Referendum: Kenya police boss to tour chaos hotspots
Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere is expected to lead senior policemen in assessing alertness of his officers when he visits various police stations in areas affected by post election violence starting July 14, 2010. Photo/FILE
The preparedness of the police in areas worst hit by Kenya's post election violence is to be reviewed ahead of the referendum on August 4.
Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere is expected to lead senior policemen in assessing alertness of his officers when he visits various police stations in the areas starting Wednesday.
The police chief’s visit comes in the wake of reports of displacement of people from areas identified as hotspots, amid fears the vote on a new Constitution could trigger renewed chaos.
Mr Iteere is set to visit the General Service Unit (GSU) camp at Burnt Forest, one of the hotspots in which people were killed and displaced following the disputed outcome 2007 elections.
He is expected to hold discussions with junior officers at the Kitale, Eldoret, Kapsabet and Nandi Hills police stations.
The visits are meant to inspect facilities available to officers in the field, and their ability to handle unprecedented outcomes of the referendum.
On Thursday, the police boss will move to stations in Sotik, Kericho and Lodiani.
Take stock
The capacities of Nakuru, Njoro, Molo, Naivasha police stations, and the Anti-Stock Theft Unit (ASTU) based in Gilgil will also be inspected.
Mr Iteere’s tour will involve taking stock of the number of vehicles and active officers available in those stations.
At present, the force faces a shortage of officers having failed to recruit new officers for a year yet it is expected to provide officers to cover all stations where referendum polls will be conducted.
The police chief is, however, empowered to gazette officers from the Kenya Wildlife Service, Prisons and the forestry department to meet shortfalls.
The latest report by South Consulting, a firm that monitors activities in the Grand Coalition Government, indicates that intimidation in parts of Rift Valley, Nyanza and Western provinces has triggered anxiety in the areas.
Verbal threats, intimidating leaflets and messages carved into the bark of tree trunks, the South Consulting report says, are causing trepidation in the province.
