Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has sparked a fresh political storm by alleging an election-rigging plot involving Mining and Blue Economy Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho and officials of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Speaking during public engagements at his Wamunyoro home, Gachagua claimed he has information detailing a scheme to manipulate the 2027 voter register and election management systems.
Gachagua alleged that CS Hassan Joho, alongside IEBC Vice Chairperson Fahima Araphat (Abdallah) and IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon, is behind a scheme to hand a tailor-made election technology tender to a South Korean firm, Miru Systems Company Limited.
The former Deputy President accused the state and electoral commission of intending to use the system to interfere with digital migration of the voter register, suppressing voter numbers in opposition strongholds.
Gachagua urged the youth to register as voters to counter any rigging efforts, adding that if the procurement proceeds, his legal team will challenge it in court.
While CS Hassan Joho and the executive branch have yet to issue a detailed formal statement directly responding to the claims, the IEBC has maintained its independence, stating that its procurement processes for election technology are regulated strictly by law. The commission recently halted key procurement processes following a review request submitted to the Public Procurement Administrative Review Board.
Political observers view the escalating accusations as part of an intensifying strategy by opposition figures to place the electoral commission’s transparency at the center of the political discourse leading up to 2027.
