Police recalled from leave to beef up security during elections
By Zadock.Aangira, June 30, 2022
The Inspector-General of Police Hillary Mutyambai has recalled officers who are on leave.
All police officers are expected to be on duty to beef up security during the elections period.
“Due to the forthcoming general election, no officers should be granted leave from July 1, 2022, unless on medical grounds and with doctors’ recommendation,” the Deputy IG Edward Mbugua (pictured) wrote in a memo to commanders.
All the officers on leave are expected to report back on Monday next week.
“All those officers on leave to be recalled and to be on duty by July 4, 2022,” Mbugua directed.
Top security chiefs will also be on duty for the entire period.
Mutyambai, however, said the service was well prepared to offer security during the elections.
He said their priority focus has been on the preventive rather than the punitive, adding that the service was aware that there were opportunists and criminals who intend to take advantage of the electioneering period to commit crimes.
Interior Ministry says voter bribery, hooliganism, intimidation of voters, and abuse of social media are some of the threats the government is dealing with during the elections.
Boundary conflicts
Already, the police have heightened operations across the country, especially in Marsabit and Kerio Valley and in some parts of Eastern and North-Eastern regions.
A number of counties in these regions have been experiencing cross-border conflicts about boundary disputes and access to resources such as land, pasture and water.
They include Meru-Isiolo, Meru-Tharaka Nithi, Isiolo-Garissa, Kitui-Tana River, Makueni-Taita Taveta and Makueni-Kajiado boundaries.
Early this month, the government suspended the creation of new administrative units and land adjudication along counties’ boundaries in the regions until after the elections.
Matiang’i said the decision not to create new units was informed by the need to avoid exacerbating ethnic and clan disputes.