First Electoral Integrity Africa Summit

African electoral experiences have witnessed both progress and setbacks, with the balance often tilting more towards the latter. Persistent challenges such as poor election quality, electoral disputes, and public dissatisfaction continue to obstruct the integrity of democratic processes throughout the continent. The Electoral Integrity Africa Summit I offered a timely platform to reflect on these issues and shape actionable strategies for improving electoral integrity across Africa, purposefully scheduled to coincide with International Democracy Day week to underscore AHEAD Africa’s partners’ commitment to strengthening democratic processes, peace, security, and stability across the continent.

The Summit, held in Kampala from 10-12 September 2024, was more than just a gathering; it was the African Election Observers Network (AfEONet)’s ‘coming-of-age’ moment in the African election observation world. This event was a defining moment for the AHEAD Africa project, showcasing AfEONet’s emerging key role as the backbone of election observation across the continent. By coordinating regional election networks in Southern, East and West Africa, and connecting to other citizen observers in North and Central Africa, the summit laid the groundwork that promises to shape collaboration among different actors all over the continent for years to come.

Co-hosted by the AfEONet’s and it’s secretariat, the Alliance for Finance Monitoring (ACFIM), the Summit brought together expert voices from all corners of Africa, representing diverse actors from both the “supply” (EMBs, government institutions, political parties…) and “demand” sides (CSOs, election observers, academia, think tanks, media…) of electoral integrity, as David Onen, Head of Political Affairs at the East African Community Secretariat, humorously pointed out.

Under the theme ‘Strengthening Electoral Transparency, Public Oversight, and Collaborative Reforms’, the Summit emerged as a dynamic platform that left no stone unturned. “Far from being theoretical, the Summit provided an opportunity to examine hands-on experiences from individuals who have been in the field for a long time,” explained Patrick Ukase, Professor at Prince Abubakar University, during an interview in one of the Summit breaks.

The event opened with remarks from representatives of the Government of Uganda and the EU delegation in Uganda, who reiterated the significance of the occasion and outlined key principles of electoral integrity, including inclusivity, transparency, and neutrality. In addition to these principles, Dr. Sallie Simba Kayunga, Commissioner at the Electoral Commission of Uganda, reflected on his days as a former professor at Makerere University. He noted that while he would consider a grade of 9 to be excellent in an academic context, at the Electoral Commission, “a 99.9% clean voter register is insufficient; only a 100% clean register guarantees electoral integrity.”

A key topic at the event was political and campaign financing, because “when money becomes a pivotal factor in elections, it distorts the playing field and undermines democracy”, Henry Muguzi, Executive Director at ACFIM and Coordinator at AfEONet, stated during day one’s first session. Discussions on the topic revealed a troubling reality: as campaign costs soar in the face of low wages across many African nations, the risk of state capture intensifies, threatening national sovereignties. However, while the room agreed that regulating campaign financing is essential, ‘‘laws will remain ineffective without robust enforcement mechanisms and a cognitive and cultural commitment that ensures compliance’’ as Jamal Msami, Senior Researcher at Research on Poverty Alleviation Programme Limited (REPOA), highlighted.

Despite the relevant role of election observers, whose dedication often puts them at significant safety risks, their reports frequently go unnoticed gathering shelved dust. The Summit’s agenda included exchanges on identifying strategies and innovative tools designed to improve the often demanding conditions for election observers. Marr Nyang, Founder and Executive Director of Gambia Participates, introduced the ‘Marble app,’ launched in 2018. This innovative tool enhances election observation with real-time results, showcasing how technology can transform electoral monitoring and promote transparency in the democratic process.

AI in elections was the cherry on top of this Summit.“To the list of free, fair, and transparent elections, we should also add verifiable. We must account for every registered voter and every result published” asserted Silver Kayondo, Founder of the Legal Endowment Fund, emphasising AI’s role in achieving this. Exemplifying its potential, Mamadou Mbaye Dione, Developer at AfricTivistes, shared how AI enabled the removal of 800 fake voting stations during the 2024 Senegal elections. However, the Summit made it very clear: Automation alone won’t fix underlying issues, so we should start talking about ‘human’ integrity and not ‘AI’ integrity in elections. The real challenge lies with us, stated Christopher Okidi, Chief Executive at Kampala Analytica, closing his 10-minute intervention.

Discussions at the Summit not only exposed the gaps in electoral integrity across a wide range of topics but also focused on proposing solutions to address them. With democracy’s popularity declining in the continent, “we cannot afford to let distrust fester in the administration of elections”, shared Crispin Kaheru, Commissioner at Uganda’s Electoral Commission. However, since “challenges to electoral integrity occur at all stages of the electoral cycle”, as Sarah Bireete, Chairperson at the East and Horn of Africa Election Observers Network (E-HORN) and Global Network of Domestic Election Monitors (GNDEM) added, solutions are required beyond election day. The Summit was a lighthouse in the continent for addressing electoral integrity concerns across the continent while illuminating pathways for change.

The Summit resulted in an outcome document outlining a strategic framework with 21 actionable points designed to improve electoral integrity across Africa.