Kilifi: As the country prepares for next week's by-elections, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has assured residents of Magarini Constituency that the poll would be conducted in a free, fair, and peaceful manner. Speaking to journalists in Kilifi after a meeting with the Kilifi County Security Committee, IEBC Commissioner Alutalala Mukhwana said the Commission is fully prepared for the exercise.
According to Kenya News Agency, Mukhwana stated that all strategies to ensure the Magarini by-election is free and fair have already been completed. He urged the ten candidates in the race to accept the outcome and maintain peace throughout the process. Mukhwana emphasized that all officials assigned to oversee the by-election have undergone comprehensive training and taken an oath of loyalty to uphold integrity and professionalism.
Mukhwana noted that the officers have been fully trained on how to conduct the by-election and have sworn to carry out their duties diligently. He further assured residents that security arrangements had been strengthened, with officers deployed to maintain law and order across the constituency.
Security has been heightened, with police officers, both in uniform and in plain clothes, set to patrol all the 193 polling stations to ensure a peaceful environment. The Magarini parliamentary seat fell vacant after the Supreme Court upheld the nullification of Harrison Kombe's victory in the August 2022 General Election, following a petition filed by fellow aspirant Stanley Kenga.