Nairobi — Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has accused Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Vice Chairperson Fahima Araphat Abdalla of attempting to influence the upcoming Magarini Constituency by-election in Kilifi County scheduled for November 27.
Gachagua alleged that Abdalla has been unlawfully submitting names of individuals she prefers to serve as presiding officers to senior county officials, purportedly to tilt the electoral process in favour of certain candidates.
"We were beginning to have hope in the IEBC, but I have received reports this morning that the vice chairperson is trying to interfere with the Magarini by-election," he said.
"She is in a hotel where she met senior county officials and issued a list of presiding officers she wants appointed to influence the process."
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Gachagua said he will write to IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon today to demand action against Abdalla, whom he accuses of meddling in an election that was nullified earlier due to irregularities.
"I will write to the IEBC Chaiperson with facts and will demand action.The vice chairperson needs to resign if shes only four months old and he has started taking money from politicians and seeking to meddle with the elections,"he stated.
He further claimed the vice chairperson has been intimidating other IEBC officials overseeing the poll including returning officers in a bid to compromise their neutrality.
"This is happening despite the fact that the previous election was nullified over irregularities. I will be writing to the chairperson to explain why the vice chairperson is interfering in Magarini when no commissioner has been deployed there,"Gachagua noted.
The Former Deputy President stated failure to address the allegations urgently would further damage the commission's already strained public image. He urged Abdalla to resign, arguing that her leadership was incompatible with the integrity required ahead of the 2027 General Election.
"If the vice chairperson can interfere with a simple by-election, how will Kenyans trust the commission to oversee a General Election? I had hoped that IEBC would use this by-election to restore public confidence" he noted.
Gachagua insisted that the November 27th by elections will act as a litmus test for the commission ahead of the 2027 general elections maintaining that Kenyans will not accept a bungled election.
"The 2027 election will be very hot and emotive and Kenyans will be very tense because they are removing a sitting president.The only way to deal with the outcome of the elections is Kenyans to be persuaded that IEBC will conduct a free and fair election,"he expressed.
The remarks come two days after Gachagua made fresh accusations that political actors were paying youths in Mbeere North to surrender their national ID cards as part of a scheme to rig the November 27 by-election there.
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He further claimed that some leaders mainly allied to President William Ruto's United Democratic Alliance (UDA) were bribing youths to influence their choice of candidates.
"The Gen-Zs are the pillar of transformation in this country. They are the ones speaking out against wrongdoing and vowing to make Ruto a one-term president," Gachagua said. "It will be sad if they accept money to vote against their convictions."
