A total of 34 Inmates in Migori County will exercise their democratic rights by voting in the upcoming election slated for August 9.
Speaking during an election induction for the Migori Journalists, the County Election Manager and Returning Officer Ben Moseti said that the 34 inmates from the Migori GOK and Kendege GK will vote at their respective prisons to exercise their constitutional rights.
Moseti said that so far the IEBC had placed the names of the voters for all the 1,070 polling stations across the eight constituencies and urged the electorates to visit their various polling stations to confirm their details.
He noted that they were training 2,034 presiding and deputy presiding officers that will cover the entire electoral process across the county for the 469, 053 registered voters.
As for the 6,102 polling clerks, Moseti said that they will undergo two days of training starting on August 5.
Moseti added that the IEBC has already trained the senior police officers in the county through the Electoral Support Arrangement Programme (ESAP).
He noted that the remaining police officers that will provide security to the IEBC will be trained at their various police stations before Election Day.
On the issue of network connectivity, Moseti said that the county has already received five satellite phones that will be deployed in areas that may experience the problem of the 3 G connectivity.
He said that Migingo Island and some parts of Nyatike Constituency were one of the areas likely to experience the connectivity challenge but assured the public that Police Service has availed a speed boat to address any emerging problems for the isolated island located in Lake Victoria.
The IEBC official said that the polling stations will be mapped on August 7 and all materials dispatched at the stations the following day.
He affirmed that already some of the election materials have been received at various constituency offices in readiness for the election.
Moseti also pointed out that they will be setting up a media centre at the county tallying centre to give journalists easier accessibility to the entire process for faster and more accurate information dissemination.
He however, noted that journalists without IEBC badges will not be allowed both at the polling station and tallying centres.
“We will give out at least five media briefs before the closure of voting to ensure that the public is informed at every stage of the process,” said Moseti.
Migori County will have eight Constituency tallying centres and one County computing centre that will be located at the Migori Teacher’s Training College for the tabulation of the Woman Representative, Senator and Governor’s seat results.
By Geoffrey Makokha