The East African Community (EAC) has officially launched and flagged off its Election Observation Mission (EOM) to observe the General Elections in the United Republic of Tanzania.
The deployment of the mission follows an invitation by the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania and is in line with a directive of the EAC Council of Ministers requiring the Secretariat to observe elections in all Partner States. This underscores the EAC’s unwavering commitment to democratic governance, peace, and stability in the region.
The Head of Mission, H.E. Dr. Speciosa Wandira Kazibwe, is the former Vice President of the Republic of Uganda (1994–2003). She is celebrated as the first woman in Africa to hold the position of Vice President in a sovereign nation. A trained surgeon and champion of public health and gender equality, Dr. Kazibwe also served as the United Nations Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa.
“As a Community founded on the principles of good governance, rule of law, and respect for human rights, the EAC considers credible elections a cornerstone of democracy and regional integration,” Dr. Kazibwe noted during the flag-off ceremony.
The EAC Election Observation Mission comprises a multidisciplinary team of 67 observers drawn from all EAC Partner States, including Members of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), representatives of National Electoral Commissions, National Human Rights Commissions, civil society, and the EAC Secretariat. The observers have been carefully selected for their expertise, impartiality, and commitment to the values of the Community.
The observers were officially dispatched to various regions across Tanzania to assess the conduct of the electoral process.
“Their mandate is to evaluate the elections in line with national laws, the EAC Principles for Election Observation and Evaluation, and relevant international standards,” Dr. Kazibwe explained.
On her part, the EAC Secretary General, Hon. Veronica Nduva, noted that the Mission will issue a preliminary statement shortly after the elections, followed by a comprehensive final report.
“These reports will present our findings and offer recommendations aimed at strengthening future electoral processes within the region,” she said.
The Secretary General further explained that the Observers will engage with electoral stakeholders, monitor the final campaign activities, and observe the polling, voting, counting, and transmission of results processes.
The Deputy Head of the Election Observation Mission, Hon. Maina Karobia, who is also a Member of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), reiterated the Mission’s mandate.
“We are here in a spirit of partnership and solidarity with the people of the United Republic of Tanzania. Our role is not to interfere but to observe and report objectively,” he emphasized.
He affirmed that all stakeholders have a shared responsibility to ensure a peaceful, transparent, and credible electoral process.
The deployment of the Mission is anchored in Article 6(d) of the EAC Treaty, which obliges Partner States to uphold the principles of good governance, including democracy, the rule of law, accountability, transparency, social justice, equal opportunities, gender equality, and the promotion and protection of human and people’s rights in line with the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of eight (8) Partner States, comprising the Republic of Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Kenya, the Republic of Rwanda, the Federal Republic of Somalia, the Republic of South Sudan, the Republic of Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania. The Federal Republic of Somalia was admitted into the EAC bloc by the Summit of EAC Heads of State on 24th November, 2023 and became a full member on 4th March, 2024
