DCP leader Rigathi Gachagua has accused the electoral commission of trying to push through an election management system that he claims was designed to favour South Korean firm Miru Systems, warning that the move could disrupt preparations for the 2027 General Election and expose the voters’ register to interference.
Gachagua said the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) had tailored the tender specifications to give Miru Systems an advantage, and alleged that officials who refused to back the disputed requirements were transferred to what he described as “far-flung counties”.
The former Deputy President made the claims in a statement on Tuesday, saying IEBC officials in the Directorate of Supply Chain Management and Directorate of Electoral Management had been pressured to take ownership of the specifications as the commission defended the procurement before the Public Procurement Administrative Review Board (PPARB).
According to Gachagua, the officials declined to provide what he described as false evidence in support of the procurement.
“The officials have firmly refused to give false testimony to facilitate corruption and electoral fraud,” Gachagua said.
He claimed the refusal was followed by the transfer of officials in the two departments, with the exception of a department head he accused of being compromised.
Gachagua said the affected officials contacted him while he was on holiday and asked him to raise concerns over what he called “the rot, the intimidation, and the plans to bungle the 2027 General Elections.”
He also raised questions about the timing of the proposed technology change, arguing that the commission had less than a year to complete the transition before the polls.
“It is my considered opinion, following advice from procurement experts and IEBC insiders, that it is not technically possible to procure a new election management system given that the elections are 11 months away,” he said.
Gachagua warned that replacing the existing system at this stage could create room for interference with the voters’ register, particularly in areas where he claimed President William Ruto had faced political rejection.
He called on the IEBC to abandon the tender and instead improve the current election management system to deal with its shortcomings.
“I call upon the IEBC to call off this tender and instead upgrade the current system,” he said.
The allegations come days after the IEBC rejected claims that the procurement process was designed to favour Miru Systems.
IEBC Chairman Erastus Ethekon said no company, including Miru, had been awarded the tender, describing the procurement process as open, transparent and above board.
The commission also denied that the specifications had been tailored for Miru Systems. However, it acknowledged an error in the tender requiring bidders to provide performance security equivalent to 20 per cent of the contract value, above the 10 per cent legal limit.
The IEBC said it was preparing an addendum to correct the provision.