The Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua has once again put the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) on the spot, alleging a fresh scheme to hand a South Korean firm a tender to supply 2027 election technology.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

In a statement seen by  Kenyans.co.ke on September 1, Gachagua says IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon and his deputy, Vice Chairperson Fahima Abdallah, are the ones driving the push to hand the tender to the South Korean firm.

He claims the specifications in the tender were tailor-made to fit the South Korean firm long before the bidding process was even opened to the public.

“The Chairman of IEBC and his Vice Chair are determined to force the discredited South Korean firm into the 2027 General Elections for financial gain and to bungle the elections,” Gachagua stated.

📌 What You Need to Know

Gachagua further alleges that once the scheme risked exposure, commissioners tried to pressure officials in the supply chain and electoral management to defend the specifications before the Public Procurement Administrative Review Board (PPARB).

Those officials, whom he regards as his intel personnel within the electoral body, say they openly refused to give false testimony that would have helped cover up what he describes as a corrupt and fraudulent procurement process.

Their reward for standing firm, according to Gachagua, was victimisation, with almost the entire team transferred to far-flung counties and replaced with commission loyalists, as seen in the IEBC staff changes in a letter dated August 12.

He also raised fears that swapping the election system so close to the polls could be used to interfere with the voters' register, especially in areas turning against President William Ruto.

“It is my considered opinion, following advice from procurement experts and IEBC insiders , that it is not technically possible to procure a new election management system given that the elections are 11 months away, and there is practically no time to facilitate digital migration from the current system and address whatever inadequacies are anticipated,” Gachagua added.

Gachagua, who is on a U.S. trip to plan for the 2027 election roadmap and rest, says that the intensity of the situation almost cut short his sabbatical, with worried officials inside the commission who wanted Kenyans to know exactly what is unfolding behind closed doors.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke