IEBC Officially Responds To Gachagua’s Allegations

IEBC Fights Back: Electoral Commission Strongly Rejects Gachagua’s Corruption and Election-Rigging Allegations Ahead of 2027 Polls

NAIROBI, Kenya — August 27, 2026 — In an assertive response to rising political temperature ahead of the August 2027 General Election, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has issued a comprehensive press release formally refuting serious allegations leveled against its leadership and procurement systems by former Deputy President and Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader, Hon. Rigathi Gachagua.

The commission’s five-page official response, signed by Chairperson Erastus Edung Ethekon, HSC, vehemently denied claims of bribery, pre-determined procurement awards, and administrative malpractices, characterizing the accusations as “unsubstantiated,” “reckless misinformation,” and “malicious propaganda” designed to sabotage the integrity of Kenya’s electoral process.

The Spark: Explosive Claims by DCP Leader Rigathi Gachagua

The high-stakes dispute erupted following a media briefing hosted by Hon. Rigathi Gachagua on Wednesday, August 26, 2026. Speaking prior to his departure for an overseas trip to the United States, the DCP leader launched a fierce critique against the electoral referee.

Among his central claims, Gachagua alleged that the ongoing tender process for the procurement of the Integrated Elections Management System (IEMS)—referenced as Tender No. IEBC/OIT/01/2026-2027—was a “sham” pre-rigged to favor a specific South Korean firm, Miru Systems Co. Ltd. He asserted that technical specifications had been deliberately tailored to exclude potential global competitors and accused senior state officials and IEBC leadership of engaging in behind-the-scenes maneuvering to hand over the election infrastructure to the firm.

Furthermore, Gachagua voiced fears that migrating voter data from the existing Smartmatic KIEMS kits to a new system could trigger widespread voter suppression and manipulation of the master voter register. To compound these claims, reports circulated alleging that political figures had acquired a multi-million shilling residential property for the IEBC Chairperson in an attempt to sway his decisions, with figures floating in media reports ranging from Ksh 80 million to Ksh 200 million.

IEBC Sets the Record Straight: A Point-by-Point Counter-Attack

Determined to protect its public credibility and defend its staff from political harassment, the IEBC systematically addressed each of the DCP leader’s claims.

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1. Commission’s Legality and Independence Addressing attempts to question the appointment and loyalty of the current commission, the IEBC reiterated that its members were appointed through a transparent, legal, and public process that successfully withstood judicial review. Citing Article 249 of the Constitution of Kenya, the agency stressed that it operates independently and is not subject to direction or control by any person, political figure, or authority.

2. Demand for Evidence on Alleged Property Purchase The Commission directly challenged Gachagua over allegations that a luxury house was purchased for Chairperson Ethekon. Pointing out that the claimed value of the alleged house had suspiciously shifted from Ksh 80 million to Ksh 200 million, the IEBC demanded that the DCP leader present concrete evidence to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC). The agency requested transaction records, including Sale Agreements, Transfer Documents, payment receipts, and the identity of the seller and buyer. In the absence of such evidence, the commission urged Gachagua to immediately “cease and desist from this reckless misinformation and smear campaign.”

3. Routine Human Resource Adjustments Responding to allegations of political interference in personnel management—specifically claims of replacing key procurement personnel—the commission stated that all staff deployments and redeployments follow standard public service Human Resource guidelines to enhance efficiency, insisting these normal administrative actions must not be politicized.

4. Past Elections and Track Record The commission dismissed claims of past malpractices, noting that similar unfounded allegations were raised by the DCP leadership during the Magarini By-Election without proof. The IEBC highlighted that the Magarini by-election was conducted in a free, fair, and credible manner, with no election petitions filed challenging its result.

Transparency in Election Technology Procurement

A significant portion of the electoral body’s response centered on reassuring the public, political parties, and international observers regarding the procurement of technology and ballot papers for the 2027 General Election.

• Strict Legal Compliance: The agency stated that all procurement activities strictly conform to Chapter Twelve of the Constitution of Kenya and the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act (PPADA), 2015.
• Current Procurement Status: Contrary to claims that a bidder had already been selected, the IEBC clarified that Tender No. IEBC/OIT/01/2026-2027 (for IEMS technology) and Tender No. IEBC/OIT/02/2026-2027 (for ballot papers and statutory forms) are still at initial stages. No award has been granted to any company.
• Temporary Review Halt: The commission revealed that the procurement process is currently temporarily halted following a formal request for review filed with the Public Procurement Administrative Review Board (PPARB), demonstrating that institutional legal mechanisms are actively functioning.
• Generic and Open Specifications: Technical specifications for the tenders were formulated using generic, performance-based metrics guided by Supreme Court directives, field experience, and lessons from previous elections. The agency urged vendors to participate competitively and cautioned bidders against attempting to influence the process through political proxies or media commentary.

Integrity of the Register of Voters

Addressing sensitive fears regarding potential voter suppression and data tampering, the IEBC offered absolute assurance on the security of the national voter database.

The Commission affirmed that the Register of Voters remains under its exclusive custody pursuant to Article 88(4) of the Constitution. Detailing the multi-stage safeguard mechanism, the IEBC outlined the process:

1. In-person voter registration featuring biometric and biographical data capture.
2. Automated biometric de-duplication at a central data facility.
3. A mandatory 30-day public biometric verification phase where voters inspect their records.
4. An independent comprehensive audit of the voter register prior to final certification.

The commission firmly maintained that given these multi-layered technical checks, it is mathematically and logistically impossible to tamper with voter records or execute regional voter suppression during data migration.

Looking Ahead to 2027

Concluding the press statement, IEBC Chairman Erastus Edung Ethekon reassured Kenyans that the commission is fully focused on its roadmap toward the August 10, 2027 General Election. Calling on civil society, parliament, media, and development partners to engage constructively, the commission warned that it would no longer tolerate malicious attacks designed to undermine public trust in national institutions.

As political maneuvering intensifies ahead of the 2027 polls, the standoff between the electoral body and opposition figures underlines the delicate balance between public oversight and institutional stability in Kenya’s evolving democratic landscape.

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