Gachagua questions IEBC’s capacity to conduct 2027 General Election
By Faith Lagat, July 10, 2026Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has questioned the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission’s (IEBC) ability to conduct the 2027 General Election, saying its handling of the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election has raised concerns about its preparedness.
Speaking at the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) headquarters in Nairobi on Friday, July 10, 2026, Gachagua said the commission should demonstrate its capacity by successfully managing the July 16 by-election.
“If IEBC cannot manage a by-election, how will it conduct the General Election?” he asked. He said the incidents reported in Ol Kalou did not justify discussions on postponing the election.
Gachagua said the constituency had experienced isolated cases of campaign-related disturbances, including destruction of campaign materials, but maintained the situation did not warrant cancellation of the poll.
He also compared the situation in Ol Kalou with previous by-elections, saying the commission had not taken similar positions in other constituencies.
“There was brutal violence, outright voter bribery by the state… your silence was very loud. You didn’t condemn violence in Malava. You didn’t condemn violence in Kaspul Kabondo. How come you are condemning non-existent violence in Ol Kalou?” he said.
Security concerns
Gachagua maintained that residents of Ol Kalou remained peaceful and said those behind reported incidents were not locals.
“The little violence that has been witnessed in Ol Kalou has been done by the state… All this violence is being organized by a material member of parliament, Eric Wamumbi, and his wife and Moses Kuria using goons brought to Ol Kalou from outside,” he said.
He also referred to what he described as the “Nairobi Sierra” team of officers operating in the constituency.
The former Deputy President criticised the commission for discussing the possibility of postponing the election instead of enforcing existing electoral laws.
He also questioned the presence of senior government officials in the constituency during the campaign period, saying Cabinet Secretaries, Principal Secretaries and other officials had intensified activities in the area ahead of the vote.
According to Gachagua, development projects unveiled during the campaigns should not influence the conduct of the election.
Calls to protect the poll
Gachagua urged IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon to ensure the election proceeds as scheduled and called on security agencies to provide a secure environment for voters.
He said police officers deployed to the constituency should be in uniform and that people from outside the constituency should not be allowed to disrupt the exercise.
Gachagua further said postponing the by-election would create concerns about the commission’s readiness to conduct future elections.
“This is a scheme by William Ruto… to use Ol Kalou by-election as a precedent where they postpone the by-election on account of perceived unanticipated violence and then next year the government can cause violence across the whole country,” he said.
He also appealed to presiding officers to carry out their duties independently and urged voters to turn out peacefully on polling day.
The Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election was occasioned by the death of MP David Njuguna Kiaraho and has attracted candidates from several political parties, including UDA’s Samuel Muchina Nyagah and DCP’s Sammy Douglas Kamau Waweru.
The IEBC has previously said it is monitoring reports of electoral offences and security incidents in the constituency ahead of the July 16 poll.