The government has reiterated its commitment to ensuring next month’s general elections are held in a peaceful and secure environment.
In light of this, the National Police Service disclosed Friday that a total of 150,000 officers will be dispatched to various parts of the country for the polls. According to Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai, this will include special officers from partner security agencies such as Kenya Prisons Service, NYS, KWS, and Kenya Forest Service.
Mutyambai says the security personnel is under instructions to guarantee Kenyans their safety as they go out to cast their votes and that all and sundry go about their activities without fear of crime or harm.
“Formed police units under the National Police Service have also been deployed across the country to offer tactical support to general duty officers before, during, and after the general elections,” He said
According to the IG, the police will also deploy five air sets in strategic locations to provide logistical air support when and where required throughout the elections period.
He said the government has resourced the service adequately, especially with additional vehicles and operational equipment, to ensure seamless and continuous operations during and after the polls.
“…..Officers are well resources and in a high state of readiness to handle all forms of threats that may arise before, during, and after the general elections,” he told journalists at a press briefing in Nairobi
Mutyambai further disclosed that the election security secretariat is conducting threat and risk analysis to identify threats to national security which in turn will inform resource deployment in real-time.
“Such emerging threats shall be tackled promptly. I, therefore, would like to warn those hell-bent upon acts of criminality and lawlessness to desist,” he charged
At the same time, the IG said the service has established a national election security command center to be manned on a 24-hour basis and is fully equipped to handle election-related security challenges.
