Confession Of A Soldier: How The Millitary Was Used To RIG In The 2013 Elections

 

I am a Kenya Army soldier deployed in K******
barracks. On 10th september 2013, we were told that we needed to renew
our armed forces job ID cards so that the name on the ID was to change
to Defence Forces as per the constitutional change in the name. This was
to take place immediately after the inaugration of the new
constitution.
On 12th Sept the exercise began by BVR
machines being brought to the barracks and our finger prints taken plus
passport photos. In other instances where we were issued with the
previous ID cards, we never had all our fingers taken for a simple job
ID card. Taking all the 10 fingers this time was weird. 
We never realised that this was an
electoral process where we were being registered as voters without our
knowledge. We were being put in a register. A week to the elections, all
leave were cancelled and we were all ordered to be at work. Most
soldiers from the Luhyia, Luo, Kamba and Kisii communities were put in
formations ready to quell violence in Nyanza and Western province. This
exercise involved over 60,000 soldiers.
During voter registrations, only
IDs of people from Rift Valley and Central province were brought to the
barracks for them to go register as voters. IDs for those from other
parts of the country were missing. No clear explanation was forthcoming
when we (soldiers) raised the issue with the commanders. 
Before the March elections, we
formed platoons “quick reaction force” which targeted mostly hotspots in
Nyanza and Western provinces. Also during the election Luos and other
tribes were fixed on duty while Kikuyus and Kalenjins went to vote.
Previously the night before ballot boxes were brought in the barracks
and were paid Ksh 1000 to vote for Uhuru.We (soldiers from other
communities) were told to keep mum as the disciplinary action would be
taken against anyone who talked.

Courtesy KahawaTungu