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August General Elections Are Here, Here Is How To Stay Safe

BY Jane Muia · July 29, 2022 10:07 am

KEY POINTS

Many girls and women were also raped. The total number of people raped was 71, 68 female and 3 male. Several women said they were sexually assaulted and raped while others failed to report to the authorities over fears of reprisal.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

In Nairobi, around 17 people were killed and the number is likely to be high, as the media was slow in reporting the violence. A six-year-old girl was killed by a stray bullet while on the balcony of her house in Mathare.

As Kenya gears up for the general elections 10 days from today, Kenyans should put their safety at the forefront given the nature of the country’s elections as witnessed in the last election years.

Although analysts are optimistic that there will be no repeat of violence like that witnessed in the 2007 elections, Dutch philosopher Desiderius Erasmus said ‘’prevention is better than Cure.’’

Prevention will only start with you and me if we decide to stay home and say no to post-election violence which is no longer a tale in Kenya. Another philosopher said that “the worst enemy you can meet will always be yourself” which is true because if we don’t fight each other then there won’t be violence.

The 2017 Elections

The 2017 elections were marred by serious human rights violations including massive killings as well as serious beatings and shootings by police during protests. Several people were killed and others sustained serious injuries. The western part of Kenya was the most affected where locals clashed with the police while protesting with the Chant of “Uhuru Must Go”.

In Nairobi, around 17 people were killed and the number is likely to be high, as the media was slow in reporting the violence. A six-year-old girl was killed by a stray bullet while on the balcony of her house in Mathare. The girl had come out to check what was happening after hearing commotions outside which were caused by police shootings as they dispersed protesters.

The war between police and protesters was intense with police throwing teargas and water cannons at the protesters. The protesters responded to the police with stone smacks, while burning tires, and blocking roads.

Many girls and women were also raped. The total number of people raped was 71, 68 female and 3 male. Several women said they were sexually assaulted and raped while others failed to report to the authorities over fears of reprisal.

To avoid similar events in the coming elections, this is what you should do.

  1. Avoid Wearing Political Campaigns Outfits in Public

Refrain from wearing campaign outfits as they may irritate the opposing party members causing conflicts. Also avoid wearing these attires, especially traveling to regions mostly occupied by the opposing party members.

  1. Go straight home after voting

After casting your vote just go home. Be calm and avoid discussing the process with anyone. Also, don’t speak carelessly about a certain candidate as you may be burning your fingers.

  1. Avoid Outings and Stock your home with Food

You don’t know what will happen in the next minute. Stock your home with a lot of food to avoid outings to the malls and markets. The earlier you do this the better.

  1. Monitor Your Social joints

These are some of the places where you find every group of people. Ensure you are safe before joining friends in social joints. Keep your opinions about a certain candidate to yourself.

  1. Avoid Crowded Areas

Criminals targets crowded areas for violence. Avoid dragging yourself into areas where people are analyzing political issues and candidates in public places.

Elections will always come and go and Safety for every Kenyan is what matters. So let’s preach peace and be safe.

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