The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairman Erastus Ethekon has hit back at the former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua over claims of plans to manipulate the 2027 elections.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

Speaking publicly on the commission's preparedness for the elections on September 2, Ethekon dismissed the allegations as wild narratives crafted by people playing games, insisting the commission has not been compromised in any way.

The IEBC boss stressed that anyone accusing the commission of wrongdoing, including the former DP, needs to back their claims with solid evidence before going public.

“So nobody, let those ones who are trying to play some games, to try and create narratives about IEBC being compromised. You know, the Former DP was talking about evidence,” Ethekon stated.

📌 What You Need to Know

He took issue with how some media houses run such claims without bothering to fact-check them first, calling this an unfortunate trend.

Ethekon further argued that these kinds of allegations are calculated to plant fear in the minds of ordinary Kenyans ahead of the next General Election.

The chairman warned that such narratives risk eroding public trust in institutions like IEBC, something he says the country cannot afford as it heads to 2027.

The remarks come after the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) party leader accused Ethekon and his deputy Fahima Abdallah of pushing to award a 2027 election technology tender to a South Korean firm.

In a statement issued on September 1, Gachagua claimed the tender specifications were designed to favour the firm long before the bidding process opened to the public.

He also alleged that commissioners tried to pressure procurement and electoral officials to defend the specifications before the Public Procurement Administrative Review Board (PPARB), but he refused to comply.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke