Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has said that leaders will be held personally liable for actions their supporters will be involved in.
Speaking on Tuesday during a meeting with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, the Judiciary, and officials from the Interior Ministry, the CS said action will be taken against such leaders, including petitioning the IEBC to disqualify them from vying for public office.
“We will be presenting to the relevant agencies evidence and information we have of individual political actors who are engaged in incitement and mobilizing groups of people to disrupt meetings and they should take individual responsibility,” Matiang’i said.
He noted that the government is closely monitoring political activities across the country and will ensure law and order prevails.
Matiang’i said the government is fully prepared and has not only increased personnel but also acquisitions, and is ready to support the IEBC and other agencies that are going to conduct elections.
“We will be adding 5,500 police officers from college and 300 specially trained cadet officers who will beef up the work of IEBC,” he said.
“I want to assure Kenyans there is nothing to fear, we are ready to provide the security we have the requisite resources and the capacities we need to ensure that the country remains peaceful during the election season.”
Chief Justice Martha Koome who chaired the meeting said the Judiciary will set up special courts that will deal with cases of hate speech during the election period.
“We are looking to set up these courts in five places, Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, Eldoret, and Kisumu,” she said.
The CJ added that if need be, the special courts will be extended to other places that will be deemed hotspots, to deal with issues of hate speech.
