Political leaders in Busia County have been urged to work closely with security agencies to maintain peace and prevent violence as the country prepares for the forthcoming general elections.
Busia County Commissioner Stephen Orinde said peaceful political campaigns were essential for development, warning that the government would not tolerate violence, incitement or other unlawful activities by political aspirants seeking votes.
Speaking during celebrations to mark Mazingira Day in Bunyala Sub-County on Saturday, Orinde called on politicians to cooperate with security agencies to ensure law and order throughout the electioneering period.
“As a security team, we want to work closely with like-minded leaders to ensure that there is security in this county and political campaigns are carried out in a peaceful way,” he said.
Orinde cautioned that political aspirants who engaged in violence or incited their supporters would face the full force of the law.
“This country has laws, and all citizens and politicians must abide by the law,” he said.
The county commissioner also urged young people eligible for national identity cards to register for the documents and subsequently register as voters ahead of the elections.
“Anybody who is eligible to apply for national identity cards but fails to do so will be considered to have participated in electing bad leaders,” he said, emphasising the importance of voter participation in choosing responsible leaders.
Principal Secretary for Economic Planning Boniface Makokha said a mass registration exercise for national identity cards was underway to ensure eligible Kenyans obtained the documents.
He said the government had engaged one youth in every ward to identify people eligible for registration and facilitate their access to the service.
“We have engaged one youth per ward to search for those eligible for ID registration so that they can be registered,” Makokha said, adding that the documents were being issued free of charge.
However, Budalangi MP Raphael Wanjala called on the government to introduce mobile registration services, particularly in island communities, to ensure residents were not disadvantaged by their geographical location.
Wanjala urged the National Registration Bureau to take registration services closer to residents who faced difficulties travelling to registration centres.
He said eligible citizens needed identity cards to participate effectively in the electoral process and called on residents to take advantage of the ongoing exercise.
The legislator also urged political aspirants to conduct orderly campaigns and avoid using funerals as political platforms, instead organising their own meetings to engage voters.
Wanjala further called for the deployment of additional vehicles to support security officers in carrying out their duties across the county.
On public health, Orinde urged residents to remain vigilant and take precautions against Ebola, saying screening measures had been introduced at designated border points.
He said an isolation centre had been established at Alupe University and that authorities were conducting screening at designated crossing points.
The commissioner added that random screening would also be conducted at informal crossing points to strengthen surveillance and reduce the risk of the virus spreading.
Wanjala, however, warned that screening should not be restricted to the Busia and Malaba One Stop Border Posts, arguing that residents also crossed into Uganda through several informal routes.
He identified Sio Port, Bumbe, Mlukoba, Marenga, Sinyenye, Bukoma and Osieko as crossing points where screening needed to be intensified.
“Our people use Sio Port, Bumbe, Mlukoba, Marenga, Sinyenye, Bukoma and Osieko to cross to Uganda and they are easily exposed to Ebola risk,” he said.
He called for enhanced surveillance at these entry points, including beach management unit (BMU) areas, to protect communities living along the border.
by Salome Alwanda
