DETAILS: IEBC, United Opposition Agree On A Transparent Framework

DETAILS: IEBC, United Opposition Agree On A Transparent Framework

Regarding an odd visit to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) headquarters at Anniversary Towers on Wednesday, January 28, the opposition group has spoken out.

Following the meeting, the leaders spoke to the media, summarizing the main points they had discussed with the commission.

Rigathi Gachagua, the head of the DCP, Kalonzo Musyoka of the Wiper Patriotic Front, Martha Karua of the PLP, Eugene Wamalwa of the DAP-K, and Fred Matiang’i, the deputy leader of the Jubilee party, were among those in attendance.

As the 2027 general elections approached, the leaders said that the meeting was more of a courtesy call during which they brought up important concerns that needed immediate attention.

The purpose of the visit was to formally interact with the recently established electoral body, which the opposition firmly feels is inherently defective and has not yet gained Kenyans’ trust.

“We were very candid. We are not happy with the process and outcome of the by-elections,” Kalonzo said.

Kenyans have been pushed far enough.
The United Opposition is your patriotic front, defending your vote, amplifying your voice, and securing your future. Your ballot is your power and we stand here to make sure it counts and is not stolen. #ProtectTheVote #ElectoralIntegrity… pic.twitter.com/qPbvgaL1jC
— Kalonzo Musyoka (@skmusyoka) January 28, 2026

“We told them the perception out there that this is a William Ruto commission.”

“We were unhappy with the procurement process of the KIEMS kit and the discredited Smartmatic organisation, which has been discredited worldwide,” he continued.

“They have to give us demonstrable outcomes. We have agreed to work together with technical teams in a transparent manner.”

This evening, the United Opposition met with IEBC officials to raise serious concerns about the credibility of the Commission.

We made it clear that, in its current form, the IEBC is widely perceived as a William Ruto commission. This is not just our position as the opposition,… pic.twitter.com/LlH3Afs9Vz
— Kalonzo Musyoka (@skmusyoka) January 28, 2026

According to the opposition, the negotiations resulted in a framework to resolve complaints and issues before the upcoming elections.

It was the first time the IEBC had explicitly committed to a systematic framework for future engagements, according to former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, who described the engagement as positive.

“We had a cordial conversation. For the first time, we agreed and institutionalised our interaction with them. We will have another meeting to go through the issues we raised,” Matiang’i said.

The former CS reaffirmed that opposition had no problem with the IEBC as long as it continued to act in good faith.

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Gachagua, for his part, maintained that the November by-elections, seen as the IEBC’s first real test of credibility, were fundamentally flawed.

The former DP claimed the upcoming February by-election would act as a litmus test for the electoral body, vowing mass action if there are indications of malpractice.

“We have told the commissioners on behalf of the people of Kenya that elections are very emotive,” he said.

“And they need to prepare adequately because if the people feel the elections are not credible, temperatures will get high. So let us give them the benefit of the doubt.”

DETAILS: IEBC, United Opposition Agree On A Transparent Framework