Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua has cast strong doubt on the autonomy and readiness of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), indicating that the opposition is not comfortable with the electoral commission as the nation approaches the 2027 General Election.

In a one-on-one interview with Kameme TV on Monday, April 20, 2026, Gachagua alleged that the establishment of the current IEBC was a political deal between President William Ruto and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, a factor he says has since cast doubt on the impartiality of the commission.

“We have a problem with the IEBC because the IEBC was formed by William Ruto and the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga in an agreement. The IEBC chairperson is allied to President Ruto.

“We went and had a meeting with the IEBC chairperson, and we agreed on so many issues, including forming a joint committee of lawyers to look into the elections’ preparedness, because the process of the election is crucial, and he agreed.

“Since then, he was summoned by William Ruto and was told not to engage us again. He has been taking us in circles, and when called, he says he has other meetings to attend. I want to tell Kenyans that it is very hard to steal an election, and the margin by which we shall defeat William Ruto in 2027 will be very huge,” Gachagua added.

Gachagua: IEBC chairperson is compromised

He also stated that the chairman of the IEBC is seen as having political affiliations with President Ruto, which he said jeopardises the trust of people in the electoral process. He says that these issues have caused the opposition to not have all the trust in how the commission is prepared to handle the election.

Gachagua explained there had been a preliminary meeting between the opposition and the IEBC chairperson where several issues were raised. According to him, both parties had agreed on the establishment of a joint committee of lawyers to look into the readiness of the elections to boost confidence in the process before the polls.

He, however, claimed that the engagement hit a snag later on, arguing that the chairperson of the IEBC had subsequently reported having been summoned and advised not to hold any more meetings with the opposition. Since Gachagua claims that follow-ups have not been successful, the chairperson often mentions other commitments.

Gachagua stated that the opposition is not pleased with the IEBC and that the commission needs to show that it is completely independent and transparent to regain the trust of the people before the 2027 elections.

In spite of his fears, Gachagua still asserted that the opposition is confident of its political prowess, and it expects to win the next elections by a wide margin. He said that the difference in votes between President Ruto and his opponent would be big, but he also said that the people would be the ones who counted and decided.

With political tensions still high, the IEBC’s credibility and readiness are likely to be the main topics of conversation in Kenya before the election.