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A number of countries in Africa are heading to the polls starting today, until the end of the month. The elections have a lot of bearing on the geo-political standing of the continent. What democratic dividends will we reap from these elections? Does Africa want to continue to be condemned by the West when it has what it takes to hold free, fair and credible elections?

The East African Community (EAC) will see the people of Rwanda voting today to elect a new president. Incumbent president Paul Kagame who ended the 1994 genocide, is seeking a third term and is seen by observers as a clear favourite, with some analysts saying he is set for a landslide victory.

Despite the inevitable, the major issues to contend with are whether the election will bring about lasting peace in the Great Lakes region. Can the people of Rwanda also transcend the challenges of history to concentrate on bread and butter issues?

August 8 is another critical day on the EAC calendar as Kenya — a regional powerhouse — is also heading to the polls where incumbent president Uhuru Kenyatta will fight it out with old rival Raila Odinga, who is representing a grand coalition of opposition parties.

The outcome, according to pundits, it’s too close to call. What has marred the top candidates’ prospects is the politically-motivated violence in the pre-election phase.

An election official in charge of biometric readers and electronic transmission equipment and a female companion were murdered at the weekend. There was also a deadly siege at deputy president William Ruto’s residence at the weekend. Some of these violent scenes take people back to the post-2007 election violence where hundreds lost their lives.

This almost cost Kenyatta and Ruto the presidency as the International Criminal Court tried to prosecute them for crimes against humanity.

We therefore ask whether next week’s losers will allow the winners and the people to move the country forward.

Kenya is one of Africa’s early democracies that should rise above ethnic politics. There are bigger enemies to fight, chief among them, the Al-Shaabab militants, and lack of development, disease and poverty.

There is also regional peace and security to take into consideration. When Africa’s politicians continue to bicker about electoral processes at the expense of the people’s expectations, it’s a clear sign of immaturity on managing democratic systems. They forget what the philosopher Debasish Mridha says: “Peace is not an option, it is the only option.”

Sadc has its fair share of elections. While Kenyans head to the polls, South African president Jacob Zuma will be facing his eighth acid test, as parliamentarians will be voting on a no confidence motion that threatens to remove him from office.

It remains to be seen whether some renegade ANC legislators will vote with the opposition in favour of the motion. Whatever the outcome, it calls for wisdom from all South Africans to ensure that such a fluid situation is well-managed.

On August 23, Angola traverses new territory as it will also be holding presidential elections, where president Eduardo dos Santos will not be contesting — the first time since 1979.

This is a development that has excited the West and they thought they would have unfettered access through their large contingents of observers.

We commend Angolan authorities for putting the European Union in its rightful place.

Angola’s foreign minister Georges Chicoti was reported saying, “These (the African Union and Sadc) are the only institutions for which Angola must abide by the electoral processes laid down in law . . . So this is Africa. And we do not expect anyone to impose on us their means of observing elections or to give lectures.”

The EU is thus reportedly sending a team of no more than five people as they claim that “the conditions for deployment in accordance with our methodology have not been met, therefore the EU will not deploy an Electoral Observation Mission.”

These are different scenarios that present unpredictable outcomes. But, the holding of elections though not an end in itself is indicative of Africa’s aspirations to ensure that it follows best practices in the election of leaders.

Current processes might not be perfect, but they are a journey of a thousand miles that started with a single step.