As Kenyans prepare to go to the ballot on Tuesday, the government has assured residents, candidates and election officials of their security during and even after the polls.
While addressing the press at the IEBC offices over the weekend, Kakamega County Commissioner John Ondego said the security department was satisfied with the deliberations with the IEBC on the preparations put in place as concerns the elections.
“In terms of security we have put enough measures to ensure people vote in peace and after voting, they go back home peacefully. Our officers will be in the polling stations as required by the law and so I can assure you there is enough security arrangements and therefore no cause of any fear,” he said
The County Commissioner asked Kenyans to come out and exercise their constitutional and democratic right of choosing their leaders through the ballot without any fear.
He however warned the political class especially the candidates against inciting the public with rumours and organising what he termed as goons in the polling station in the name of taking care of vote.
“We have enough security men and women to take care of the elections. It is our cardinal responsibility to take care of the people who will be in charge of these elections including the IEBC officials, election observers, accredited media personnel plus the elections material,” Ondego said, adding that they will ensure nothing is left to chance in terms of jeopardising security.
Commenting on claims by the Kenya Kwanza that the government was planning to use administrators to interfere with the elections, the CC said the administrators’ work was clearly cut out and that there was no way they would interfere with the issues of IEBC.
“In terms of neutrality of the security personnel and administration, that one is assured because I don’t understand how we would interfere with the issues of elections because work is cut out. You are aware that administrators are chairpersons of the security committees right from the sublocation level and theirs is purely that and nothing else.”
“I therefore want to assure Kenyans that we are not going to interfere with any electoral process, we remain neutral to the course and that’s what we have been called upon to do and we’ll remain steadfast on that,” he said.
In areas that have been earmarked as hot spots in Kakamega like Matungu and Malava, he said security will be beefed up and any plans to interfere with the elections process will be thwarted in accordance with the law.
Kakamega County IEBC returning officer Joseph Ayatta asked Kenyans to be confident in the poll agency saying after voting they should go back home or stay 400 meters away from the polling station required by the law.
“We are ready in terms of materials having received all of them and trained all election officials and just finalised with the security teams.
Therefore Kenyans should not worry about their votes because we’ll have enough security, party agents will be there, observers and monitors thus almost impossible to tamper with the process whatsoever,” Ayatta said.
