Gachagua Accuses IEBC Vice Chair Araphat of Interfering with Magarini By-Election
It was “deeply disturbing and unimaginable”, he said, that such serious allegations could be associated with a senior IEBC official.
DCP party leader Rigathi Gachagua addresses a past rally in Mawingu, Kipipiri Constituency, Nyandarua County. PHOTO | COURTESY
By Ruth Sang
Democracy for the Citizens Party leader Rigathi Gachagua has raised serious concerns over conduct by Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Vice Chairperson Fahima Araphat, alleging that she was involved in acts of manipulation and misconduct during the Magarini Constituency by-elections.
In a November 24 letter to IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon, Gachagua accused Araphat of assuming responsibility for supervising the Magarini polls in breach of the law. According to him, the task of handling the coastal by-election had been entrusted to Commissioner Alutalala Mukhwana, who had since been deployed in the region. Gachagua argued that Araphat’s actions amounted to a deliberate takeover of duties through questionable means.
The former Deputy President alleged that the claimed malpractice started on Friday, November 21. He accused Araphat of intimidating and putting undue pressure on electoral personnel tasked with conducting the Magarini by-election. Gachagua said that instead of supporting the officials, the vice chairperson “bullied, coerced, and threatened” those working at different polling stations.
He further accused Araphat of demanding a complete list of all presiding officers with their contact information, which Gachagua argued she had questionable intentions for. In his letter, he went on to claim that Araphat later held a meeting with Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung’aro at a hotel in Malindi, where discussions were ostensibly about influencing the outcome of the by-election.
According to Gachagua, a bribery negotiation was conducted during the meeting. He said the exchange involved using the officers’ list to assist Governor Mung’aro in manipulating the poll in favor of a preferred candidate. The DCP leader further claimed that on November 22, a bribe deposit was handed over to the IEBC vice chairperson, after which Araphat allegedly provided the list containing names and contacts of all presiding officers.
Gachagua, in his letter to the IEBC chair, professed shock and outrage. It was “deeply disturbing and unimaginable”, he said, that such serious allegations could be associated with a senior IEBC official. He argued that any involvement of the commission’s leadership in attempts to influence a by-election undermines public trust and threatens the credibility of Kenya’s electoral system.
Gachagua demanded that IEBC take immediate action, including replacing all the officials currently overseeing the ongoing Magarini by-election. He also asked the commission to ensure that the staff working on the poll are protected from what he called harassment and intimidation coming from the vice chairperson. He concluded by calling upon Ethekon to restrain and prevent Araphat from participating in or interfering with the Magarini by-election or any other electoral processes nationwide, insisting that her alleged conduct posed a threat to free, fair, and transparent elections.
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