Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja has announced the deployment of more than 1,000 police officers to Ol Kalou Constituency ahead of the parliamentary by-election scheduled for Thursday, July 16, 2026, assuring residents that adequate security measures have been put in place to guarantee a peaceful, free, fair, and credible electoral process.

Speaking to the press on Tuesday, July 14, 2026 after a multi-agency security meeting attended by officials from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), Kanja said the National Police Service was fully prepared to secure the exercise and protect voters, election officials, and electoral materials.

“The people of Ol Kalou are expected to exercise their democratic rights in a free, fair, peaceful, secure, and credible manner, as guided by our Constitution and the laws of the land,” Kanja said.

He revealed that all 114 polling stations within the constituency have been adequately staffed with security personnel in line with the National Police Service’s standard deployment procedures.

According to the Inspector General, each polling station will have at least two police officers responsible for safeguarding election materials, securing the voting process, and ensuring IEBC officials carry out their duties without interference.

“Their work shall be to safeguard the voting materials and the voting process itself while offering adequate security at every polling station and ensuring electoral officials perform their duties without hindrance,” he stated.

Security deployment

Kanja further disclosed that additional support teams comprising no fewer than 14 officers have been strategically deployed to reinforce security around polling stations and respond to any emerging incidents.

To strengthen security further, the Inspector General announced the deployment of four platoons from the General Service Unit (GSU), four platoons from the Anti-Stock Theft Unit (ASTU), and four water cannons to support crowd management where necessary.

DCI roles

He also confirmed that officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have been assigned to oversee intelligence gathering, investigate electoral offences, arrest suspects, and facilitate the prosecution of individuals involved in election malpractice.

“The Directorate of Criminal Investigations has been sufficiently deployed, with its mandate focusing on intelligence gathering, investigations, arrests, and prosecution of any individual involved in electoral malpractice,” Kanja said.

He reaffirmed the National Police Service’s commitment to maintaining law and order throughout the by-election period, urging residents to remain peaceful and cooperate with security agencies.

“The National Police Service shall remain steadfast during the by-election process, ensuring that the people of Ol Kalou have an opportunity to exercise their democratic rights in an environment of peace, safety, and security,” Kanja added.

This comes after a series of attacks meted out, especially on the members of the opposition through their candidate Sammy Kamau Ngotho.