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| Migori senate aspirant Eddy Gicheru Oketch (in white shirt) boards a chopper as he heads for campaigns on October 4, 2018. Security has been beefed up ahead of the senatorial by-election to be held on October 8, 2018. PHOTO | VIVERE NANDIEMO | NATION MEDIA GROUP |
Security has been beefed up in Migori County ahead of the senatorial by-election on Monday.
Each of the 826 polling stations in the county will be manned by at least two police officers, security authorities have said.
County police boss Joseph Nthenge said his officers will make sure order and peace is maintained during the by-election.
“We have mapped out the hotspots and our deployment in those areas will be different,” he told journalists.
Some of the officers have been brought in from the neighbouring counties to assist in security surveillance.
VIOLENCE
Migori has been notorious for violence during campaigns and elections although minimal fracas was reported in this mini poll campaigns.
IEBC commissioner, Prof Abdi Guliye, said presiding officers, their deputies and clerks will report to their work stations on Sunday.
“They will move with ballot papers, boxes and other materials to the polling stations,” he said.
The Migori senate race is seen as a two-horse race between ODM’s Ochillo Ayacko and Federal Party of Kenya candidate Eddy Oketch.
Other candidates cleared for the seat are Peter Jobando (Green Congress Party), Solomon Hodo Rugaria (People’s Democratic Party), Samwel Otieno (independent) and Dickson Ogolla (independent).
But Mr Hodo withdrew from the contest to back Mr Ayacko.
The seat fell vacant following the death of Mr Ben Oluoch Okello who succumbed to throat cancer.
Migori County has about 388,000 registered voters.