The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission will be supplied with 200,000 police officers to supervise the 2027 General Election, underscoring the robust security machinery needed to effectively manage the polls.
Speaking during a national election security consultative forum on Wednesday, IEBC acting CEO Ruth Kulundu said the officers are undergoing special training to ensure they are well equipped to oversee the elections.
"We are on the course to train 200,000 police officers and special police officers who will be deployed during the general election. This training covers election security, election laws and specific election offences ensuring our security forces are prepared and professional," she said.
Kulundu said the commission is developing operational tools to guide the personnel that will be deployed to supervise the elections, including a comprehensive handbook on election security detailing specific duties and a guide for investigating election offences.
The commission projects that there will be a 9000 increase in the number of polling stations from the 46,229 in 2022 to 55,393 in the 2027 General Election as a result of the mass voter registration exercise.
This is in keeping with the statutory requirement of capping the number of voters per polling station at 700.
According to the IEBC, the projected 200,000 security manpower will be drawn from key partners, including the National Police Service, the Office of the Director of Public Plrosecutions, the Judiciary, the National Cohesion and Integration Commission, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority, the National Steering Committee on Peace Building and Conflict Management, the Office of the Registrar of Polical Parties and Civil Society Organisations.
The scope of their mandate will cut across provision of security, investigation and prosecution of electoral offences and mounting rapid joint responses to emerging security threats.
"This partnership ensures a holistic approach to election security, addressing legal, judicial and social dimension in a unified manner," Kulundu said.
She said the implementation strategy of the robust security arrangement is multifaceted and encompuses conflict prevention and management through early warning and response to expected and unforeseen election conflicts.
"We are engaging stakeholders, inclduing political actors and communities in peace-building initiatives to promote adherence to the Electoral Code of Conduct and peace accords and coordinated responses to identify threats."
According to the IEBC, part of the security officers will be
