Marsabit night curfew suspended to allow people to vote
Marsabit County Commissioner Paul Rotich during an interview in his office on August 8, 2022.He said that the dusk to dawn curfew had been suspended for three days.
With only a few hours left before the August 9 polls, Marsabit residents have been guaranteed enhanced security during voting.
Marsabit County Commissioner Paul Rotich said the night curfew had been suspended temporarily from August 8 to August 10.
“We have suspended the dusk-to-dawn curfew for three days to give residents enough room to exercise their democratic rights,” Mr Rotich said.
But he maintained that the ongoing security operation will still be in place until further notice.
Mr Rotich explained that security agencies want to ensure peaceful coexistence during and after the elections.
Specialised units had been deployed to potential violence hotspots, he said.
He added that the number of security personnel guarding police stations and tallying centres had been increased to uphold the integrity of the elections.
Saku constituency Lokadio Sanchan during the IEBC pellets opening at Moi Girls High School on August 8, 2022.
Meanwhile, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has assured Saku constituency voters of its commitment to protecting them during voting.
Saku returning officer Lokadio Sanchan assured internally displaced people that security had been beefed up in insecurity-prone areas.
He spoke to reporters on Monday during the opening of the IEBC pallets at Moi Girls Marsabit High School in Marsabit town.
Mr Sanchan said the IEBC had been collaborating with sub-county security agencies to ensure that every polling station is safe on Tuesday.
He cited the Gabbra scheme as one of the areas where all residents fled due to ethnic killings.
But by last week, all voters had returned to cast their votes due to the heavy presence of security agents.
“We have all the strategies in place to ensure that all the internally displaced persons and nomadic residents get the opportunity to cast their votes on August 9, 2022,” Mr Sanchan said.
The IEBC has also provided mobile polling centres in areas where herders had pitched camp.
He urged the public to come out in large numbers and vote on Tuesday to elect leaders of their choice.
Last week, Marsabit County returning officer Joseph Mukewa said the IEBC had rolled out reliable, efficient and flexible ICT infrastructure for seamless communication support for the elections.
This was meant to enable residents of remote parts of Marsabit County that had network challenges to vote.
