DPP highlights election offences to avoid on poll day
Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) has listed electoral offences Kenyans should avoid on August 9.
In a statement released on Thursday, DPP Noordin Haji said Kenyans should avoid registering as voters more than once.
“Voting more than once is a serious offence. Giving or receiving a bribe and use of force, chaos and sexual violence or threats to influence the outcome of an election are offences,” DPP said.
He added that applying to vote using the name of another person, whether dead or alive, at a polling station is an election offence.
He said that Kenyans should avoid impersonating an election official during the elections period.
“Use of public resources to campaign during elections and the use of force to compel a person to support a particular candidate or political party is wrong,” DPP said.
Haji said that the offences can be committed by the public, public officers, police, aspirants for political office, organizations, agents, election officials, among others.
He said that electoral justice will help enhance free and fair elections.
He urged Kenyans not to engage in election offences or risk being jailed.
DPP had on Wednesday launched an election call centre ahead of the August elections.
He said the centre would help bridge the gap between what is happening at the police station and what is happening on the ground.
“The purpose is to have us as the ODPP because we are the ones mandated to direct investigations even where the police have not commenced,” he said.
“Time has no expiry date. This will allow us to plan and to give justice to every person who has brought a complaint and has not been able to.”
The DPP also launched a 24-hour election toll-free line which will help to streamline accessibility to citizens on election-related matters.
