Police officers on patrol during Thursday's anti-poll demonstrations in Athi River, Machakos County. [Photo/ the-star.co.ke]
Twenty people were on Thursday arrested and three security officers injured following a confrontation between anti-election protesters and police in Machakos County. The chaos erupted after protesters barricaded roads in Athi River in an attempt to disrupt the repeat presidential election. A senior superintendent of police, Mr Matu, who is also the deputy administration police commander in Machakos sustained injuries following the altercation.The supporters of the opposition engaged police in running battles as they attempted to stop the election from taking place. The exercise attracted low voter turnout after National Super Alliance (NASA) Presidential candidate Raila Odinga announced his withdrawal from the polls.The opposition lamented that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) did not take into account their demands following the nullification of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s re-election by the Supreme Court.The commission has announced that it will postpone the repeat elections in four counties after voting failed to take place.The four counties are Kisumu, Homa Bay, Siaya and Migori Counties.IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati said repeat elections in the four counties will take place on Saturday.“We have faced and continue to face challenges which are largely security related in certain electoral areas. The commission is consulting on and assessing the prevailing security situation that affects electoral areas experiencing security challenges,” said Chebukati.