Rigging thunderbolt: Gachagua takes on IEBC over 2027 election technology kits

DCP leader Rigathi Gachagua addresses a media briefing at his Karen residence in Nairobi on August 26, 2026. [Wilberforce Okwiri, Standard]

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has accused the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) of being behind a plot to rig the 2027 General Election through a digital voting system to be supplied by a South Korean company

Gachagua wondered why the IEBC was keen on having the Kenya Election Integrated Management Systems (KIEMS) kits supplied and managed by Miru Systems Company Limited, which is a South Korean Company, with less than one year to the General Election.

Addressing Journalists at his Karen residence in Nairobi on Wednesday before he left the country for a month-long trip to the USA, the former DP told Kenyans that the tendering process by Miru Systems Company had been carefully tailored to fit all the requirements sought by IEBC, meaning that the outcome of the bid was preconceived and is only awaiting rubber-stamping.

He said that IEBC should produce documentary evidence showing who drafted the technical specifications for Tender No. IEBC/OIT/01/2026–2027, including all internal committee minutes, technical working papers, market surveys, and approval records.

Gachagua asked IEBC to explain why the specifications mirror the capabilities associated with a single supplier identified in the market rather than being expressed as performance-based and vendor-neutral requirements.

“Further, we are asking, what was and is the role of the Cabinet Secretary for Mining Ali Hassan Joho and the Vice chairperson of IEBC Fahima Araphat Abdallah in this tender process,” asked Gachagua.

“The IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethakon you have a choice to stand with the 55 million Kenyans or choose to burn this country. You know how controversial your appointment was and to whom you pay allegiance to, nevertheless, this country has 55 million Kenyans,” he added.

The DCP leader claimed that Ethekon knows what is actually happening is a mundane public relations exercise to manage the other bidders and the 55 million Kenyans as Miru Company eventually takes over the system and bungle the election.

Gachagua also raised ethical questions against Ethekon and his Vice Chairperson Fahima Abdallah on how the election manegement system will be procured, because it was allegedly skewed in favour of one company whose history is marred by serious malpractices in several countries accross the world.

“During the By-elections in Magarini last year, this same IEBC vice chairperson was largely involved in the malpractices we raised and made public but you Ethekon did nothing about it which confirmed that she was holding your brief for their appointing authority,” he said.

He further said that under instructions from President Ruto, Miru Technologies has been instructed to prepare a new voters register and suppress voters from Western Kenya, Kisii, Nyamira, Mount Kenya region, Lower Eastern, Nairobi, Taveta, Nakuru, Laikipia, Kajiado, Narok and Trans Nzoia.

Gachagua appealed to all developments partners and embassy’s accredited to Kenya to take note of this threat to Kenya’s electoral democracy with this Company banned and never allowed to manage any election or supply its equipment and technology.

“I would like to challenge IEBC to confirm if the technical specifications in the tender have not been specially crafted around the profile of MIRU Systems, it is beyond discussions that Kenya would even imagine having such a vendor for our 2027 General elections,” he said.

The DCP leader said that the IEBC must tell Kenyans whether this procurement process is in line with the provisions of Article 227 of the Constitution and Sections 60–61 of the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act (PPADA).

He sought to know before publishing the tender, what market analysis IEBC undertook to establish that multiple qualified manufacturers or system integrators could realistically satisfy every mandatory technical requirement and how many suppliers were identified as capable of meeting the specifications without requiring exceptions or waivers.

Gachagua asked why IEBC formulated mandatory experience and qualification requirements that absolutely correspond with the operational history of Miru Technologies instead of adopting objective and outcome-based eligibility criteria as required under the Procurement Act.

“How come the tender document contains numerous provisions requiring IEBC to 'insert,' 'specify,' or determine technical standards later, while simultaneously imposing rigid mandatory requirements elsewhere,” asked Gachagua.

The former DP asked IEBC to clearly explain to Kenyans how bidders can prepare comparable and responsive tenders where essential specifications remain undefined or internally contradictory.

Gachagua also queried why IEBC required a tender security of Sh30 million while failing to disclose sufficient information regarding the quantities, commercial scope, estimated procurement value, or the budgetary basis necessary to demonstrate compliance with Section 61 of the PPADA.

“Given the Constitution requires procurement to be fair, equitable, transparent, competitive and cost-effective, what safeguards did IEBC implement during the drafting stage to ensure no manufacturer's proprietary architecture, certification profile, or product ecosystem—including that associated with MIRU Systems—was embedded into the mandatory specifications in a manner that excluded otherwise qualified competitors,” asked Gachagua.

The former DP said that Kenyans should also be made aware that Ruto’s captured Parliament has deliberately delayed the passing of the Elections Amendment Bill 2024 that contains provisions that touch on technology.

Gachagua mentioned the bill proposes that the supplier of KIEMS technology must grant IEBC Intellectual Property Rights and ownership over the system. Senate passed the bill but it has been pending in the National Assembly.

He said that It is also not lost on Kenyans that the recent change in ownership of De La Rue Kenya Limited, a security printer with the technical capacity to print election materials locally, is directly linked to the ongoing electoral fraud that will be deployed in August 2027.

“Recent local investment in De La Rue Kenya Limited is part of the rigging game plan that has now been put to play, no wonder despite all the indications from independent scientific polling and intelligence assessments that show a William Ruto loss, he is confident that he will white wash any opposition and extend his kleptocracy for a further Five Years,” said Gachagua. 

He warned that vulnerable and defective electoral voting technology threatens electoral transparency and the credibility of an electoral process. Any attempt to change the election management system technology less than 11 Month to the 2027 general election is recipe for failure and chaos.

Gachagua claimed that the real mischief of IEBC as directed by Ruto is to interfere with the voter register during the transfer of data from the Smartmatic KIEMS kits to the Miru Technologies Kits which they intend to do at the last minute so that there is not time to do corrections with this causing massive vote rigging and voter suppression in some areas.

The former DP claimed that the Korean company has a very bad history of rigging elections across the world with their Global Failures well documented having faced allegations of faulty technology in Argentina, Philippines and the Congo DRC where they deployed their equipment and technology.