Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), chairperson Wafula Chebukati (C) addresses the press flanked by vice chairperson Consolata Bucha, and CEO Ezra Chiloba, at Anniversary Towers, Nairobi, July 26, 2017. [Photo: IEBC]
Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) will deploy at least two security officers per polling station across the country.
The role of these officers will be to secure election materials, as well as maintain order at the polling station. While working at the polling station, they are under the leadership of the Presiding Officers.In order to enhance effectiveness and efficiency, IEBC chairperson Wafula Chebukati said the Commission is engaging the Office of the Inspector General of Police and the Ministry of Interior, on deployment of the required number of officers during elections. He said the presiding officer may order the removal of any person who misconducts himself or herself at the polling station, or fails to obey any lawful instructions or orders of the presiding officer. Such person will be removed by the police officer present.At the same time, the presiding officer may order the dispersal of any gathering of persons which appears to the presiding officer, to be preventing free entry to, or exit from, the polling station or to be intimidating or interfering with voters.This is according to Regulation 63 of the Elections (General) Regulations bestows upon the presiding officer the overall duty to keep order at his or her polling station. "The power conferred on a presiding officer and a police officer shall extend to a radius of not more than four hundred meters from the centre of the polling station. In exercising these powers, caution must be exercised to ensure that a voter who is entitled to vote at the polling station is not prevented from having an opportunity to peaceably vote at that polling station," said Chebukati.Addressing the press, he noted, the Commission launched the Election Security Arrangement Project (ESAP) on May 9, 2017, as a program sponsored by UNDP. "It brings together National Police, Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP), National Steering Committee on Peace Building and Conflict Management and IEBC. The overall objective of ESAP is to train 180,000 Police Officers and Special Police Officers who will be deployed during the General Elections."Flanked by vice chairperson Consolata Bucha, and CEO Ezra Chiloba, Chebukati indicated the training covers Election Security and Election Laws generally, and Election Offences specifically. "We are on course in implementing this programme," he said, Wednesday, at Anniversary Towers, Nairobi.