Police launch manual for Election Security Management

The National Police Service has launched a manual outlining guidelines for managing the  upcoming General election.  

The Election Security Management Manual for Police Commanders details measures that  police are expected to take under various circumstances during the elections to provide the  security of the poll.  

Speaking in Nakuru during the launch of the handbook, the Interior Cabinet Secretary said the  handbook demonstrated the efforts the National Police Service (NPS) has invested in its  preparedness for the polls. 

“We have been talking a lot about election security management manual and the preparations  that have been done to prepare our police officers to manage our electoral process. It is very  important to work in an institutionalised manner, because that’s what demonstrates how a  discipline unit or disciplined Service we are.” 

The manual prescribes the principles of impartiality, equal treatment, accountability and rule  of law by security agents and provides procedures for complaints against election security  personnel. 

The CS scoffed at claims that the Government through the police was scheming to usurp the  role of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.  

“We do not conduct elections. Elections are conducted by the IEBC. We only support the  Commission to conduct elections. When the chairman of the IEBC tells us how many officers  are needed to support his process of conducting the elections, we will be ready and present to  do exactly that,” he said. 

The reference handbook contains response mechanisms to election security in a collaborative  and coordinated manner among National Police Service agencies.  

It outlines approaches to the functions of the police during elections: maintenance of law and  order; provision of security during the election process; and detection of election offences and  bringing of offenders to justice.

It also takes into account the impact insecurity has on the integrity of elections and identifies  issues of public disorder, criminal gangs, political incitement, election related violence and  election offences as potential threats. 

The CS defended the police against claims of not doing enough to contain rival gangs in  political rallies saying officers will not be misused to arbitrate disputes around the distribution  of campaign cash bribes and other merchandise.  

“There is a new trend we are beginning to see of ‘crowd consultants’ in our country. If you  want a crowd, you pay some people to mobilize groups to your meeting. When conflicts  emerge, police officers cannot be blamed for not doing anything in such cases. Its not our job,  as the security sector to mediate bribery contracts.”  

He added: “If you go to this rally and that rally and promise millions and billions, which you  don’t give people, we cannot hold surety for your false promises.” 

The manual also provides for the mobilization of additional security agencies including the  Kenya Prison Service, Kenya Wildlife Service, Kenya Forest Service among others to support  the police during elections.  

The development of the manual was funded by the British government through UKAid with  the input of made possible by collaboration between the Office of the Director of Public  Prosecutions (ODPP), Judiciary Working Committee on Election Preparations, Independent  Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) and the National Cohesion and Integration  Commission (NCIC). 

The meeting was also attended by, Interior PS Dr. Karanja Kibicho, and Inspector General of  Police Hillary Mutyambai.