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Kenyan companies preparing their staff for the unexpected in August polls


Kenyan companies are preparing their staff for the unexpected during the August 8 elections, even as they invest heavily in campaigns for credible and peaceful polls.

More than 10 big corporations had by the end of last week taken their employees through safety and emergency response drills ahead of the hotly contested elections.

The preparations, which signal corporate Kenya’s discomfort with the build-up of tension around the polls, have seen some companies map out the election violence hotspots — complete with what employees working in those areas should do in the event of a breakdown in law and order.

Some of the companies have developed extensive strategies to secure their assets – including buildings and company motor vehicles – as part of risk mitigation.

HOTSPOTS

Security agencies have identified parts of the Rift Valley, Coast, Nairobi, Kiambu and Kisumu as potential hotspots.

“We have put in place elaborate operation plans to be executed by security agencies,” Interior Affairs Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho told the Daily Nation recently.

“From the security point of view, we are paying a lot of attention to the elections.”

Religious leaders and election observers have also warned of possible violence in the event of a contested outcome of the polls, and called on political leaders to tone down rhetoric and security agencies to enhance vigilance.

Read the full story here.

SOURCE: Business Daily