No Foreigner Will Vote in Kenya in 2027 – Gachagua

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has announced that the opposition will not allow foreigners to take part in the 2027 General Election. 

Speaking on Saturday, October 3, in Boston, USA, Gachagua accused some leaders allied to President William Ruto of considering bringing foreign nationals from neighboring countries to participate in the 2027 election. 

The DCP Party leader said the opposition will mobilize their supporters to block any foreigner from participating in the polls. 

“William Ruto is stuck; the world around him is crumbling, his people are in panic, some are saying since things are so bad, they look for dead people to vote for him, some other fellow called Duale is saying they look for people from Somalia while another fellow called Pukose is saying they get people from Uganda. 

“I am sorry it cannot work; no foreigner will vote in Kenya. I want to give you an undertaking: we shall mobilize our voters; they know each other, there is no Ugandan or Somali who will vote in Kenya. And for sure no dead people will vote,” Gachagua stated. 

At the same time, Gachagua said when he returns from his US tour, the opposition will work towards having a single presidential candidate to face President Ruto in 2027. 

“We will have a lot of discussions, be very objective with everybody, and we agree on who will fly the presidential flag and who will deputize that person and what other players will do in the new administration,” Gachagua added. 

His remarks come weeks after UDA Secretary General Hassan Omar said they are prepared to go to extreme lengths to secure victory, including capturing the fingerprints of the recently deceased before burial so that their votes would still count.

"On election day, we are ready to do whatever it takes. Even if someone has just died, we take their finger before we bury them, so that their vote counts," Omar said. 

However, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Commissioner Alutalala Mukhwana dismissed claims, noting that a lifeless individual couldn't vote.

Mukhwana added that the IEBC system uses identification and verification features that only grant access to living beings.

"The machines we have rely on biometrics such as fingerprints and iris. So how can a dead person register as a voter or even vote? “He posed.

The Commissioner clapped back at Hassan and warned other politicians against making reckless statements to undermine the electoral commission's credibility.

"Politicians must exercise caution because we are tired of the statements that are hateful and erode public trust in IEBC. They have crossed the line," Mukhwana added.