Police delay election ops

By GEORGINA KOREI
DEPUTY Police Commissioner (Operations) Anton Billie says the deployment of security personnel for this year’s general election has been delayed or slowed down due to funding issues.
“We are unable to deploy all security personnel at once. This will strain our election security budget,” he added.
Billie said the budget was tight and that some security personnel would only be deployed for the polling and counting period (from July 2I).
“For now, the police units, especially in the Highlands can adequately provide security for the nomination and campaign period,” he said, adding that support units from the headquarters would be deployed later to beef up security operations.
“If we deploy all security personnel at once, where can we get the funding to pay for their allowances and provide for the logistics to cater for all of them?”
Billie said logistics and allowances of security personnel had always been a challenge during deployments.
“We are trying to minimise the cost and be operational wise in our planning for optimal results.”
He added that the candidates and their supporters should be helping the work of security personnel and not causing unnecessary trouble during the election period.
Billie said candidates, their supporters and the public should behave and maintain peace for a peaceful and safe environment for all to exercise their democratic rights once every five years.