• There are 121 polling stations in the prisons.
• Peace campaigners say no flower farm workers have fled this time, fearing violence, as in the past, especially 2007.
Image: FILE
More than 7,000 inmates, including those on death row and lifers, are expected to vote for president on Tuesday next week.
Unlike other voters, the 7,443 inmates will only vote for the president in the 121 polling centre inside the penal institutions.
The electoral commission says Kisumu, Kamiti and Naivasha prisons have the highest number of voters, while Busia Women's Prison has the fewest.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission says the Kisumu main prison has 494 voters, Naivasha main 390, Kamiti 362 while Embu has 349.
Busia Women's and Kitui prisons have the fewest inmates, with only one voter each. Loitokot has three, Kehancha, Mandera and Kwale have four voters each.
Officer in charge of Naivasha GK Prison Hasaan Tari said they were ready for the national exercise.
He said they were working closely with IEBC in making sure the election goes smoothly. Nearly all registered inmates are already in the prisons with polling stations.
Tari said the prison has 390 voters, Naivasha medium 75, while the women's wing has 13 registered voters.
"As per the law, the inmates will be voting for the presidential candidate only and we are all set for this important exercise,” he said.
The announcement came as the Naivasha subcounty security team assured flower farm workers of their personal security during and after the elections.
Every election year, tens of flower farm workers flee the town that was the epicentre of the 2007 post-election violence and return after the elections.
Naivasha subcounty commissioner Mutua Kisilu termed the lakeside town very peaceful due to measures put in place ahead of the election.
He said no flower farm worker had fled the town due to peace campaigns and security measures put in place by the state.
“We have engaged the flower farmers and workers in various forums and according to the companies, we do not have any worker who is leaving their workplace this time around,” he said.
Walter Nyaribo, a member of the Naivasha peace committee, said they had engaged flower farm workers and assured them of their security ahead of the elections.
“For years Naivasha has been identified as a hotspot and we have moved in to change the narrative by preaching peace and making sure we don’t have criminal gangs,” he said.
(Edited by V. Graham)