoing crisis.
Despite being a heads of state summit, his absence raised eyebrows. However, Kenyatta's office was quick to provide an explanation, citing logistical challenges.