NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 15 – Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has called on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to urgently clarify its electoral technology arrangements ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Speaking during a church service at AIC Bathi in Kimende, Gachagua said the commission’s contract with technology provider Smartmatic is due to expire on November 24, raising concerns over a possible disruption to mass voter registration.
“We must meet the stakeholders immediately to discuss how we renew the Smartmatic contract so that voter registration can go on because if the contract expires on 24th of November before you procure a new system. Procurement takes 6 months. What happens to mass registration of voters? So we cannot have agreed to have a vacuum,” he said.
The Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader also called for consultations between the IEBC and representatives of the United Opposition, accusing the commission of shutting out stakeholders from discussions on election preparedness.
“We are telling IEBC you cannot make decisions alone. We are going to give you a date to come and engage you and if you refuse to see us we are going to mobilise the wananchi, to accompany us so that we can have deliberation as the sick and chant outside,” Gachagua said.
