The government has beefed up the security around the country ahead of the Supreme Court ruling on the presidential petition on Monday, September 5, 2022.
Deputy Inspector General Edward Mbugua has directed regional and county police commanders to deploy their officers in all areas identified as hotspots for any eventualities that might occur as a result of the verdict.
“The Supreme Court of Kenya will make a ruling on the presidential petition on Monday, September 5. Depending on the ruling, we expect various reactions from the public in hotspot areas such as violence and destruction of property, demonstrations and celebrations. You are directed to prepare operation orders on how to deal with the aftermath of the court ruling,” Mbugua said in a letter to all regional commanders.
The letter dated September 1, 2022 enunciated that the police officers should prepare orders to handle the aftermath, and send copies of the same to Kenya Police Service headquarters.
The order to deploy extra security comes after the United States embassy in Nairobi issued an alert to impose movement restrictions to citizens within Kisumu ahead of the Supreme Court ruling.
Election-related demonstrations and rallies regularly take place after elections, at times blocking key intersections and causing traffic jams,” the US said.
The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) mapped Kisumu, Nakuru, Nairobi, Kericho, Mombasa, Uasin Gishu as possible epicentres of election-related violence.
The six counties are within Raila Odinga’s and William Ruto’s political base.
Raila has since disputed the win of his political nemesis William Ruto, with all eyes set on the Supreme court to set the record straight on what really transpired in the just concluded general elections.