Following his arrival in South Africa on Sunday, Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has been leading the African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) as the country seeks to vote for its new leaders on May 29, 2024.
In the presidential election, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa of the African National Congress (ANC) party seeks to secure his second term. He will be facing Julius Malema of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), John Steenhuisen of the Democratic Alliance (DA) and Jacob Zuma of uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK).
As an election observer, Uhuru's role entails ensuring transparency and credibility of the South African general elections.
Uhuru will lead 65 election observers from 26 African countries, including representatives from the AU Permanent Representative Council, Pan African Parliament (PAP), Election Management Boards, Civil Society Organisations, Think Tanks, Women and Youth Groups among other technical teams.
In line with the African Union Election Observation Mission manual, Uhuru and his team are entitled to several perks and benefits during their stay:
Finance: Each observer receives an operational advance for expenses linked with their activities. One team member who is tasked with being responsible for the team's finances obtains a receipt for every expense.
Petty cash will be used for fuel, parking, communication, internet and doctors' visits in the event of an illness.
They also receive a per diem allowance per the AU rates of the host country. They receive a percentage before deployment and the balance after they return.
The AU Secretariat is also responsible for handling costs related to the observers' travel including visa fees and transit.
Airport Pickup/Drop-Off: The AU secretariat picks up all the members of the mission at the airport and drops them off at their designated hotels.
Accommodation: For the first two to four days, the members stay in the capital city to take part in orientation sessions.
During this time, all the members will be accommodated in the same hotel where the sessions will take place. If they're unable to secure the hotel, the secretariat makes arrangements in another hotel and arranges for transportation to and fro.
The observers are provided with the contacts of at least two hotels or guest houses in their area of deployment. They are provided with the funds to cater for these accommodations.
Translation and Interpretation Services: The secretariat also makes arrangements for translation and interpretation services during the briefing and debriefing sessions. For members who do not speak the language of a country, a professional interpreter is hired to join the members for the duration of the mission.
Communication: Each observer is provided with a SIM card with a registered phone number. They are advised to keep their phones on at all times.
Transportation: Each observer receives a vehicle and a local driver. All cars are marked with AU visibility materials such as stickers or flags. The drivers receive a briefing on their mandate and relationship with the observers.
They also receive funds for fueling the vehicle before the deployment.
