Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has issued a sharp challenge to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), accusing top commission officials and government leaders of scheming to manipulate the 2027 General Election through a tailored election technology tender.
Addressing a press conference before his trip to the United States, the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader directly targeted South Korean election technology firm Miru Systems Co. Ltd and questioned the integrity of the IEBC’s procurement process for the new Integrated Election Management System (IEMS).
Gachagua claimed that mandatory technical specifications for the tender (Ref: IEBC/OIT/01/2026-2027) were “specially crafted around the profile of Miru Systems” rather than designed as vendor-neutral criteria.
He accused IEBC Chairman Erastus Edung Ethkon, Vice Chairperson Fahima Araphat Abdallah, and Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho of orchestrating a predetermined outcome. He alleged that senior IEBC personnel changes were made to ensure the contract is awarded to Miru.
Highlighting past controversial deployments by Miru Systems in international elections—such as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Iraq—Gachagua cited public distancing by the South Korean government over past delivery issues and questioned their credibility for Kenya’s polls.
Gachagua warned that transferring data from the current Smartmatic KIEMS kits to Miru Systems’ architecture presents a high risk of voter suppression and voter register manipulation in targeted regions.
Provide proof of market research conducted to establish that multiple global suppliers—not just Miru Systems—could meet the specified procurement requirements.
Revise the tender guidelines to ensure a fair, transparent, and vendor-neutral open international competitive process.
Address security vulnerabilities in data migration between old and proposed technology platforms.
The IEBC previously affirmed that its procurement processes for the 2027 General Election follow strict legal frameworks under open international competitive tenders aimed at securing transparent, verifiable, and timely delivery of poll materials. Neither the commission nor named government officials have verified Gachagua’s specific allegations regarding predetermined vendor selection.
