Following an invitation from the Government of the Republic of Kenya to the African Union to observe the forthcoming General Elections scheduled for 9 August 2022, the African Union Commission is deploying an international election expert mission to Kenya comprising eight (8) core teams experts.

The deployment of an election expert mission is part of the African Union's comprehensive and long-term engagement in the 2022 general elections in Kenya. The core team experts will follow up on the electoral preparations, assess the political dynamics and genuine competitiveness and fairness of the electoral campaign, and maintain regular contact with national and international stakeholders before, during and after the elections. Their work will be complemented by long-term observers (LTOs), who will be deployed a few weeks before the polls and short-term observers (STOs), who will be deployed a week before election day.

It should be recalled that the AU, COMESA and EAC deployed a joint high-level pre-election assessment mission to Kenya from 14 to 21 May 2022 to promote free, fair, peaceful and credible elections in the country. The joint AU-COMESA-EAC mission recommended continued engagement in the electoral process to ensure violence-free, fair and credible elections that will strengthen Kenya's democratic process.

The deployment of an election expert mission to Kenya conforms with the 2007 African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, the 2002 OAU/AU Declaration on the Principles Governing Democratic Elections in Africa, and the 2002 AU Guidelines for Election Observation and Monitoring Missions.