JOINT STATEMENT

International partners and Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) officials met today to discuss preparations for the 2017 general elections and to review current donor support for the IEBC Secretariat. We reaffirmed together our commitment to free, fair, peaceful and transparent elections and discussed the steps the IEBC is taking to strengthen its capacity and improve public trust and participation in the electoral process.

We noted the publication of the IEBC’s Strategic Plan 2015-2020 in July 2015 and looked forward to early publication of the Operational Plan for 2017 Elections. We agreed on the importance of rebuilding of public trust through proactive and effective public engagement and communication. We emphasized the need for widespread voter registration to ensure the right to vote among all groups of society; and that all stakeholders should work together to secure the credibility and capacity of the IEBC, including through sufficient funding for the electoral process.

This statement has been issued by the following Heads of Mission in Kenya:

• United States Ambassador Robert F. Godec
• United Kingdom High Commissioner Christian Turner
• Australia High Commissioner John Feakes
• Canada High Commissioner David Angell
• European Union Ambassador Stefano-Antonio Dejak
• Finland Ambassador Tarja Fernández
• France Ambassador Remi Marechaux
• Germany Ambassador Jutta Frasch
• Norway Ambassador Victor Rønneberg
• Sweden Ambassador Johan Borgstam

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