The Ministry of Interior has enhanced security all over the country as party nominations are expected to begin next week.
Interior CS Dr. Fred Matiang’i said a multi-agency security team has already identified potential flashpoints for the exercise, which begins in two weeks.
The CS, who addressed a consultative meeting with the Inter-Religious Council of Kenya (IRCK) on Friday, stated that the specific deployment plan will be implemented alongside increased surveillance of political activities and a crackdown on hate speech and incitement.
“We have our plans for ensuring the nominations, like any other election-related activity, are conducted in a peaceful environment. We are continuously assessing the levels of vulnerability to security challenges during this season and adjusting our strategies accordingly,” Matiangi said as quoted by The Star.
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He voiced concern about the lengthy political campaigns putting a disproportionate demand on police and other security resources, since more officers are assigned to campaign-related conflicts.
He urged the IEBC to tightly follow the election schedule, particularly the formal campaign window, claiming that prolonged campaigning had a detrimental effect on the national and family economy.
“We have been in campaign mode for the past four years. What follows is violent confrontations arising from disagreements in sharing of campaign bribes. We have had to commit more resources into managing charged crowds and containing the resultant clashes, and this has strained the resources we have at our disposal,” Matiangi stated.
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