The Independent Police Oversight Authority told the Star on Monday that it had sensitised all county commanders on how to guide the officers under them.
This includes the backup team from special units like prisons, KWS, among others.
Human rights groups have consistently called for the arrest of police bosses who give unlawful orders to junior officers, who are forced to execute them.
Previous post-election monitoring reports have consistently implicated police officers in using excessive force to quell riots.
Allegations of sexual violence have also been leveled against them.
Ipoa is set to deploy monitors across the country to assess how the officers man the polls, respond to emergencies and handle riots and any volatile situation that may arise.
The authority says the county commanders will be held accountable should any officer under them discharge excessive force or break any law.
“These managerial-level officers are charged with taking operational responsibility of all the officers who will be deployed under their jurisdiction – including special police officers deployed from sister security agencies such as the Kenya Wildlife Service, Prisons, Kenya Forest Service and the National Youth Service,” Ipoa said.
The county commanders are supposed “to ensure the standards of professional, impartial, neutral, and non-intimidating conduct are upheld by his officers during the election period.”
Ipoa says it expects the commanders have made the officers under them aware of the law, standard protocols and how to apply them.
“They must sensitise officers in understanding details of offences against electoral laws and other human rights-related violation," Ipoa said.
"They must ensure documentation of the process, develop operational orders which will help in the establishment of culpability in case of police misconduct."
Also critical is looking out for the welfare of the officers. Ipoa says the commanders must champion for officers' welfare and operational conditions.
"Ensure that officers are not deployed for unreasonably long hours – something that can affect their response capacity and consequently compromise election integrity," Ipoa said.
“It is expected that county commanders have a full in-depth understanding of their jurisdictions. Arising from this knowledge, commanders must identify the volatile areas or hotspots that are prone to chaos.
Ipoa says the commanders must consequently make necessary planning steps to secure such areas in case of any arising chaos.
Also, the mitigation plans are a necessary operational tool for mitigating any incidents around the electioneering period.
The watchdog has asserted that it expects that the commanders have sensitised the officers on reporting incidents that include deaths and serious injuries to their employer NPS and to Ipoa.
(Edited by Tabnacha O)
“WATCH: The latest videos from the Star”
