Police in Voi sub-county have launched investigations after dozens of leaflets, with hate-filled messages were found dropped in the Maungu area along the Nairobi-Mombasa Highway on Monday morning.
Voi Sub-County Police Commander Bernastein Shari said that an urgent probe has already been launched into the matter with officers from the Director of Criminal Investigation (DCI) tasked to bring the authors of the hate leaflets.
Speaking at Mwangea Secondary School Monday during a security briefing for hundreds of police officers who will secure the elections in the region, Shari stated that such scare-mongering would not be tolerated at a time resident in the region were preparing to vote on tomorrow.
He urged the residents to go exercise their democratic rights without fear as security was adequate.
“We have already launched a probe into the leaflets. The authors will be brought to book and be charged for causing fear and trepidation,” he said.
The sub-county police boss further said that elaborate plans have been laid to ensure issues of human-wildlife conflict are fully addressed by deploying Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) officers in areas where such incidents were being reported.
He added that some areas in the region have reported sightings of elephants in human-settlement areas; a factor that residents have raised alarm might interfere with their voting rights.
However, the police boss assured them wild animals will be handled by relevant officers to allow voters time to cast their ballot in various polling stations.
The residents’ concerns come after one man was killed by an elephant in Makwasinyi area in Kasighau over the weekend.
“The KWS officers will be assigned in areas that have human-wildlife conflict to manage the wild animals that have strayed from the park due to the drought. The voters can be assured of peaceful voting,” he said.
Voi constituency has a total number of 61,377 registered voters. Taita-Taveta County has a total number of registered voters at 181, 827.
Voi constituency has the highest voters’ number at 61,377 followed by Mwatate constituency at 44, 411. Taveta and Wundanyi constituencies have 35,008 and 41,031 voters respectively.
Voi constituency has 123 polling stations followed by Mwatate with 105. Taveta and Wundanyi have 88 and 78 polling stations respectively.
The county has a total of 398 polling stations including four polling stations located at the four correctional facilities of Manyani, Voi, Taveta and Wundanyi prisons for inmate voters.
By Wagema Mwangi
