Gachagua accuses IEBC of bias as Ol Kalou by-election tensions boil over
Democracy for the Citizens Party leader Rigathi Gachagua
DCP leader alleges selective enforcement against government officials campaigning in the constituency, as ruling party dismisses the claims as an attempt to mask a looming defeat
By MKT Reporter
Democracy for the Citizens Party leader Rigathi Gachagua has formally accused the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission of bias ahead of tomorrow’s Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election, demanding assurances from the commission that the poll will be conducted freely and fairly.
In a letter addressed to IEBC Chairperson Erastus Edung Ethekon, the former Deputy President claimed the commission had lost public confidence and accused it of selectively enforcing electoral law in favour of the ruling United Democratic Alliance. He cited previous by-elections, among them Malava, Mbeere North, Baringo North, Kasipul-Kabondo, Narok Township and Emurua Dikirr, alleging that the commission failed to act despite reports of violence, intimidation and voter bribery in each. “Mr Chairman, your silence and tolerance of those electoral practices prove that you cannot be trusted to deliver free, fair, transparent and verifiable elections,” Gachagua wrote.
The letter followed remarks by Ethekon warning that the IEBC could postpone or even cancel the Ol Kalou poll if the electoral environment continued to deteriorate, citing concerns over violence, intimidation and voter bribery in the constituency. Gachagua rejected that framing outright. Addressing journalists in Nairobi, he insisted the constituency had remained peaceful throughout the campaign period. “The people of Ol Kalou are very peaceful. All the candidates are working together and nobody is fighting each other,” he said, describing the isolated incidents cited by the commission as orchestrated by the state.
The DCP leader went further, alleging without providing public evidence that the threat to postpone the election was intended to shield the UDA candidate from defeat, based on what he described as internal assessments showing the ruling party trailing in the constituency. “After all these schemes have failed and the government polling machinery has reported that the UDA party candidate is performing dismally, IEBC gets instructions and, through their chairman, threatens to postpone or cancel the elections,” he claimed. “You are now being used by William Ruto to postpone the election because he knows he faces a humiliating defeat next week.”
Much of Gachagua’s letter centred on a list of senior state officials he accused of campaigning in Ol Kalou in violation of constitutional provisions barring public officers from partisan political activity. He named Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome, ICT Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo, Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir, and Tourism Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano, alongside several principal secretaries and Communications Authority chairman Charles Karedo. “Why hasn’t IEBC questioned or sanctioned these officers? You have bungled your credibility totally, as you have planned to bungle the by-elections,” he wrote, arguing that the commission had the legal authority to act against bribery and campaign violations rather than threatening to punish the entire constituency by postponing the vote.
Gachagua also raised the case of Kipipiri MP Wanjiku Muhia, arguing that she had been unfairly disciplined by the commission without being properly heard or afforded legal representation, after she publicly questioned why state officials campaigning in Ol Kalou had not similarly been summoned. He alleged separately that a police unit he referred to as “Nairobi Sierra,” which he linked to an attack on a church in Witima in January, had been redeployed to Ol Kalou, and claimed government spending on the campaign had reached roughly a billion shillings in cash inducements alongside a further ten billion shillings in development projects timed to influence voters. He further alleged an attempted assassination of former East African Legislative Assembly member Kanini Kega during campaigning in the constituency.
None of these allegations have been independently verified, and the IEBC had not issued a direct public response to the specific claims at the time of writing. The commission has previously stated, in response to earlier allegations from Gachagua over the Magarini by-election in November, that concerns raised were “weighty” and would be treated with institutional seriousness, while maintaining that its processes remain protected by established safeguards.
The ruling side has pushed back firmly. National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah dismissed Gachagua’s claims as reckless and malicious, accusing the former Deputy President of trying to deflect from an impending electoral loss. “Gachagua is a man gripped by panic. After weeks of chest-thumping and empty bravado, he has come face to face with the reality that his preferred candidate is headed for defeat,” Ichung’wah said, denying claims that he had met county officials to influence the outcome or that he was involved in bribing IEBC personnel. “The people of Ol Kalou will not be intimidated, distracted or manipulated. They will make their choice peacefully, freely and democratically,” he added.
Gachagua closed his letter with a pointed warning to the commission, framing tomorrow’s vote as a test of its credibility ahead of the 2027 General Election. “The Ol Kalou by-election is an acid test for the IEBC,” he wrote, cautioning that a mishandled poll would prompt Kenyans to conclude the commission cannot be trusted with a national vote, and that the commission’s leadership should resign if it proves unable to deliver a credible outcome. He copied the letter to Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, whom he has separately urged to ensure only uniformed officers are deployed on polling day.
With voting just a day away, the exchange has hardened battle lines between the DCP and the ruling coalition, leaving the IEBC caught in the middle of competing accusations it has yet to publicly answer in full. Whichever way tomorrow’s count goes, both sides have already signalled they intend to hold the commission’s conduct, not just the result, to account.
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