The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) on Thursday, November 27, 2025, dismissed allegations of ballot stuffing during ongoing by-elections across 22 electoral areas, calling the claims “misleading and inaccurate”.

In an official X post, the commission highlighted its stringent safeguards, stating, “Our ballot management procedures make such claims practically impossible. Voting is conducted in the full presence of agents, observers & the media. Each ballot paper contains multiple security features that cannot be reproduced.”

The statement directly countered former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who on November 26 accused the commission of deploying plainclothes police to insert pre-marked ballots favouring state-aligned candidates.

Gachagua cited that “IEBC has given ballot papers to government agencies that have been pre-marked, and the officers in civilian” were posing as observers, especially in Mbeere North, where 15,000 such papers were reportedly distributed.

He urged Kenyans to stay vigilant, warning that the state resorted to “desperate measures” after sensing defeat.

“Ballot-Stuffing Claims: Circulating allegations of ballot stuffing are misleading and inaccurate. We urge the public to rely on verified information from the Commission and reject falsehoods meant to undermine the electoral process.”

The IEBC also, in a separate X post, urged all citizens and leaders to uphold peace throughout voting, counting, results announcement, and the post-election period.

The commission noted that violence and intimidation have no place in democracy and called on security agencies to act firmly wherever breaches occur.

Every voter must be able to exercise their rights freely, and protecting the integrity of the vote is a shared responsibility that ensures trust in our electoral process and strengthens Kenya’s democracy.

“Election Update On Security & Peace. We urge all citizens and leaders to uphold peace throughout voting, counting, results announcement, and the post-election period.”

“Violence and intimidation have no place in our democracy. We call on security agencies to act firmly where breaches occur. Let’s protect the integrity of the vote,” read the IEBC X post.

Violence overshadows polls

Despite IEBC assurances, the by-elections were marred by violence and intimidation. In Kasipul, Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma was attacked while observing, sustaining injuries alongside his bodyguard, whose firearm vanished.

Earlier clashes had killed two, prompting IEBC fines of Ksh1 million per candidate. Malava witnessed the torching of DAP-K leader Eugene Wamalwa’s vehicle, while candidate Seth Panyako faced threats and hotel attacks by alleged UDA-linked goons, eventually fleeing on a motorbike.

In Kabuchai’s Chwele Ward, agents were forcibly ejected during assaults, while Mbeere North saw Democratic Party leader Justin Muturi expel a UDA agent in campaign attire, declaring, “Election Day is not a campaign stage, and polling stations are not theaters for party branding.”

Several leaders condemned the unrest. Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna described the day as “one of the bloodiest election days in recent history” and blamed “incompetence in the security command or their outright involvement.”