Former Trade Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria has warned the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) following the circulation of a video in which individuals appeared to issue threats against former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.

The video surfaced days before Gachagua’s planned visit to Mbeere North, Embu County, where he is expected to campaign for the Democratic Party (DP) candidate in the upcoming by-election.

Kuria, who has been vocal about electoral integrity, questioned whether the by-election would be free and fair. He said that the IEBC had ignored his previous concerns about political intolerance in the area.

“Dear IEBC. Is this how 2027 will be? I have raised this with your Electoral Operations Commissioner several times. No action. Elections are a process, not an event. Mbeere North is currently the property of IEBC, not the state. The buck stops with you. Your staple food is public confidence,” Kuria wrote on X on Monday, November 10, 2025.

In the video, a group of four men could be heard making threatening remarks aimed at Gachagua.

“We don’t have any other work from today until the day that man said he is coming to Mbeere North. Now it’s planning, planning, planning. You’ll know here in Mbeere North we are men; prove you are a man,” one man was recorded saying.

Also watch: Matiang’i raises alarm over IEBC readiness for 2027 poll.

Mount Kenya politics shift

The threats come as political temperatures rise in Mbeere North ahead of the by-election. The seat fell vacant after President William Ruto appointed Geoffrey Ruku, the area’s former MP, as Cabinet Secretary for Public Service.

In September, Gachagua’s party, the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP), announced it would not field a candidate in the race. Instead, it pledged to support the Democratic Party, linked to former Public Service CS Justin Muturi. Muturi and other candidates have since accused the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) of planning to rig the election, allegations denied by CS Ruku.

The tension between Gachagua and Kuria adds another twist to the contest. In September, Gachagua urged Mbeere North voters not to support Duncan Mbui, the Chama Cha Kazi (CCK) candidate backed by Kuria. He accused President Ruto of using Kuria to divide the Mount Kenya vote.

“Ruto has got several wheelbarrows in the mountain so as to divide the votes,” Gachagua said then. “He has a lot of wheelbarrows he is moving around… even this one for Kuria.”

Mbui, who defected from Gachagua’s DCP to Kuria’s CCK, has since become a major factor in the race. His move has unsettled the opposition camp and heightened rivalry between Gachagua’s and Kuria’s political factions.

Despite their past friction, Kuria recently hinted at a possible alliance with Gachagua, calling him the undisputed Kingpin of Mount Kenya. He even suggested they could work together in the future.

For now, however, the two remain on opposite sides of the Mbeere North race, as IEBC faces fresh pressure to assure both camps of a credible election.