Presidential candidate Mohammed Abduba Dida’s rejection of a
two-officer security detail, instead of the 20 he had applied for, is no small
matter.
The Constitution, in Article 138 (8) holds that a presidential
election shall be cancelled and a new election held on three grounds, one of
which (b) reads, “a candidate for election as President or Deputy President
dies on or before the scheduled election date”.
All presidential and deputy presidential election candidates
are therefore equal for purposes of the election.
The threats against Dida may not be of the same magnitude as
those against, say, NASA flagbearer Raila Odinga. But the best course of action
would be to leave it to the professionals and competent authorities — the
National Police Service.
Police guards and government vehicles come at a cost and are
a public service paid for by the taxpayer.
Dida’s request should not be dismissed out of hand, but it
should be proportionate. He garnered only 52,848 votes, or 0.43 per cent of the
popular vote, back in March 2013, but who knows what this year may bring?
