[PHOTO/the-star.co.ke]
With fears of violence and police intimidation in a section of political quarters, acting Interior CS Fred Matiangi has come out to speak on the role of police during the general elections.
Matiang'i defended the recent deployment of police officers in various regions of the country ahead of the Tuesday polls and said that their presence should however not intimidate voters.
"Their presence is only meant to facilitate what IEBC is mandated to do. They will not turn violent," he said Monday.
The CS noted that over 150,000 security officers have been deployed to keep peace and order as well as protecting the electoral process.
"The deployment and management of our officers is demand driven," he said. "That is why the IG has sat in various sessions with IEBC to know how many officers are needed, where and when."
"We have trained our security agents to protect property and safeguard life," he said.
Matiang'i hailed the preparedness of the forces and urged Kenyans to go ahead with exercising their constitutional mandate without fear.
"We are better off compared to 2007. Over the years, the police sector has reformed and developed a culture of conducting issues peacefully."