Police to ban camps at counting venues in city

POLICE will in future ban the setting up of camps by candidates’ supporters near counting centres, says National Capital District Metropolitan Superintendent Gideon Ikumu.
It is one of the recommendations of the provincial election steering committee.
“We have decided that we will never allow scrutineers or candidate supporters camping at the counting centres – not any more in the city,” he said.
“We worked very well with everyone until the incident where we chased them away because they violated that trust.
“They hid weapons in the camps and used them against each other.
“It violated the trust.
“Because of that, in future election, it is strongly recommended that there will be no camping outside the counting centre.”
Ikumu said security personnel concentrated on offences committed at the polling stations.
“Police will closely look at offences committed in the counting room,” he said. “We would be better prepared in five years’ time.”
He also confirmed that a counting official arrested last week was detained at 6-Mile police station.
He said the official’s mobile phone was confiscated.
“The information in the mobile phone is very damaging,” he said.
“We need to deal with it.”