• Three members of criminal gangs shot dead.
• NCIC says gangs pose threat to elections but crackdown is working, county safer.
Image: FILE
The National Cohesion and Integration Commission is keenly monitoring the crackdown on criminal gangs in Nakuru for fear they can cause election mayhem.
The commission called the gangs a major security threat and praised security agents for closing in on them.
The commission launched a peace caravan around Nakuru county over the weekend. Nakuru has been listed a hotpot where trouble is likely to break out without good intelligence and strict action.
During the caravan launch, the commission praised efforts made by the state and security agencies, as well as election preparedness.
Commissioner Abduraziz Farah said they wanted to ensure peaceful polls nationwide, especially in hotspots.
The general election is on August 9.
“We are grateful for the support but we are not taking chances as criminal gangs pose a threat in areas like Nakuru,” he said.
Farah said a lot had been achieved since the 2007 post-election violence, especially in Nakkuru where hundreds of thousands were displaced and many killed.
Three members of a gang were shot dead two weeks ago in a shootout with police who collected assorted weapons. .
“In every election year, we have seen families fleeing from Naivasha but we are happy that this has changed this year due to confidence instilled by security agents,” he said.
Wilson Manju from European Centre for Electoral Support said they were working closely with NCIC.
He said that they were working with the media at the grassroots levels in passing information to the public.
Manju urged voters to conduct peaceful elections and campaigns noting that there would be a Kenya even after the elections.
“We are supporting the National Cohesion and Integration Commission in this process of making sure that the country has peaceful elections,” he said.
Naivasha subcounty commissioner Mutua Kisilu termed the lakeside town as very peaceful due to measures put in place ahead of the election.
He noted in contrast with other years, 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 their companies, we do not have any worker who is leaving his workplace this time round,” he said.
(Edited by V. Graham)