‘We have no preconceived results’- Uhuru tells South Africans
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has assured South African voters of a free, fair and credible election as the country heads to the ballot on Wednesday, May 29, 2024.
Uhuru who is the current head of the African Union Election Observer Mission (AUEOM) arrived in South Africa on Friday, May 24, 2024, to oversee the elections.
Uhuru on fair elections
Uhuru while addressing South Africans in a video said that together with his team, they were in the country to observe the people of South Africa exercise their democratic right and express their will. 
"We are here to observe the people of South Africa exercising their democratic right. We have no preconceived outcomes or anything. We just want to see the people of South Africa having an opportunity to exercise their democratic right and express their will for us to ensure that it has happened in a free, fair and transparent way as possible," Uhuru said.
Over the weekend, Uhuru participated in a series of high-level meetings in Johannesburg, South Africa, to assess the country's preparedness for the upcoming elections.
He met with the Commissioners of the Electoral Commission of South Africa, led by Chairman Mosotho Moepya, at the Gallagher Convention Centre.
During the meeting, the commissioners provided a comprehensive briefing on the commission's preparedness.
They discussed measures put in place to ensure a smooth, transparent, and credible election process.
The AUEOM went to South Africa following an approval by the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, who had received an invitation from the South African government and the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) of South Africa.
Uhuru and team
Uhuru and his team are expected to assess and report on the conduct of this election.
"The mission shall interact with state authorities, the Independent Electoral Commission, political parties, the media, civil society organisations and representatives of the international community in the upcoming 2024 elections," a statement by the AU read.
The AUEOM comprises 60 short-term observers (STOs) drawn from ambassadors accredited to the African Union, officials of election management bodies and members of African civil society organizations. 
The team is drawn from 24 countries which include Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Eswatini, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, South Sudan, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The observer mission will base its assessment on the legal framework governing elections in South Africa and the OAU/AU declaration on the principles governing democratic elections, the standards and obligations stipulated in the African charter on democracy, elections and governance (ACDEG), and the international declaration of principles (DoP) for international election observation among others.
In February 2023, Uhuru also led the AU observer mission in observing elections in Nigeria.
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