Raila Odinga leads African Union poll observers to Lesotho

Kenya: Opposition leader Raila Odinga travels to the Kingdom of Lesotho today as head of the African Union Election Observers Mission for the elections in the southern African nation scheduled for February 28.

In January, the Commission of the African Union asked Raila to lead its observer mission to the elections in line with the Durban Declaration of July 2002 on the principles regulating democratic elections in Africa.

The mission comprises 40 trained African Union observers from the Permanent Representative Committee, Pan-African Parliament, election management bodies, human rights institutions and civil society organisations, all drawn from various African countries.

The Short-Term Observers will complement the work of the AU Long-Term Experts who have been deployed since January 29, 2015, and will remain in Lesotho until March 14, 2015.

The Opposition chief's Press Secretary Dennis Onyango confirmed Raila would leave for Lesotho despite on-going campaigns for the Kajiado Central by-election, which is dear to his ODM party.

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The mission will meet relevant electoral stakeholders in Lesotho including the Independent Electoral Commission, leaders of political parties, civil society organisations and other international observer groups before the February 28 National Assembly elections across the country.

After the elections, the mission will immediately release its preliminary statement at a press conference before producing a more detailed final report with recommendations, two months after the election.