Your excellency the President of the Republic of Kenya, the Chairman of the IEBC, the IEBC Commissioners, the Chief Justice, representatives of Independent Commissions present, candidates and leaders of political parties present, Ambassadors from various foreign missions present, the chief guest – Your Excellency the Chairperson of the Commission African Union, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen…

I am delighted to be here today, and want to thank the IEBC for inviting me to this important event.

The UK is a firm believer in responsible, accountable governments that govern for all their people. We also know that such democracy should never be taken for granted. Democracy needs nurturing, growing and people who believe in it.

For those who follow British politics, you will have seen some of the recent twists and turns in the UK’s democratic story. They have been just as gripping as Kenya’s own debates as we head toward six sets of elections in less than a month’s time.

This will be Kenya’s 3rd election after the promulgation of the 2010 constitution. Like every other election, the 9th August general election is an essential opportunity for citizens to elect leaders of their choice, as set down by their rights guaranteed in Kenya’s constitution.

The UK shares a longstanding partnership with Kenya, and is a committed friend. We have a Strategic Partnership, agreed by His Excellency President Kenyatta, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson. It is a five year partnership deliberately designed to span Kenya’s elections this year and the UK’s Parliamentary elections, due before 2025. Because the mutual interests of our two countries is greater than whomever is in power, in either place.

Our fundamental interest is that Kenya becomes ever more stable and prosperous, and continues to be a leading democracy, setting standards across the region. We have enjoyed standing shoulder to shoulder on the world stage with Kenya – on climate change, on education, at the United Nations Security Council. And we want that modern friendship and partnership, based on mutual respect, to continue.

I want to be very clear, therefore, that the funding and organising of elections is a Kenyan responsibility. Who Kenyans elect is a matter for the people of Kenya. The UK respects Kenya’s sovereignty. We remain neutral and impartial.

At the request of Kenyan institutions, we have supported good governance through programming to provide technical support to build on lessons learned and improve standards, to help strengthen the democratic process. As I hope you know by now, the international community does not fund the core budgets of Kenya’s institutions, including that of the IEBC.

We have been proud to support reforms that have led to stronger and more accountable institutions, including the IEBC, the Judiciary, and civil society organisations. We want to congratulate these institutions, which have demonstrated accountability in the execution of their mandates, and the delivery of services to Kenyans.

UK support to Kenyan elections

In line with our commitment to helping strengthen governance institutions in Kenya, we have supported key electoral institutions to build upon the lessons from the 2017 general elections. Our three-year Kenya Elections Support Project (KESP), has provided targeted support at the request of the IEBC, in areas such as legal reforms, voter education, mobilisation for voter registration, strategic communications, and elections security management, which strengthens collaboration and coordination between the security agencies and the IEBC.

We have supported closer consultation, collaboration, and coordination amongst the key Government of Kenya electoral institutions. In this regard, we applaud the continued dialogue and engagement amongst the IEBC, Judiciary Committee on Elections, Office of Registrar of Political Parties, and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. The work between these institutions is important in building confidence in the electoral process.

We are pleased to see the strides made by the IEBC to prepare for the 2022 general elections, in line with its Elections Operations Plan and its Strategic Plan.

Our message

With 29 days remaining for the 9th August general elections, the world is watching the example Kenya sets. We all want to see free, fair, credible and peaceful elections – the contest and debate of ideas and issues, in a tone of friendship.

For our part, like the other speakers here, we encourage all sides in this election to use the remaining campaign period to preach peace, to act peacefully and to work in a manner that promotes confidence in the electoral process and electoral institutions.

As a friend of Kenya, the UK government calls on all present across all six types of election – and those whom they represent – to do their part in contributing to free, fair, credible and peaceful elections, before, during, and after the 9th August elections. We call on all candidates and political contestants to promote peace and unity, and not division or conflict.

As I said, the world’s attention is on Kenya, and friends of Kenya such as the UK remain available to support the Kenyan people, the Government of Kenya and the institutions in their preparation for August’s elections. I am confident that through this Conference, there will be renewed commitment by all stakeholders to commit to free, fair, credible and peaceful elections.

With these many remarks, I congratulate the IEBC for organising what I am sure will be a successful National Elections Conference.

The winner in the 2022 Kenyan elections should be the independent institutions reflecting the will of the people. To those working hard – day in and day out – to deliver this, I say thank you and good luck.

ASANTENI SANA

Government takes action to support seafarers

• New report on seafarers’ mental health launched to identify best ways to support those who work at sea 
• Maritime and Coastguard Agency launches new digital tool aimed at seafarers dealing with mental health issues  
• Part of Government’s nine-point plan to improve seafarers’ long-term working conditions. 

Poor mental health at sea is still taboo, and better support for seafarers must be embedded into the maritime industry, according to a new report funded jointly by the Department for Transport and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA).  

The report comes alongside the launch of MCA’s new digital tool designed to support seafarers’ health and wellbeing. Called the Wellbeing at Sea Tool, the new website provides practical advice for seafarers and helps organisations monitor wellbeing and support their employees.  

Its launch is supported by the findings of the research which was carried out to gather the views of chaplains, charities, unions and the maritime industry as a whole.  

Despite ongoing work, many of those questioned said they still felt mental health issues were poorly understood not just by employers but among seafarers themselves. Many of those questioned said that there needed to be better reporting to understand and act upon the level of suicide rates at sea, but added there were difficulties knowing for certain what the cause of death was in some cases.  

Many also claimed that the subject of mental health and suicide was also off-limits for some people who are unwilling to discuss it because of cultural or religious reasons.

Maritime Minister Robert Courts said:  

I want the maritime sector to be an inviting one, and for it to move with the times and recognise that, while offering incredibly rewarding careers, life at sea can be incredibly lonely and stressful.  

This new report will help us to address this important issue, and with support from the MCA with its new online service, we will continue to challenge the sector to take action to ensure all seafarers are properly supported on land and at sea.”  

Katy Ware, Director of UK Maritime Services said:  

There is – sadly – still a stigma around mental health. The fact seafarers still don’t feel able to talk about it or access services says a lot about how far we still have to go in terms of reducing that taboo.  

This is exactly why we have launched our Wellbeing at Sea Tool. By identifying stressors and issues at an early stage, we hope that the tool will help to reduce stress among seafarers which is a contributory factor to mental health problems.” 

As part of the Government’s nine-point plan to improve seafarers’ long term working conditions, all measures have been considered to improve lives at sea – including the mental health of workers.

The MCA Human Element team developed the Wellbeing at Sea Tool with partners to form part of a range of guidance to improve seafarer wellbeing.  

When a seafarer uses it, they are asked to take a digital survey. Once completed, the seafarer is given personalised advice on how to improve their wellbeing at sea. Data captured is anonymised and sent to managers within the company to help them better understand what the priorities are for improvement.

Website: https://www.wellbeingseatool.com/

• 68 per cent want more action from social media firms on racism, homophobia and misogyny on their platforms
• Comes as the Online Safety Bill moves to Report Stage in the House of Commons this week

A clear majority of the public want social media companies to do more to protect their users from harmful content, according to new research published today.

Polling by Ipsos shows over four in five (84 per cent) adults in the UK are concerned about seeing harmful content – such as racism, misogyny, homophobia and content that encourages self-harm – with two in five (38 per cent) reporting having seen it in the last month. This comes as the Online Safety Bill moves to Report Stage in Parliament this week.

The government commissioned study found strong public support for the measures contained in the Bill. For instance, seven in ten adults (68 per cent) believe social media companies should do more to protect people online.

Four in five adults (78 per cent) want social media companies to be clear about what sort of content is and isn’t allowed on their platform. In a stark warning to social media companies, 45 per cent of respondents also said they will leave or reduce the amount of time they spend on their platforms if they see no action.

Digital Secretary Nadine Dorries said:

Online abuse has a devastating impact on people’s lives, and these findings definitively show the public back our plans which will force social media companies to step up in keeping their users safe.

It is clear people across the UK are worried about this issue, and as our landmark Online Safety Bill reaches the next crucial stage in Parliament we’re a big step closer to holding tech giants to account and making the internet safer for everyone in our country.

The survey also found that women have high levels of concern about legal but harmful content, with 45 per cent feeling unsafe when talking to people on dating or messaging apps.

Most women (65 per cent) agree there should be limits to the types of content people can post online. Nearly half (47 per cent) of those living in households with at least one child report having seen abusive content in the last month.

The safety of women and girls across the country is a top priority. The measures we’re introducing through the Online Safety Bill will mean tech companies have to tackle illegal content and activity on their services, women will have more control over who can communicate with them and what kind of content they see on major platforms, and they will be better able to report abuse. In addition, we are continuing to implement our Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) strategy to bring about real and lasting change offline as well as online.

The Online Safety Bill was introduced to Parliament in March and is a major milestone in the government’s mission to make the UK the safest place in the world to be online. The new laws will protect children, tackle illegal content and protect free speech, as well as requiring social media platforms to uphold their stated terms and conditions.

If they don’t, the regulator Ofcom will work with platforms to ensure they comply and will have the power to fine companies up to ten per cent of their annual global turnover – which could reach billions of pounds – to force them to fulfil their responsibilities or even block non-compliant sites.

When the Bill comes into force, firms will be required to identify and implement solutions to protect their users. Firms hosting content that is harmful to children such as pornography, will have to prevent them from accessing it, for example by using age verification.

Social media platforms will also be required to safeguard people’s free speech, and their access to journalism and content that is democratically important. The poll follows the announcement of a series of amendments to the Bill last week to strengthen protections for freedom of speech, including tougher protections to guard against the arbitrary removal of articles from recognised news outlets shared on social media.

Last week the government published the list of legal but harmful content social media companies will need to address under the Online Safety Bill.

The categories consist of types of online abuse and harassment which can fall below the threshold of a criminal offence, but which still cause significant harm to adults online such as misogyny, homophobia and content that encourages self-harm. This threshold is important to ensure that the online safety framework focuses on content and activity which poses the most significant risk of harm to UK users online.  Free speech within the law can involve the expression of views that some may find offensive, but a line is crossed when disagreement mutates into abuse or harassment, which refuses to tolerate other opinions and seeks to deprive others from exercising their free speech and freedom of association.

ENDS

Notes to editors

Ipsos interviewed a representative sample of 1,140 adults aged 18+ across the United Kingdom. Interviews were conducted online from 20th to 22nd June 2022. Quotas were set and data weighted using demographic variables to match the profile of the population.

People driving, walking and cycling are being encouraged to give space and be considerate to other road users in the Government’s latest THINK! road safety campaign launched today (12 July 2022).

Travel Like You Know Them

The ‘Travel Like You Know Them’ campaign will promote the recent changes to the Highway Code, which help improve road safety for people walking, cycling and horse riding.

The campaign offers a snapshot into the lives of people who use the roads, aiming to help people see beyond the mode of transport and improve understanding of how others see and use the road.

‘Travel Like You Know Them’ speaks to everyone who uses the road, with an emphasis on motorists and those who have a greater responsibility to reduce the risk they may pose to others, as per Highway Code’s new hierarchy of road users.

The campaign follows the first phase of the THINK! campaign launched in February to highlight the changes to the Highway Code, with 87% of people surveyed being aware of the changes.

Roads Minister Baroness Vere said:

People tend to see cycles, lorries and cars on the roads rather than thinking of the person using them – but it could be your family member, your friend or your colleague.

We have some of the safest roads in the world but I am determined to make them even safer, particularly as more people choose to walk, cycle and ride for their journeys.

This campaign encourages everyone to see the person behind the wheel or handlebars, to build more understanding of others on the road, and help keep everyone safe.

‘Travel Like You Know Them’ aims to foster mutual respect to embed the new Highway Code rules in the day-to-day behaviour of people driving, walking and cycling alike.

The changes include clarifying cycle positioning, emphasising the priority at junctions for pedestrians and cyclists, guidance on safe passing distances and speeds when overtaking, and on opening car doors, the ‘Dutch reach’.

Mary Williams OBE, chief executive of Brake said:

On behalf of road victims and everyone who uses roads, Brake is a passionate supporter of the government’s THINK! campaign, and its focus on driver behaviour and protection of those most at risk, particularly people on bicycles and walking.

The Highway Code’s new hierarchy of road users is a vital step forwards that everyone can help promote, particularly to drivers, to prevent tragedies on roads.

As the country works towards a net zero future, safer roads will encourage more and more people to travel by foot, bike or public transport, helping reduce congestion and emissions.

The campaign builds on our £20 million investment in Bikeability, the government’s national cycle training programme, to ensure everyone can access the fantastic mobility opportunities of cycling and sustainable active travel.

Improvements to road safety measures will also lead to fewer road traffic collisions, not only saving lives but also the billions of pounds spent every year on dealing with such collisions and ensuing road repairs.

Travel Like You Know Them, 15 second clip