Inspector-General of the National Police Service Douglas Kanja has assured Kenyans that adequate security measures are in place to guarantee a peaceful and credible Ol Kalou Parliamentary by-election scheduled for July 16, 2026.
The IG gave an assessment of police and other security agency preparations in a multi-agency security session led by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) last Wednesday, Kanja revealed that over a thousand police officers will be deployed in the constituency throughout the period of the elections, mainly for protecting voters, candidates, election officials as well as election materials and premises.
The officers, supported by specialised units including the General Service Unit (GSU), Anti-Stock Theft Unit (ASTU), and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), will protect voters, election officials, polling stations, and election materials while responding swiftly to any security incidents.
Kanja called on the people people of Ol Kalou to vote quietly and not do anything which would hinder and disrupt the elections, also threatening that offenders would definitely receive the corresponding punishments.
During the briefing, the IEBC confirmed that all preparations for the by-election have been completed, including staff training, verification of the voter register, and deployment of election materials and technology.
The commission also reminded candidates and supporters that the campaign period had officially ended and urged strict compliance with electoral laws on polling day.
The IEBC has announced that a complete set of operations for the by-election have been done, which among others includes the voter rolls verification, staff training, preparation of election equipment, and installation of electronic systems.
Representatives from IEBC, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC), and other concerned parties came together during the briefing session to demonstrate their strong desire to jointly deliver an open, honest, and transparent by-election with minimum of tension.
