NAIROBI, Kenya Aug 5 – Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has raised concerns regarding the constitutional right to vote for serving police and security officers deployed away from their registered stations during elections.
Seeking a statement from the Standing Committee on Justice, Legal Affairs and Human Rights and Foreign Relations, he noted that while Article 38 of the Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to vote by secret ballot, thousands of security officers are deployed to provide security during elections, effectively denying them the opportunity to exercise this right.
The Nairobi Senator highlighted that with advancements in electoral technology and existing voting mechanisms for Kenyans in the diaspora, appropriate arrangements must be explored to prevent the disenfranchisement of serving officers.
Senator Sifuna outlined three key issues for the Committee to address: the legal, policy, and administrative measures being undertaken by the State Law Office in collaboration with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to enable police officers to vote.
The first term Senator is proposing measures to guarantee that officers exercise their right freely, fairly, and by secret ballot without intimidation or coercion from command structures; and whether security officers traveling to vote will receive adequate logistical support, including transport and sufficient time off duty, without compromising election security.
Section 47(4) states that an officer shall not be barred from voting at any election if, under the laws governing the said election, he or she has a right to vote.
