Rift Valley is all set, says regional chief Wanyama Musiambo

Security has been tightened in all parts of the Rift Valley as IEBC wrapped up distribution of election materials on Monday.

Rift Valley Regional Coordinator Wanyama Musiambo said all was set for Tuesday’s General Election, with a standby reinforcement team in place.

COUNTIES

According to the security boss, all county police commanders in the region will have a regional command centre in Nakuru Town.

Mr Musiambo described the security preparedness in the region “the best ever”.

He said enough officers had been briefed and deployed to all the 14 counties to secure election materials and maintain law and order during and after the polls.

“We have covered all polling stations. The officers are already at their respective stations,” he said.

KERIO VALLEY

“We mapped all of them and at least two police officers have been deployed per polling station. In case there is need for extra security, we have a standby reinforcement team,” he said.

He said security agencies were on high alert and urged residents to turn up in large numbers to exercise their democratic right.

“Our preparedness is the best ever. We urge Kenyans and leaders to work with us to ensure the exercise runs smoothly,” he said.

To ensure nobody disrupts the exercise in insecurity-prone areas of Samburu, Laikipia, Baringo, Turkana, Kerio Valley and West Pokot, the administrator said security platoons had been dispatched to the hotspots.

5 COPTERS

“The government has deployed enough security officers and armoured vehicles to the insecurity-hit areas to deter any criminal activity,” said Mr Musiambo.

“We will not allow voters to be subjugated as it is a democratic right to vote.”

The administrator further revealed that police had acquired more than five helicopters to enable IEBC deliver election materials in areas where it is unsafe to use roads.

According to Mr Musiambo, security officers drawn from Kenya Police, the Prisons department, Criminal Investigations Department , Kenya Forest Services, Kenya Wildlife Service, General Service Unit and Anti-Stock Theft Unit will man the elections.

There have been concerns that voting in troubled parts of the region, including Baringo and North Rift, could be disrupted and that access of some regions might be a nightmare to the IEBC.