Interior CS Fred Matiang’i has intimated that eight suspects are in police custody in connection to the hate leaflets that were spread in Uasin Gishu County, warning some communities to leave the region ahead of the August 9 general election.
Matiang’i was speaking during a media conference in Nakuru on Tuesday when he confirmed the offenders will be arraigned in court.
The Interior CS said a security review is underway to resolve the growing anxiety in two regions within the Rift Valley.
"We are doing a security review, especially in view of occurrences of a bit of anxiety in one or two regions of the rift valley," CS Matiang'i said on Tuesday.
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"We have 8 suspects who we suspected of sharing the leaflets and they should be taken to court, none of those people are employees of the president.”
Matiang’i also confirmed the National Security Council has approved additional resources and security services that will bolster the deployment of personnel and equipment.
With the equipment which includes aerial assets, Kenyans will see more security teams in Molo, Kuresoi, Nessuit, Eldoret and other areas in the country mapped out as vulnerable to disturbance.
"I confirm that the national security council has ordered more resources, you will see more of our security teams in Molo, Kuresoi, Nessuit just to be ready to rise up to any challenge," Matiang’i said.
Matiang’i reiterated the Interior Ministry’s commitment to ensuring a peaceful election and transition as each county and sub-county have a region-specific multi-agency elections preparedness committee charged with ensuring peaceful elections.
"Each one of these county commissioners that you see here has created their multi-agency elections preparedness committee in their counties," CS Matiang'i said.
"Each of these commissioners is meeting religious leaders, civic leaders in their counties discussing the peace and stability of their counties.”
The Interior CS assured Kenyans that he has intelligence officers who have shared with him that Kenyans are determined to have peaceful polls.
A multi-agency command centre has been established in Nakuru to provide 24/7 support to wananchi, drawing attention to security incidents for prompt response by security services.
This, according to Matiang’i, will reduce the turnaround time.
"The turnaround time should be minutes," he said.
Matiang’i appealed to the politicians to act responsibly and watch their utterances as the country nears the election date.
"Many have traversed across the area now we are on the home stretch to be responsible with their utterances. Everyone should be responsible," Matiang’i said.
With only a week left to the general election, the Interior Ministry has heightened security in the country to ensure a peaceful process.