Gachagua slams IEBC over threat to cancel Ol Kalou by-election, claims Ruto sensing defeat

Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua has criticised the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) over its warning that it could postpone or cancel the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election, accusing the electoral body of acting at the behest of President William Ruto after allegedly sensing defeat.

Speaking during a press briefing on Friday, Gachagua dismissed the commission's concerns over violence and voter bribery in the constituency, insisting the poll has remained peaceful and accusing the State of orchestrating the isolated incidents cited by the IEBC.

The former deputy president further claimed the commission was applying double standards by threatening action in Ol Kalou while allegedly remaining silent during previous by-elections marred by violence.

"The people of Ol Kalou are very peaceful. All the candidates are working together and nobody is fighting each other. The little violence that has been witnessed in Ol Kalou has been done by the State," Gachagua said.

"You never condemned violence in Baringo, you didn't condemn violence in Kasipul Kabondo, you didn't condemn violence in Malava. How come you are condemning non-existent violence in Ol Kalou and threatening to postpone an election for non-existent violence?" he posed.

The former Deputy President also accused the government of deploying Cabinet Secretaries, Principal Secretaries and other senior State officials to campaign for the ruling party's candidate while engaging in voter bribery using public resources.

"Over the last few weeks, State officers and top government officials are on the Ol Kalou by-election campaign trail and on a bribery spree. Indeed, the government officials are actually more than the voters in Ol Kalou," he alleged.

Gachagua questioned why IEBC chairperson Erastus Ethekon was threatening to cancel the election instead of taking action against those allegedly involved in electoral offences.

"Mr. Chairperson, how can you threaten to cancel an election because State officials are bribing people, yet you have the law to stop them? You have not summoned any of them; you have not ordered them out of Ol Kalou. Why do you want to punish the people of Ol Kalou?" he said.

Gachagua went on to claim that President Ruto was seeking to have the by-election called off after internal assessments allegedly showed the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate was headed for defeat.

"After all these schemes have failed and the government polling machinery has reported that the UDA party candidate is performing dismally, IEBC gets instructions and, through their chairman, threatens to postpone or cancel the elections," he claimed.

"You are now being used by William Ruto to postpone the election because he knows he faces a humiliating defeat next week."

The former DP further accused several Cabinet Secretaries and Principal Secretaries of actively participating in campaigns in Ol Kalou, singling out Lands CS Alice Wahome, ICT CS William Kabogo, Roads and Transport CS Davis Chirchir, Tourism CS Rebecca Miano and other senior government officials.

He also alleged that State resources were being used to influence voters through development projects, cash handouts and other incentives.

The remarks came a day after IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon warned that the commission could postpone or cancel the July 16 Ol Kalou by-election if violence and voter bribery persist.

Speaking during the launch of the 2022 Pre-Election Dispute Resolution Report on Thursday, Ethekon said the commission had received reports of voter bribery, night campaigns and election-related violence that had already claimed one life.

"We have witnessed voter bribery, campaigns at night and violence leading to the death of one person," Ethekon said.

He also raised concern over the involvement of Cabinet Secretaries and Principal Secretaries in the campaigns, saying the commission had dispatched investigators to establish the facts before taking appropriate action against those found culpable.

"If conditions are not favourable for IEBC to conduct elections there, we will either postpone or cancel the election altogether. We cannot operate under the kind of violence we are seeing," Ethekon warned.

The Ol Kalou parliamentary seat fell vacant following the death of area MP David Kiaraho, with voters expected to elect his successor in the by-election scheduled for next Thursday.