Uhuru Kenyatta, Former Kenyan President and African Union (AU) Election Observation Mission Team Leader - Courtesy of Ethiopia News Agency/JUNE 1, 2026

ADDIS ABABA — Former Kenyan President and African Union (AU) Election Observation Mission Team Leader, Uhuru Kenyatta, has commented on the conclusion of voting in Ethiopia’s seventh general election.

Kenyatta stated that the AU remains engaged in monitoring the remaining electoral phases and will continue to support the country’s governance processes. He also outlined the timeline for the deployment’s final assessment.

“The final African Union Observation Mission report on the seventh general election of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia will be released 30 days after the declaration of the final results,” Kenyatta said.

The parliamentary elections took place across the country on Monday, June 1, 2026. Voters went to the polls across roughly 48,000 precincts to elect representatives for the 547-seat House of Peoples’ Representatives.

Under the Ethiopian constitution, the lower chamber of parliament determines the composition of the administration and selects the Prime Minister.

The 2026 vote marks the second major election cycle since the political transition that began under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in 2018. However, the exercise took place amid security concerns.

Following the conclusion of the 2022 conflict and ongoing localized clashes, the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) postponed voting in the Tigray region and in select constituencies within the Amhara and Oromia regions.

Pivoting to a personal note during his address, the former Kenyan Head of State called on citizens to reflect on their history as they transition through the electoral process.

“Today is a day you should remember your history—a nation that stood against the wave of colonialism, united and never colonized,” Kenyatta stated. “Never forget that, never colonized.”

Kenyatta pointed to Ethiopia’s role in supporting continental independence movements during the 20th century, noting that the country’s history influenced African self-governance.

“This is a nation that stood for Africa’s independence and for Africa’s rights to self-governance and rule,” Kenyatta concluded. “A nation, as a result of this, that has become the capital of Africa.”

The AU mission will monitor the aggregation and tallying of ballots as election officials compile the final results.