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Former Botswana President Festus Mogae has withdrawn from the Commonwealth Election Observer Group for next week’s election due to unforeseen circumstances.

Mogae, who was appointed in July as the leader of the 20-member group, stepped down on Wednesday. He has been replaced by former Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding.

“Due to unforeseen circumstances, former President of Botswana has had to withdraw from the observer team for the coming election in Kenya,” the Commonwealth statement reads. This was to be the second time Mogae, 83, was to chair the group, following the March 4, 2013 elections where he led the 17-member team.

Golding welcomed the move and urged the electorate and leaders to cooperate.

Contacted, an official at the Kenya High Commission in Botswana said they had not received any communication from Mogae’s office, noting the former Head of State was a Commonwealth appointee.

Alongside former Mozambique President Joaquim Chissano and former South Africa President Thabo Mbeki, Mogae led mediation on the dispute over the boundary along Lake Malawi between Malawi and Tanzania. On February 28, 2015, he led the Commonwealth observers for the Lesotho elections.