Interior CS Fred Matiang'i Bans NASA's "Adopt-a-Polling-Station" Initiative

Weeks after he was named the acting Interior Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Fred Matiang’i, has picked a fight with the opposition National Super Alliance (NASA) after rubbishing the “adopt-a-polling station” strategy, which the opposition plans to use to ‘protect’ its votes from being ‘stolen’ in the upcoming polls.

The no-nonsense Cabinet Secretary warned NASA that no unauthorized individuals will be permitted to hang around the polling stations during the voting process.

Matiang’i said that only those accredited by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) will be allowed at the polling stations on August 8.

He asked the Electoral Commission to furnish him with the list of names of people that will be given the nod by the Commission to be at the polling stations on the material day. The CS warned that the government will deal firmly with those who will try to interfere with the voting process.

“Nobody is above the law and anyone breaking the law should be taken accountable for his or her actions in accordance with the Kenyan laws,” said Dr. Matiang’i.

Matiang’i noted that it is the work of the government to ensure that IEBC has a conducive environment to conduct its constitutional mandate without interference.

“There is need to be objective, honest and firm according to the law. Kenyans depends on the security forces.”

At the same time, Inspector General of Police, Joseph Boinnet, has assured Kenyans that the police force was ready to ensure security during the polls.

The Cabinet Secretary’s warning is likely to meet opposition from NASA, who has constantly told their supporters to remain at the polling stations after voting to make sure that their votes are intact. NASA said it will deploy five people per polling station in the initiative dubbed “adopt-a-polling station” .