Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i told a group of Kenyan ambassadors and High Commissioners to various foreign countries the country is prepared to have peaceful and credible elections.
He says there is no cause for alarm.
The CS told the envoys to tell the countries they were sent to represent, that Kenya does not anticipate any problems and wants to continue with various trade activities.
He said his ministry and other agencies are ready to support the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to deliver on its mandate of conducting the elections.
“We do not anticipate disruption of any kind just because of the elections. I have told these ladies and gentlemen to tell our neighbours, regional friends and further beyond we will have peaceful elections,” he said.
He spoke after attending the 18th ambassadors and High Commissioners conference at the Windsor Hotel in Nairobi. Dozens of Kenyan ambassadors and High Commissioners to various countries attended.
Matiang’i told the group various multi-agency teams are ready to facilitate the polls agency to conduct the exercise.
“It is not our mandate to conduct the elections. I have assured them that we are ready to help and support IEBC conduct their mandate.”
He said they have mobilized sufficient resources under the multi-agency framework to ensure no form of violence or disruption of life is experienced.
Matiang’i said bribery of voters and abuse of social media remain among key challenges in the coming polls.
He called on concerned players to play their roles and ensure the challenges are addressed. And he repeated the government will not shut down the internet because of the polls.
“We are a democratic government and will not shut down the internet before or after the polls. That will amount to crawling back on our freedoms and democracy.”
“I encourage citizens to be mindful of our country and be responsible in what they do. Politicians too need to be careful with what they do,” he said.
He said they are facilitating candidates at various levels in ensuring they conduct their campaigns peacefully. Police and other agencies have been rehearsing ahead of the polls.
Areas deemed to be flashpoints for violence have been mapped and police will be ready to avert a repeat of 2007-08.
After the presidential result of the 2007 general election was disputed, violence erupted, leading to the death of over 1,000 people. Many others were displaced.
An inquiry into the post-election violence pointed to the police as being ill-prepared, partisan and heavy-handed in trying to quell the chaos.
The police are using intelligence and preparing for various scenarios that could play out based on various stages in the exercise.
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