DCP Leader Rigathi Gachagua has called out the IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon over his declaration that the Commission was considering postponing or cancelling the Ol Kalou by-election.
Speaking on Friday, July 10, Gachagua disputed claims by Ethekon that the violence in the constituency had gone out of hand and was enough cause to cancel the mini poll.
He maintained that there was no violence and that the state allegedly orchestrated any skirmishes reported in the area.
Gachagua added that the violence in the constituency was mild compared to other areas that held by-elections, yet the IEBC proceeded to conduct the polls.
"There is no violence in Ol Kalou. Violence was in Malava and Narok; in Kabond Kasipul, people were killed, and you didn't stop the election," he stated.
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The ex-Deputy President added that Ethekon had no right to cancel the elections because of alleged voter bribery. He questioned why the IEBC Chair was silent, yet the bribery had been going on for months.
"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 or ordered them out of Ol Kalou."
"The government officials are more than the voters in Ol Kalou. Helicopters are almost causing accidents," he teased.
Gachagua sensationally claimed that the Electoral Commission was under instructions from President William Ruto to cancel the poll to avoid humiliation.
He advised Ethekon to do the right thing and proceed with the mini-election. He added that any issue of insecurity can be addressed if the Commission works with the National Police Service.
"Do the right thing. Don't try to postpone these elections. Make sure that there is no violence. Talk to the IG to make a public statement that goons will not be allowed into Ol Kalou because if there are no goons, the elections will be peaceful," he added.
The DCP Leader reckoned that the postponement of the elections was a small part of a bigger plan to postpone the 2027 General Election.
He told the IEBC Chairperson not to allow the country to plunge into chaos, and warned that he would call for mass action to demand the resignation of all the Commissioners if they postponed the Ol-Kalou by-election.
"If the IEBC commissioners call off the by-election, they have lost the moral authority to purport that they have the capacity to conduct next year's General Elections, and they must therefore resign from office on the grounds of incapacity and incompetence," he stated.
Gachagua further challenged Ethekon to address claims allegedly made by Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung'wah that the government had bought him a house in Karen worth Ksh80 million to manipulate the 2027 polls.
"Ichung'wah went ahead to tell the government officials that they had bought a house in Karen for Mr Ethekon at Ksh 80 million. Ethekon did not have a house in Nairobi; he was living in Turkana.
"I want to challenge the IEBC Chairman to confirm whether he has moved to Karen and how he purchased this house. He has been in office for a year; his income is not sufficient to buy a house worth Ksh80 million," he posed.
His sentiments came after Ethekon warned that the Commission was considering postponing or even cancelling the by-election over several breaches of the elections code of conduct, including violence and voter bribery.
