Ugandan opposition leaders Dr Kizza Besigye of the People’s Front for Transition (PFT Red Card Front) and Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine of the National Unity Platform (NUP) have flown to Nairobi, Kenya, to observe the East African country’s general elections.
About 20 million Kenyans are expected to go to the polls on August 09. Voters will choose a new president to succeed Uhuru Kenyatta, who is ineligible for reelection after serving two five-year terms.
The race to succeed Kenyatta has attracted four candidates: Raila Amolo Odinga, the leader of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) and the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition party; Prof George Wajackoyah of Roots Party; Dr William Samoei Ruto of UDA and Kenya Kwanza; as well as David Mwaure Waihiga of Agano Party.
But opinion polls preceding the close of campaigns on August 06 showed the race was tight between perennial presidential candidate Odinga and deputy president Ruto.
It is this election that Besigye and Bobi Wine have gone to observe. Also part of the observer team from Uganda is NUP secretary general David Lewis Rubongoya. SG Rubongoya said the mission was “going well.”
“The Second Day of our mission to observe the Kenyan Election is going well. We are meeting various stakeholders including Presidential candidates, the IEBC as well as civil society leaders. We are all rooting for Kenya and hoping they have a free, fair and peaceful election,” wrote Rubongoya.
Bobi Wine revealed that their mission was sponsored by Brenthurst Foundation, an organization whose profile reads that it’s at the frontier of new ideas and innovative actions for strengthening Africa’s economic performance.
“In Nairobi with other African leaders for the election observation mission courtesy of Brenthurst Foundation. We all pray and hope that the election will be credible, free, fair and peaceful,” said Bobi Wine.
Days ago, Raila Odinga was in trouble with Ugandans after he listed Uganda among ‘worst countries’ in the world. Some Ugandans even called on Odinga to apologize for his statements. (Read Story Here).
Meanwhile, Besigye and Raila Odinga have previously met in Nairobi. (Read Story Here).
The Kenyan long-suffering leader has also met Museveni. But Museveni has given his position on the question of who — between Raila Odinga and William Ruto — he is supporting to become Kenya’s next president. (Read Story Here).
