Security beefed up at governors’ conference

Security was tight as delegates arrived for the fifth devolution conference in Kakamega on Monday.

Kakamega residents woke up to unusual traffic snarl-up along the Kakamega-Kisumu road as delegates headed to Amalemba Primary School for registration before proceeding to their respective hotels.

Western regional coordinator Ann Ng’etich said security has been beefed up with police patrols heightened and more law enforcement officers guarding the conference venue and deployed in various areas in the county.

“Plans have been made to offer sufficient security to all the participants. We have secured all hotels in the four counties of Busia, Bungoma, Kakamega and Vihiga,” said Ms Ng’etich.

EXHIBITION

The commissioner said two venues will be used for the exhibition and hosting of the conference that will be attended by accredited delegates only.

“The public can go to the exhibition centre without interfering with the meeting at the conference hall,” she said.

She said only vehicles carrying dignitaries among them government officials, governors, senators, MPs and diplomats will be allowed past the school entrance gate. All other delegates have been allocated two parking venues at Amalemba Primary School and Amalemba Catholic Church ground.

Delegates heading to the venue went through security checks before being allowed to proceed.

Business in Kakamega town was thrown into disarray for the better part of the morning due to traffic jam which lasted for close to two hours. Traffic marshals from the county government had a hectic time trying to clear the congestion and diverting motorist to alternative roads.

ROAD CLOSED

Motorists from Kisumu, who will not be attending the conference, have been asked to use the Kisumu-Butere-Mumias road as the main Kisumu-Kakamega road will be closed at Amalemba. Ms Ng’etich said vehicles moving from Kisumu will end up at Amalemba Salvation Army Centre while those from Kakamega town will end up at Amalemba Primary School.

“All participants will be frisked and we appeal to delegates to cooperate with our security officers to make the event a success,” she said.

At Amalemba Primary School, long queues formed at the venue as delegates waited to register. The delegates complained of poor preparations by those in charge of registration.

Ms Nancy Adhiambo, an MCA from Kisumu County, said she had been on the queue for more than two hours and by 11am, she was still waiting to be registered.

QUEUES

“It appears there are no proper plans in place to ensure the registration progresses smoothly. We have been waiting on the queues for too long and nothing seems to be happening,” said Ms Adhiambo.

An official at the registration centre said faulty systems had caused the delay. By 3pm, there was still a large number of delegates waiting to be registered.

Several tents have been set up in the school compound to accommodate delegates.

HITCHES

Earlier, county government workers had been busy cleaning up the roads and the Muliro grounds as residents tried to cope with the swelling number of visitors.

Despite the hitches, Governor Wycliffe Oparanya was upbeat the event will be a success.

Mr Oparanya, who was accompanied by Devolution Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa at Irenji Catholic parish in Shinyalu constituency on Sunday, urged residents of Kakamega to accord the visitors a warm welcome.