Gov’t to provide every presidential candidate with at least 10 bodyguards

Every presidential hopeful who has been cleared to contest in the August polls will be provided with at least ten armed police officers by the State.

Constitutionally, each of the candidates and their running mate must be accorded round-the-clock security, with officers assigned to protect them, their offices and homes from the date of clearance by IEBC to the conclusion of the General Election.

As a result, in the next two months leading up to the General Election when the candidates will be traversing the country with their running mates to woo voters, they will be flanked by five police officers.

The remaining five officers will additionally be planted at their rural and city homes, in shifts, to provide security.

Currently, the Inspector General of police Hilary Mutyambai has set aside over 200 officers drawn from the General Service Unit, Kenya Police, Administration Police and Prisons Service towards this.

The team which is headed by an inspector will be assigned to the candidates once the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission gazettes them on Wednesday, June 8.

The security of presidential candidates is a serious matter during the election and compromising it could consequently affect the election timelines.

For instance, should any of the candidates or their running mates die before the polls, the August 9 exercise will be called off and a new date set, in line with provisions of Article 138(8b) of the 2010 Constitution.

The same also applies in the case a candidate who would have been entitled to be declared elected as President dies before being declared.

The new date, if such a postponement occurred, would be within 60 days after the previous set election date, meaning by October 9.