Adequate security measures have been put in place to ensure secure a peaceful General Election. 

The Interior ministry has also revealed that the elections security plan is almost complete, one year to elections adding that the planning was based on the lessons learnt in the past. 

“A closer review of the political dynamics in the country, mirrored by the previous by-elections, points to possible conflict and electoral violence in 2022, which calls for all to ensure this does not come to pass,” the ministry said.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has however warned that besides regular security challenges, new threats were emerging, including the boda boda menace and organised crime. 

“Apart from them being enablers of crime, they are a menace to security at large and must be reined on at all costs if we intend to have peaceful pre and post-election,” said Interior Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho.

Already, Kibicho is leading a team of officers from the technical arm, to identify black spots and collect intelligence that will assist in detecting threats and how to mitigate them. 

Civic education

“We will look at the map across the country and check the areas where we think may be hotspots so that we are totally prepared to deal with them,” Matiang’i said. 

Several meeting have been held including with regional and county commissioners and the police counterparts, led by Matiang’i.

“We must change how elections are held in this country. We must not have demonstrations before or after the polls, it is achievable,” he said.

A multi-agency team is also in the process of developing Standard Operating Procedures on Peace and Security Management of the 2022 General Elections to guide the country through the elections period.

The government is also conducting civic education which is largely dissemination of political education designed to increase the level of consciousness in a society.

Security chiefs have also been directed to offer effective co-ordination for all national government projects including special attention to matters relating to inter-communal conflicts management, war on drugs, inter-governmental relations with county governments and small arms and light weapons.

The multi-agency team is currently acting on reports by the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) which warned that there was a likelihood of ethnic violence in some areas including Marsabit, Turkana, and West Pokot counties.

NCIC chairman Samuel Kobia has revealed that they have deployed a robust detection, reporting and investigation mechanism to nab hate mongers.