Security focus on Kerio Valley as Kenyans vote
A security officer and members of the public during a security meeting addressed by Rift Valley Regional Coordinator Maalim Mohamed at Tot in Kerio Valley, Elgeyo Marakwet County on January 31, 2022.
The insecurity-prone Kerio Valley will be given special focus during today’s General Election.
Regional Commissioner Maalim Mohamed said besides deployment of more security officers, a multi-regional hotline number has been created with 24-hour command centres established across the 14 Rift Valley counties to co-ordinate emerging issues.
“Just like how we did to secure national examinations in the troubled region, we have also put in place a raft of measures to ensure voting starts and ends without any interruptions. We shall relax the ongoing curfew for at least three days but police patrols shall be intensified,” Mr Mohamed said.
“On Monday (yesterday), we shall be reviewing the security arrangements with the regional security team but at the moment, everything is okay as far as peace and poll preparedness is concerned,” he said.
The areas affected by the curfew order in Elgeyo-Marakwet are the entire Tot ward with eight locations, six locations in Chesongoch ward, and Kapyego, Chesuman and Arror locations.
In Baringo, Tiaty Sub-county is affected, as well as Sibilo, Yatya and Kinyach areas. In West Pokot, Chesegon and Sigor wards are affected.
Polling materials
The regional commissioner called on residents to ensure they vote and go home to continue with their daily work and avoid loitering near polling centres.
“All the polling materials and voting centres will be manned by security officers in collaboration with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). The work of wananchi is to vote and go back home and wait for the results,” he said.
In Elgeyo-Marakwet, County Returning Officer Charles Mutai said it’s all systems go as all arrangements for successful elections are in place.
“We are receiving the last batch of presidential polling materials on Sunday at the constituency offices. On Monday, all the voting and polling officers will be deployed to the polling centres in readiness for the Tuesday General Election,” he said.
“We have 555 polling centres in the county, including one at Tambach prison. In Kerio Valley, the gazetted polling centres will remain because there is none that has been moved or merged with another. We are calling on the electorate to come with their identity cards to the centres they registered in,” he said.
Mr Mutai said the only challenge is poor road network. “We sourced for heavy duty vehicles which fit the tough terrain and if comes to the worst, we shall use porters in areas which are not accessible, especially at the escarpments,” said Mr Mutai.
Additional security personnel
In Turkana, additional security personnel have been deployed to banditry-prone areas to ensure safety of staff and election materials.
County Returning Officer Amos Obonyo said he was assured by the County Security Committee that all polling stations, even in places that have lately witnessed incessant attacks, will be opened for residents to exercise their democratic rights.
“We have been assured by County Commander Samwel Ndanyi that proper arrangements are in place to ensure the security of ballot materials, staff and voters is guaranteed,” Mr Obonyo said.
In West Pokot, security has been beefed up along the borders.
Police Commandant Peter Kattam said his team is ready to provide security, noting that many police officers have been deployed along the Pokot, Turkana and Elgeyo-Marakwet borders.
“We have adequate security officers. Security officers are alert and on patrol 24 hours,’ he said.
He noted that they have also deployed officers along the Marich-Turkwel, Turkwel-Kapenguria, Kapenguria- Kacheliba and Marich-Chesegon roads.
Kapenguria Constituency Returning Officer Enock Otara said they are ready to conduct the elections today.
Additional reporting by Sammy Lutta and Oscar Kakai
