7 Days to Go to the Elections: How Prepared are we?

As the August polls draw closer, different stakeholders of the electoral process are gearing up to ensure the polls are free, fair and credible. PS Karanja Kibicho of the Ministry of Interior yesterday, “handed over 15 vehicles to various police stations and posts in Kirinyaga to enhance security preparedness and management in the county. The vehicles were acquired under the National Government leasing programme.”

The PS also emphasised that every Kenya has a right to live and work anywhere in the country, and that voters have a Constitutional right to vote for whoever they prefer. The PS Kabicho also firmly stated that, “Security agencies are pursuing the authors and distributors of leaflets spreading fear and ethnic profiling in some parts of the country ahead of the upcoming general elections. He warned those behind the leaflets will face the law.”

Within the same breath, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) yesterday the 31^st of July 2022, launched the National Election Conference Centre (NECC) & the National Election Media Centre. The two centres will help track the commission’s functions across the country & monitor media reports and social media posts on the electoral process ahead of the August polls.

With this the commission hopes to trace and pull down all forms of hate speech, fake news and propaganda. Remember even as we prepare to head for the August polls, there is life after August 9^th!