Kenya’s police chief has denied use of excessive force in quelling anti-poll riots in opposition strongholds despite contrary reports.
Inspector General Joseph Boinnet spoke on Thursday after casting his ballot in the country’s repeat presidential election.
“Some goons are preventing the election but we are managing it according to the law. We don’t use excessive forces on our people,” local Star newspaper quotes him to say.
“The situation in all counties is okay except for parts in Nyanza and Nairobi.”
At least one person was reportedly shot dead by police in the western province of Nyanza, as opposition supporters clashed with police.
The opposition NASA coalition had asked their supporters to stay away from the polls today, but hundreds turned up on streets to prevent the voting exercise from going on.
The repeat presidential election was ordered by the Supreme Court after it annulled the results of the August 8 vote, citing malpractices in the tallying and transmission processes.
Main opposition leader however withdrew from the election, saying he would not participate in a vote overseen by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) as it was in the last election.
The NASA opposition coalition has been staging nationwide protests to demand changes at the electoral body, particularly resignations of officers it accused of engaging in irregularities in the August 8 vote.
The ruling Jubilee Party however dismissed the demands, saying they were attempts to bully IEBC into conducting the poll in the opposition’s favour.
It assured Kenyans of security during the election, and deployed police across the country for that purpose.
