NAIROBI, Kenya – Former Trade Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria has faulted the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) over what he termed as inaction amid rising political hostility ahead of the upcoming Mbeere North by-election.
Kuria’s criticism came after a viral video surfaced online showing a group of men issuing threats against former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who is expected to visit Mbeere North on November 16 to drum up support for the Democratic Party (DP) candidate.
In the clip, the men warn Gachagua to “come alone” without his wife, Pastor Dorcas Rigathi, while another speaker vows to confront him during his campaign tour.
“We don’t have any other work from today until the day Rigathi Gachagua comes to Mbeere North. You’ll know we are men here,” one man said in the viral video.
Reacting to the video, Kuria questioned the IEBC’s preparedness to deliver credible polls in 2027, accusing the commission of ignoring his repeated concerns about the political environment in Mbeere North.
“Dear IEBC, is this how 2027 will be? I have raised this with your Electoral Operations Commissioner several times. No action. Elections are a process, not an event,” Kuria wrote on X.“Mbeere North is currently the property of IEBC, not the state. The buck stops with you. Your staple food is public confidence,” he added.
Dear IEBC. Is this how 2027 will be ? I have raised this with your Electoral Operarions Commissioner severally. No action. Elections is a process not an event. Mbeere North is currently the property of IEBC not the state. The buck stops with you. Your staple food is public
The Mbeere North parliamentary seat fell vacant after President William Ruto appointed the area’s former MP Geoffrey Ruku as Cabinet Secretary for Public Service.
The by-election has stirred intense political activity in Embu County, with Gachagua’s newly formed Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) throwing its weight behind the Democratic Party, associated with former Public Service CS Justin Muturi.
Last month, Muturi and other opposition-aligned leaders accused the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) of planning to manipulate the vote — claims that CS Ruku dismissed as unfounded.
The IEBC has yet to issue a statement on the viral threats or Kuria’s allegations of bias in the electoral process.
