Duale warns IEBC to protect Kenya’s stability ahead of 2027 poll

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has cautioned the IEBC that the country’s stability, security and democratic future depend on how it prepares for the 2027 General Election.

Health CS Duale spoke at a wedding ceremony in Garissa, where he said the IEBC chairperson and commissioners must follow the law and uphold transparency, fairness and accountability in every decision. “I want to ask the current IEBC chairman and his commissioners: the stability and security of this country are in your hands. The democratic values of our country are in your hands. This is about how you prepare for the next general election,” CS Duale said.

He said the commission should not take its role lightly, especially when making election and procurement decisions. “Please, do not play around with the democratic values and stability of our country. The responsibility of ensuring a credible presidential election cannot be shifted to other institutions,” he said.

“The IEBC chairperson is the chief returning officer of the presidential election. It is not a function of the Chief Justice. It is not a function of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. It is not a function of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission. It is not even a function of the Inspector General of Police,” he said.

CS Duale recalled the 2007 election crisis and the violence that followed the disputed presidential result. “I was around when Samuel Kivuitu was the chairman of the IEBC. He presided over the events that led to the swearing-in of the late President Mwai Kibaki at night,” he said.

“I was at KICC with President William Ruto when they switched off the lights. Martha Karua took Kivuitu and the commissioners to State House. That night, Kibaki was sworn in. When the lights came back on, there was a president—and you know what happened. There was post-election violence.”

More than 1,000 people were killed and hundreds of thousands displaced during the 2007-08 violence, which later led to international mediation and a coalition government. Duale’s remarks come as the IEBC faces questions over its procurement of the Integrated Elections Management System for the 2027 polls.

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has claimed that the tender was designed to favour South Korean firm Miru Systems. He has also questioned the independence of the commission and raised allegations of political interference and corruption.

IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon has rejected the claims, saying they are false and unsupported. He said no company had been awarded the IEMS tender. The commission said the tender process was temporarily halted after review requests were filed before the Public Procurement Administrative Review Board.

IEBC said the tender documents were published on August 11 and that the specifications were generic, performance-based and open to qualified suppliers.

Chairperson Ethekon has asked Gachagua to give any evidence of claims that politicians bought him a house to influence him to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission. He said the alleged value had changed from Sh80 million to Sh200 million.

The commission said it welcomes scrutiny but warned against unproven claims that could affect public confidence in the election process.

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Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has cautioned the IEBC that the country’s stability, security and democratic future depend on how it prepares for the 2027 General Election.

Health CS Duale spoke at a wedding ceremony in Garissa, where he said the IEBC chairperson and commissioners must follow the law and uphold transparency, fairness and accountability in every decision. “I want to ask the current IEBC chairman and his commissioners: the stability and security of this country are in your hands. The democratic values of our country are in your hands. This is about how you prepare for the next general election,” CS Duale said.

He said the commission should not take its role lightly, especially when making election and procurement decisions. “Please, do not play around with the democratic values and stability of our country. The responsibility of ensuring a credible presidential election cannot be shifted to other institutions,” he said.

“The IEBC chairperson is the chief returning officer of the presidential election. It is not a function of the Chief Justice. It is not a function of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. It is not a function of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission. It is not even a function of the Inspector General of Police,” he said.

CS Duale recalled the 2007 election crisis and the violence that followed the disputed presidential result. “I was around when Samuel Kivuitu was the chairman of the IEBC. He presided over the events that led to the swearing-in of the late President Mwai Kibaki at night,” he said.

“I was at KICC with President William Ruto when they switched off the lights. Martha Karua took Kivuitu and the commissioners to State House. That night, Kibaki was sworn in. When the lights came back on, there was a president—and you know what happened. There was post-election violence.”

More than 1,000 people were killed and hundreds of thousands displaced during the 2007-08 violence, which later led to international mediation and a coalition government. Duale’s remarks come as the IEBC faces questions over its procurement of the Integrated Elections Management System for the 2027 polls.

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has claimed that the tender was designed to favour South Korean firm Miru Systems. He has also questioned the independence of the commission and raised allegations of political interference and corruption.

IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon has rejected the claims, saying they are false and unsupported. He said no company had been awarded the IEMS tender. The commission said the tender process was temporarily halted after review requests were filed before the Public Procurement Administrative Review Board.

IEBC said the tender documents were published on August 11 and that the specifications were generic, performance-based and open to qualified suppliers.

Chairperson Ethekon has asked Gachagua to give any evidence of claims that politicians bought him a house to influence him to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission. He said the alleged value had changed from Sh80 million to Sh200 million.

The commission said it welcomes scrutiny but warned against unproven claims that could affect public confidence in the election process.