DCI boss Ndegwa Muhoro has said he will firmly deal with hate speech and incitement to violence as the country prepares for the August 8 general election.
Muhoro said police officers have been asked to look out for warning signs and maintain close links with 116 trained peace monitors, NIS and the Criminal Intelligence Unit to pick out those likely to cause trouble.
"I am sending a strong message that hate speech and related offences shall not be tolerated. Pangani six was a joke. This must be taken with the seriousness it deserves," he said on Friday.
"We will not spare any effort to go for those who want to tear the country apart. Politicians are encouraged to seek votes and citizens to listen to ideas they choose as they cast their ballots. That opportunity will be afforded to them."
He spoke at the Election Monitoring Training Programme for police and prosecutors, organised by NCIC.
On June 17 last year, eight politicians were arraigned in court and released on bail for alleged hate speech after spending four days in the cells.
They were Machakos Senator Johnstone Muthama and MPs Junet Mohamed (Suna East), Timothy Bosire (Kitutu Masaba), Moses Kuria (Gatundu South), Kimani Ngunjiri (Bahati), Ferdinand Waititu (Kabete), and woman representatives Aisha Jumwa (Kilifi) and Florence Mutua (Busia).
The first six were held at Pangani police station and the latter two at the Muthaiga facility.
The government said it had no apologies for making them sleep in the cells.
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Muhoro said police will be impartial and will provide security for IEBC officials, judiciary staff, politicians and members of the public during this period.
He said they will also ensure election materials are not compromised.
Joint command centres have been established in all 47 counties.
"I encourage our officers to be fearless and impartial in delivery of the mandate bestowed upon them by the constitution and the NPS Act," said the DCI boss.
He added the unit has partnered with the NCIC and the DPP to train officers on gathering, handling and presenting evidence on hate-speech before courts.
"The importance of this training to the police in the entire country will be to empower our officers to understand and internalise relevant laws," he said.
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Muhoro said the NPS started preparing for the election
in June last year by reviewing performance in 2007 and 2013, and developing a national plan on how to man the poll.
"We had a conference in December to see how prepared we were in providing security at every stage towards the electoral period, voter registration and the party primaries that were just concluded," Muhoro said.
"And pursuant to the primaries, the performance of police was something to be commended. We are looking at what we need to do going forward because the dynamics and landscapes have changed."