The National Police Service has begun laying the groundwork for the 2027 General Election, with Inspector General Douglas Kanja promising to deploy its full human and equipment capacity to protect the electoral process before, during and after the polls.
Kanja said the police had adopted a phased election preparedness plan that will run from September 2026 through the post-election period in 2027, drawing on lessons from previous elections as the country moves closer to the August 10, 2027 vote.
Speaking on Wednesday during a high-level National Election Security Roundtable Consultative Forum hosted by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), Kanja said the police were taking election security seriously and had brought senior commanders into the planning process.
“The National Police Service is committed to deploying all available human and equipment resources to support the IEBC. To demonstrate the seriousness with which we are taking this responsibility, we have brought our top-level police commanders and all operational commanders to this meeting so that they can directly follow and contribute to these important discussions,” he said.
Kanja said the involvement of senior and operational commanders was intended to ensure that those responsible for security operations across the country were directly engaged in preparations for the elections.
Under the preparedness framework, the police will focus on improving coordination between security agencies, strengthening contingency plans and ensuring police operations are carried out in line with electoral laws and regulations.
The plan will also seek to improve communication on security matters while strengthening the skills of officers through training and leadership programmes.
Security preparations will cover the protection of police personnel, critical infrastructure and electoral activities. The police will also prepare for security operations during political party primaries, which are expected to form part of the wider election cycle.
“The roadmap emphasizes professional policing and the rule of law, imposed by principles of neutrality, non-discrimination, accountability, and adherence to the rule of law. The deployed training of personnel will strengthen this group, and I am very happy that this was worth the achievement.”
The preparations come as the IEBC targets at least 28.5 million registered voters for the 2027 General Election. The commission has already released its electoral calendar, setting August 10, 2027 as the date for the General Election.
The IEBC Election Operations Plan 2025–2027 also provides the wider strategic and operational framework for preparing for and conducting the polls.
Kanja's emphasis on early preparations comes against the backdrop of Kenya's experience in previous elections, where coordination between electoral and security agencies has played an important role in managing potential threats.
In the 2022 General Election, about 150,000 police officers were deployed to provide security, including two officers at each polling station. Security personnel were also deployed during party nominations and in areas that had been identified as potential hotspots.
The National Police Service had also established an Election Security Secretariat, developed an Election Security Management Manual and conducted training programmes in partnership with the IEBC and other institutions ahead of the 2022 polls.
The security framework identified several threats that could disrupt elections, including public disorder, criminal gangs, political incitement, election-related violence and electoral offences.
Research on the 2022 election found that coordination and communication between police and other stakeholders helped prevent tensions from escalating. However, Kenya recorded 1,271 election-related violent events involving 1,806 deaths and 2,318 injuries between 2007 and 2022, highlighting the need for early and continued measures to prevent election-related violence.
Kanja said the responsibility of securing the 2027 election could not be left to one institution, calling for cooperation between security agencies, electoral officials, political actors and other stakeholders.
“That is the only way that makes it succeed, far much more important to all of us, and for that reason, there is no way a single entity can succeed. We can only succeed.”
He also called on political leaders and other stakeholders to place the interests of the country above political competition as preparations for the polls gather pace.
“This country is very important to all of us. Whether we are politicians or ordinary citizens, we must remember that we have only one Kenya. We do not have another Kenya to go to, and therefore, we must all protect and preserve our country before, during and after the elections.”
The Inspector General said the National Police Service's presence across the country would give it the ability to deploy officers where they are needed and support a peaceful electoral process.
He said the service's nationwide network and personnel would be used to help ensure that the 2027 elections are conducted successfully, with preparations continuing before, during and after the polls.