A lorry carrying officers from the General Service Unit (GSU) was turned away by residents after they denied it entry into one of the polling centres during the Ol Kalou by-election.
A video seen by Nairobileo.co.ke shows voters at Ol Kalou Comprehensive School Polling Centre standing their ground and declining to allow the lorry carrying GSU officers to access the polling station.
The exchange between the officers and the residents remained peaceful, with the driver eventually turning the vehicle around as the crowd applauded and declared their commitment to safeguarding the integrity of the vote.
Residents Block GSU Lorry From Entering Ol Kalou Polling Centre. Photo: Courtesy.
No injuries or confrontations were reported during the incident.
In a separate development, an official from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) inspected the vehicle and bags of police officers stationed at another polling centre after residents raised concerns that election materials could be inside.
The officers complied with the inspection, and only personal belongings were found in the bags, easing the concerns raised by members of the public.
Residents also confronted individuals they believed were plainclothes police officers patrolling Ol Kalou Town, reflecting heightened public vigilance during the by-election.
Meanwhile, Central Regional Police Commander Joshua Nkanatha assured residents that adequate security measures had been put in place to guarantee a peaceful electoral process.
He encouraged voters to turn out in large numbers and urged the public to report any suspicious activities or incidents that could threaten the integrity of the exercise or public safety.
The incidents came a day after Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja announced the deployment of more than 1,000 security officers across the constituency ahead of the by-election.
According to Kanja, the security operation includes officers from the General Service Unit (GSU), Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Anti-Stock Theft Unit (ASTU).
He also indicated that more than 100 officers had been assigned to each of the 14 polling centres, with additional personnel placed on standby to respond swiftly to any security incidents that may arise during the voting exercise.
