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Deputy Speaker, Thomas Tayebwa
Kenyans went to the polls on 09 August 2022 amidst rising tension from the country that has in recent times been riddled with election violence.
After several days of waiting, the former Deputy President, William Samoei Ruto was on declared by the Independent Electoral and Boundary Commission (IEBC) as the Fifth President of the Republic of Kenya beating his closest rival, Raila Odinga with a narrow margin.
In his communication during the Tuesday, 16 August 2022 plenary sitting, Tayebwa prayed for a peaceful transition in the neighbouring country saying the outcomes or aftermath of this election has a great impact on the people of Uganda.
“Our prayer is that anyone not satisfied with the outcome of the elections follows the legal procedure because what happens to our neighbors has a very big impact on us. So, we pray that all processes are concluded peacefully and that would set an example on how credible elections are held,” Tayebwa said.
He further congratulated and lauded Ruto for preaching the message of peace, reconciliation and togetherness during his inaugural remarks as president-elect.
“I was happy with the remarks of the president-elect when he said this is a win for every Kenyan and that everyone will be included in the government and be extended an olive branch. That is the message that we welcome so that peace can prevail,” Tayebwa said.
In reaction to his communication, MPs tasked government and the general public to borrow a leaf from the just concluded elections in Kenya to improve the country’s electoral processes.
“The media in Kenya including state owned media was very balanced and it was given freedom to stream live all the results being channeled in the public portal. IEBC has demonstrated that they are indeed independent because they channeled all results to a public portal unlike in the neighboring countries including ours,” Chief Opposition Whip, Hon. John Baptist Nambeshe said.
Kassanda North MP, Hon. Patrick Oshabe said the biggest lesson to be picked from the Kenyan election is the independence of public institutions which he said justly worked for the people of Kenya.
“There were key institutions that caught my eyes during the electoral process in Kenya especially the army. Despite the fact that the army was deployed on the streets, they were not kidnapping people; they were not doing things that we witnessed here. Every institution was working for the people of Kenya,” Oshabe said.
Hon. Patrick Oshabe
The Chairperson of Uganda Women’s Parliamentary Association (UWOPA), Hon. Sarah Opendi praised the people of Kenya for being gender sensitive in choosing their leaders.
“This time they [Kenyans] voted seven governors who are women compared to only four in 2017 and the number of women who directly competed with men rose to 22. Slowly, Kenya is appreciating the importance of having women in leadership; politics is not meant for men alone, women also can,” Opendi said.