IEBC rejects Gachagua's claims, defends 2027 polls preparations
National
By
Mate Tongola
| Aug 27, 2026
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has dismissed allegations of political interference, corruption and voter suppression surrounding preparations for the 2027 General Election, terming the claims false, unsubstantiated and aimed at undermining public confidence in the electoral body.
In a statement issued on Thursday, IEBC Chairperson Erastus Edung Ethekon said the allegations followed statements made by Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua during a press briefing on Wednesday.
The commission specifically rejected claims that politicians had purchased a house for its chairperson to influence him, saying the allegation had changed from an alleged Sh80 million property to one worth Sh200 million.
"The allegations that a house has been purchased for the Chairperson of IEBC by some politicians for purposes of influencing him are unfortunate, unfair and unsubstantiated to date," Ethekon stated.
The commission also challenged Gachagua to provide evidence, including the location of the property, sale and transfer documents, payment receipts and details of the parties involved, and submit them to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission for investigation.
The electoral body also dismissed claims of improper staff changes, saying deployment and redeployment of employees was part of its normal administrative functions and was guided by its human resource policies and public service regulations.
"The Commission complies with its Human Resource policies, guidelines and other relevant instruments under the larger public service when engaging employees," the statement read in part.
It further denied allegations of malpractice against the chairperson and vice-chairperson, describing them as fabricated claims intended to damage the reputation of the commissioners and the commission.
Magarini by-election
On the Magarini by-election, IEBC said the poll was conducted in a free, fair and credible manner and was not challenged through an election petition. The commission added that it had successfully conducted several by-elections and was prepared to oversee the 2027 General Election.
At the same time, IEBC also defended its procurement process for election technology and ballot papers, saying all tenders were being conducted in accordance with Chapter 12 of the Constitution and the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act, 2015.
"Two key tenders, one for the Integrated Elections Management System, hardware and accessories, and another for ballot papers and other election materials, have temporarily been halted following a request for review filed before the Public Procurement Administrative Review Board," IEBC stated.
According to IEBC, documents for the technology tender were uploaded on its website and the Public Procurement Information Portal on August 11, 2026.
The commission said the technical specifications were generic and performance-based and open to all qualified suppliers. It stressed that the procurement process was still at its initial stages and that no company had been awarded the tender.
Voter register protected
The commission also dismissed claims that voter registration data could be manipulated or shared with external parties, insisting that the Register of Voters remained under its exclusive custody.
"Voter registration involves several stages, including in-person registration, verification of identity, collection of biometric and biographical data, transmission to a central database and automated biometric deduplication," IEBC added.
Flagged records are subjected to data cleaning, validation and adjudication before valid records are incorporated into the register.
The register will subsequently undergo a 30-day biometric verification exercise, followed by an independent audit before it is finalised and certified for use in an election.
IEBC said allegations of bribery, predetermined tender awards and voter suppression were false and potentially harmful to public confidence in the electoral process.