The United States has declared that it will offer Kenya Ksh199M to cater for electoral reforms as an assurance of its commitment to Kenya’s democracy.
During the official State Visit to the United States, President Biden declared his continued support to strengthen commitments to Kenya and discussed other priority issues.
“This funding aims to improve public awareness raising and advocacy around the reforms, laying the groundwork for a more inclusive, transparent and peaceful 2027 election,” the statement reads in part.
President Ruto’s Visit
The four-day state visit by President Ruto had a key focus on elevating the leadership from both Kenya as well as addressing pressing global challenges.
President Ruto was treated to a state dinner by President Biden as they focused on enhancing their deep ties that have marked 60 years of official U.S.-Kenya partnership.
In a statement by the White House, the United States has promised $1.5 million (Ksh199 million) in new technical assistance to support Kenya’s electoral legal framework reform process aimed at strengthening the election commission, political parties, and campaign finance.
The proposed funds will create public awareness and advocacy around electoral reforms in Kenya where general elections have become a polarizing affair.
Key outcomes of President @WilliamsRuto State Visit to the United States.https://t.co/YDp70rRCWc
— Korir Sing’Oei (@SingoeiAKorir) May 23, 2024
Kenya’s Election 2022
In the last general election, there were widespread claims of deficiencies in the Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) and Kenya Integrated Elections Management System (KIEMS) Kits controls, there was also a loss of election materials in various parts of the country and a lack of comprehensive asset register.
As soon as the winner of the election was announced, opposition leader Raila Odinga and his running mate and co-petitioner Martha Karua moved to court and asked for 23 reliefs, including access to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) servers and a review of the rejected and spoiled votes.
In addition, they requested an order to audit the Kenya Integrated Elections Management System (KIEMS) kits, the IEBC website and portal, as well as the returns of the presidential election, including Forms 34A, 34B, and 34C.
Following the submission of other eight petitions seeking to annul William Ruto’s election as president, Kenya’s Supreme Court later confirmed Ruto’s victory.
As part of its ruling, the court dismissed all petitions, including those submitted by Raila Odinga, finding that some of the claims were “based on forged documents and sensational information.”
Odinga responded by saying that he had “respect for the opinion of the court”. But he “vehemently” disagreed with the decision.
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