Security agencies in Embu county have embarked on surveillance on political activities to ensure peace prevailed ahead of August 9 general election.
County Commissioner Eddyson Nyale said the move was necessitated by emerging cases of political thuggery that was being perpetrated by hired goons and to a larger extent by aspirants themselves.
The move comes barely a day after a group of rowdy youths intercepted a truck ferrying UDA nominations materials a head of today’s primaries and set them ablaze outside Izaak Walton Hotel along Embu-Meru highway.
“Embu has been and is a peaceful county that embraces diversity of political views and we shall not allow anybody to interfere with the prevailing peace,” the CC cautioned.
Speaking on Thursday after a security meeting, the Commissioner said the County Security Intelligence Committee had resolved that perpetrators of political violence would face full force of the law.
“There will be no sacred cows in the crackdown on perpetrators of political violence,” the administrator said, noting they had already mapped all security threats zones and developed mechanism to contain acts of lawlessness.
He also reported that politicians and their supporters suspected to have instigated the burning of the electoral materials were summoned to record statements with the police.
Nyale also cautioned the youth against being used by politicians to create chaos during campaigns or elections.
The CC also warned aspirants against campaigning beyond 6pm as stipulated in the law guiding polls
“Politicians must adhere to the stipulated time for public gatherings. Night campaigns will not be tolerated,” Nyale warned.
The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) has also summoned three politicians to appear before the disciplinary committee on April 16 in relation to destruction of poll materials.
Manyatta MP John Muchiri, Former Kamununji MP Norman Nyaga and Nominated MCA Lorna Kariuki have been summoned with the party insisting that it had incriminating evidence against them.