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Kenya's government on Thursday
appealed to citizens to remain calm following peaceful conclusion
to Kenya's general elections which are tightly contested amid
anxiety across the East African nation.
Acting Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i said the
government is committed to safeguarding lives and property,
maintaining that the country remains calm after the hotly contested
presidential elections as they wait for the ballots to be
counted.
"Enough security officers have been deployed throughout the
country. More security officers are on standby in the event they
are required in any part of the country," Matiang'i said in a
statement issued in Nairobi.
He said all reported and observed electoral malpractice suspects
have been arrested and taken to court.
"Our surveillance and secure operations along the borders
remained heightened which deterred any attempts by terrorist groups
to disrupt voting," he said.
Matiang'i confirmed that four terror suspects have since been
arrested and arraigned in court during the electioneering period as
security officers enhanced patrols across the borders.
"We urge Kenyans to be alert and reported any suspicious
criminal activities or any grouping of criminals to alert the
police through emergency lines. The purpose of these criminals is
to create an environment of confusion in order to perpetrate
criminal acts against you or your neighbour," he said.
Millions of Kenyans went to the polling stations on Tuesday in
the third presidential elections since the 2007 elections when
post-election chaos led to death of about 1,200 people, injuring
3,500 and forcibly displacing up to 650,000 others.
The government's statement comes as Kenyans who massively turned
out for the general elections are anxiously awaiting final results
of a hotly contested election whose final presidential results may
be announced on Friday.
Most businesses remain closed with several public transport
operators in various parts of the East African nation for the third
day on Thursday opting to keep their vehicles off the road.
Millions of Kenyans have chosen to stay indoors to monitor
results on television sets. Others have suspended all their normal
activities until the final tally of the presidential results are
announced.
Several foreign observer groups have urged those who cast their
vote, as well as candidates, political leaders and their
supporters, to maintain the same calm and patience, to allow the
electoral commission to complete its tallying of the votes, and to
refrain from any pronouncements that could undermine its authority
or cause tension.
Matiang'i said the government has requested private security
firms, international agencies or any other entity issuing security
alerts to do so in consultation with the police.
Kenya's constitution, which was enacted in 2010, provides for
the election of a president, governor, senator, members of
Parliament, women's representative and ward representative, all in
one day.
