Safety Checklist to Kenyan Elections

We’re exactly a week to probably the greatest event the country will take part in this year, 2013 General Elections and we’re hoping and praying that the insecurity and political violence we experienced in 2007/2008 will not be replayed this year.

But let’s face it.

We all have that feeling of fear embedded in our hearts and minds and we’re scared for our families and loved ones. It’s OK to be scared but it’s very important to be prepared, to hope for the best and expect the worst. The period after elections is, and was five years ago, the most difficult time.

So I was asked to lead my team at work on security measures to take during the period and on top of what I had prepared, we brainstormed and came up with the following safety-checklist on how to stay safe during the election period and what to do to reduce risk of injury and loss:

1. Stash on Food.

Prepare and budget a week in advance and over this weekend, stock up on dry food, milk (Long Life), canned foods (don’t forget can openers), drinking water, fruits and vegetables. You do not want to get caught up in fracas and riots looking for a supermarket, butchery or grocery shop.

2. Documents.

We didn’t say there’s going to be fire, and we didn’t say there isn’t going to be. Scan your important pages; Original documents, title deeds, birth certificates/IDs and any other critical records, save them on your email’s draft folder or send via the same means to a friend or family.

3. Cash-at-hand.

Ensure you have enough solid money, placed in a portable safe/box, or have cash on your M-Pesa account in the event that Banks do not open during the election period.

4. Car Service.

Have your vehicle fully serviced during the week, check for emergency kits, jerk, torch and other names of the game. Have it fuelled to probably full tank if possible in case you need to travel after elections and have your family know of its location during the period. It is however, advised not to travel on Election Day. If you must travel, use personally known Taxi vehicles to be safe.

• For those working, if you will not be able to go to work during this period, please be professional enough to notify your company.

5. Household Basics.

Take home details of what you’ll need to use during the period if you don’t get another chance to purchase them. This includes:

• Candles, mounted in secure points in the home (in case of power failure).
• Cooking gas.
• Matchboxes.
• Fire-extinguishers/enough water (in case of fire breakout).
• Painkillers/antibiotics and emergency kit items.
• Personal sanitary items; soaps, sanitizers.
• Credit/Phone airtime.
• Novels/ Magazines (in case you have to camp at home for a long time).
• Radio/ TV to stay in touch with what’s going on around you.

6. Relocation.

If you can, relocate your family to safer grounds and if that’s not possible, have a sit-down with your kids (especially), prepare them psychologically, explain what it means to be politically unstable in a language they can understand and lay down safety procedures. Practice evacuation measures to be taken in case of any eventuality e.g. agree on meeting points in the event of separation, have them memorize your phone numbers/nearest police station numbers.

And there you have it folks, write it down, print it out, share it with a friend and let’s hope that we will help reduce injury and loss this time round and pray that we will get back to our daily routines as soon as is possible. That being said, for the love of all that is sound, gracious and beautiful in this nation, use your vote wisely and do it peacefully.