Inspector General of police Joseph Boinnet said during a press conference at police headquarters on Wednesday that there will be no sacred cows in the crackdown against those contravening the law/JEREMIAH WAKAYA
NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 5 – The National Police Service (NPS) will deal firmly with any politician who breaches the Public Order Act during party primaries and the General Election.
Inspector General of police Joseph Boinnet said during a press conference at police headquarters on Wednesday that there will be no sacred cows in the crackdown against those contravening the law.
“We have noticed a tendency of individuals firing in the air anyhow thereby causing unnecessary panic. Anybody falling afoul of the firearms Act will certainly face the full sanctions of that law,” Boinnet said.
“We shall enforce all relevant laws with the necessary firmness and impartiality without favouring any persons irrespective of their political persuasion. We wish to remind political parties to comply with provisions of the Public Order Act and desist from actions that breach that law,” he affirmed.
According to Boinnet, the police service was working together with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to ensure that party nominations are conducted in a peaceful environment.
He warned that the NPS will work with the IEBC to ensure the politicians causing chaos during primaries are held to account.
The IG noted that enough measures have been put in place to ensure the forthcoming polls are successful including mapping the country to identify sensitive regions where violence could easily erupt and putting in place plans to ward off political tension.
“We’ve identified hot spots for purposes of designing and proving appropriate policing solutions,” the police boss said flanked by Deputy Inspector General Joel Kitili (Administration) and head of the Directorate of Criminal Investigation Ndegwa Muhoro.
According to Boinnet, the police have actively engaged other actors in addition to formulating a national election plan developed in December 2016.
“We have had regular meetings with other National Security Agencies for purposes of creating synergy and developing appropriate contingency plans,” Boinnet pointed out adding that County Commanders had already put in place operational plans based on the needs of areas they command.
Boinnet who was speaking shortly after an incident where shots were fired in the air at Orange House condemned the occurrence, warning security officers in possession of firearms against misuse.
“Any licensed firearms holder or police officer will not be allowed to misuse firearms. We will deal with such cases in accordance with the law,” he said.
The Orange House fiasco occurred when nominated Senator Elizabeth Ongoro (ODM) stormed the party headquarters accompanied by her supporters to clarify on claims that she had defected from the party due to reports that TJ Kajwang’ – her competitor in Ruaraka constituency party primaries – had been given a direct ticket by the party.
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