Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has strongly dismissed fears of election rigging, warning political actors against making what he termed as “empty threats” about manipulating future polls.

Speaking in Nakuru on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, Gachagua said no individual or group would be allowed to interfere with the will of the people, insisting that Kenya operates under a constitutional democracy that guarantees free and fair elections.

“Don’t threaten people, mtaiba uchaguzi; those are empty debes making noise. Mtaiba kura ya Wakenya tukiwa wapi? It’s not possible! We have a constitutional democracy,” he said.

According to Gachagua, any efforts to subvert the electoral process would fail, emphasising that Kenyans remain firmly in control of their democratic choices.

Election rigging claims

Gachagua’s remarks come a day after the Deputy President Kithure Kindiki dismissed allegations that the government is planning to rig the 2027 General Election, insisting the Kenya Kwanza administration will seek re-election on the strength of its development agenda and delivery record.

Speaking on Monday, May 25, 2026, during a public engagement in Kisii, Kindiki said the government has no reason to manipulate the electoral process because its performance since taking office has already earned the confidence of wananchi across the country.

“We do not need any illegal assistance to win next year’s General Election,” the Deputy President said, in remarks apparently aimed at opposition leaders who have repeatedly questioned the credibility of the 2027 polls.

Kindiki argued that the administration’s investments in roads, electricity connectivity, affordable housing, agriculture, healthcare and education reforms would ultimately vindicate the government when Kenyans head to the ballot.

IEBC warns on election rigging claims

In a press release issued Tuesday, May 26, 2027, the commission said recent statements by some politicians suggesting they could influence the outcome of the 2027 presidential election risk undermining public confidence in Kenya’s democratic institutions and electoral processes.

The electoral body said the utterances had created anxiety within the political environment and warned that such remarks were intended to instil fear, mislead the public and erode trust in the integrity of elections.

“These utterances, which have elicited considerable disquiet within the electoral environment, pose a real risk of distorting public perception of Kenya’s democratic processes. IEBC considers such utterances to be unacceptable, reckless, and entirely baseless,” IEBC chairperson Erastus Ethekon insisted.

“For avoidance of doubt, the duty and responsibility of conducting and supervising elections in Kenya is exclusively vested in the IEBC under Article 88 of the Constitution of Kenya. This mandate is not shared with, nor can it be usurped by, any individual, institution or political actor,” IEBC stated.