The National Government has deployed more than 10,000 Police Officers to beef-up security in the 3,643 Polling Stations, Polling Centres alongside the National Tallying Centre in Nairobi County during Election Day, Nairobi Regional Commissioner, Kang’ethe Thuku, has announced.
Mr. Thuku, who chairs the Nairobi Regional Security Committee said the security personnel, who are already gazetted, comprises of officers from the General Service Unit, Administration Police, as well as the Prison Department.
The Regional Commissioner who was addressing the media today on Nairobi Regions Election Preparedness at his Nyayo House office in Nairobi, said every Polling Station would have two officers while Polling Centres, Streets and identified hot-spot areas, will have adequate officers.
“We will have two systems of security, first at the polling stations and centres whereas the normal security will be deployed to estates to ensure that there is no vacuum”, said Mr. Thuku
The Regional Commissioner who was flanked by the Nairobi County Commissioner, Ms. Flora Mworoa and National Police Service Staff Officer Operations, Said Mohamed, called on the electorate to cast their vote and go home, reiterating that gatherings around polling stations and centres remain banned.
“Security will be tight and therefore I want to tell political goons and people who are planning to disrupt the voting exercise that there will be no room for that,” added Mr. Thuku.
The Regional Commissioner at the same time warned people planning to demonstrate, saying stern action will be taken against them.
He said individual businesses will remain opened and assured the owners of safety.
Mr. Thuku said the Security Committee has further established a Command Centre in addition to other 11 Sub-County Command Centres to facilitate easy reporting of any election eventualities.
He urged Nairobi residents to report any form of suspicious act to the security team by sending a text message to Mulika Uhalifu code 988, Uwiano Platform code 108 or contact the team directly on telephone number 0791262121.
The Regional Commissioner hailed Nairobi residents for maintaining peace during the concluded campaigns, saying nobody lost life or was injured during the exercise.
By Douglas Namunane and Bernadette Khaduli
