• The region was among those classified as a violence hotspot by the National Cohesion and Integration Commission.
• Gitonga praised local leaders, churches and election candidates for ensuring peace and unity among communities during the ongoing campaigns.
Image: BY MATHEWS NDANYI
Police have assured of tight security in Eldoret and the entire Uasin Gishu county during the general election.
The region was among those classified as a violence hotspot by the National Cohesion and Integration Commission.
County police commander Ayub Gitonga said they have no reports of any plans or the possibility of violence in the region during the August 9 polls.
He praised local leaders, churches and politicians for ensuring peace and unity among communities during the ongoing campaigns.
“Uasin Gishu residents and leaders are peace-loving Kenyans and so far we have not detected anything sinister that may disrupt peace before, during and after the polls,” Gitonga said.
Speaking in his office, the police boss said they had put in place effective plans to ensure tight security during the election.
“We are prepared for the elections and wananchi in this region should not worry. Let them prepare to vote and then go back home to wait for results on that day,” Gitonga said.
He said they were also working with the IEBC and other stakeholders to ensure the polls will be incident-free.
The NCIC has classified the county as a hotspot with the possibility of experiencing violence during the polls.
But Governor Jackson Mandago has insisted the polls will be peaceful in the entire North Rift region.
He said Uasin Gishu is not a hotspot county as indicated by the NCIC.
Mandago said residents will keep peace and unity and all leaders were free to campaign in the area.
He urged police to act tough on all those causing violence, including the one at Jacaranda in Nairobi.
“We have had Raila Odinga, Martha Karua and many others coming to Eldoret even on foot and we did not have any incidents. No one should come to sell us fear because the election in the entire region will be very peaceful,” Mandago said.
He said as candidates they had agreed to maintain peace and unity along with their supporters. Mandago is seeking the Senate seat in the county.
The NCIC said it carried out an in-depth survey before releasing its report indicating hotspot counties with a likelihood to experience during the August 9 polls.
The counties named as hotspot regions included Uasin Gishu, Nairobi, Nakuru, Mombasa and Kisumu.
NCIC commissioner Dorcas Kedogo, who visited the North Rift region two weeks ago, said the report was factual and based on information from residents in the listed counties.
She said the report was useful in helping various actors intervene to stop possible violence.
Elders in Uasin Gishu are among those who have criticised the NCIC accusing the commission of spreading unnecessary fear by releasing the report without a basis for possible violence.
“We are not a hotspot county and the NCIC should stop relying on propaganda to release such a misleading report,” said an elder James Nyambane.
But Kedogo said the commission carried out an actual ground survey and that the report was based on information from residents.
She said the commission was not interested in chaos during the polls but it had to take necessary measures to prevent such occurrences.
Edited by A.N