Nairobi, Kenya April 18- Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has assured Kenyans that security agencies will not interfere with the upcoming August 9 polls.
In an interview with NTV on Sunday, Matiang’i said that the claims being pushed by a section of politicians of planned vote rigging are false and has called on Kenyans to treat them with the contempt they deserve.
“I am not aware of any plans to interfere with the General Election. Those who are making those claims have not substantiated them. We are treating the claims with the contempt they deserve. None of them have said how it’s going to happen,” Matiang’i said.
The Interior CS noted that there has been a deliberate attempt by a section of political leaders to paint the security agencies in a bad light during the electioneering period in an apparent attempt to create doubt amongst Kenyans about the capacity of security agencies to oversee the elections.
He singled out the 2017 elections where he pointed out that a politician of national status claimed that police were moving 100 body bags to a part of the county claiming that 100 people had been killed by police.
“I challenged them, but they never gave any evidence. Another claimed we had massed groups of security agencies along ethnic lines including military generals to Naivasha for a meeting. They even went to write to IEBC. Those were all allies Kenyans have learned to deal with these propagandists,” he said,
Matiang’i further assured Kenyans of security during the polls saying the government has put in place adequate measures to guarantee security during the exercise that will mark the end of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s 10-year term in the county’s top seat.
The Interior CS said that the government began the process to secure the country nearly two years ago when it rolled out a process of deploying structures across the country to monitor community interactions.
“We mapped the country and looked at areas where we would have some vulnerabilities, I can assure Kenyans we have no evidence or indication whatsoever that there is any cause to worry. Some political players have been on the campaign trail for four years, and nothing has happened. We are much better prepared for these elections than for the past two. We have more resources,” Matiang’i stated.
He further pointed out that the security agencies will remain neutral and act within the law throughout the election period and beyond.
“We changed the Constitution but many of our political players didn’t change. The NPS is an independent entity. The law requires that if I have to direct the IG, I have to put it in writing, Since I became minister for Interior, I have only written once to Boinnet and once to Mutyambai. The IG and DCI do not work at my behest,” he said.
The national security boss said that he had asked security officials to execute their mandate for the sake of the country and its citizens.
