Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua has alleged that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has already predetermined the winner of a major election technology tender ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Gachagua claimed on Wednesday that South Korean company Miru Systems Co. Ltd had effectively been selected to supply Kenya’s Integrated Elections Management System (IEMS), despite the procurement process remaining open.
The tender, referenced as IEBC/OIT/01/2026-2027, was advertised by IEBC on August 11 and is scheduled to close on September 1, 2026, at 10am.
“What Kenyans do not know is that the tender process and result has already been pre-conceived and is awaiting rubber stamping to MIRU SYSTEMS CO. LTD of South Korea,” Gachagua alleged.
He made the remarks while addressing the media before travelling to the United States, where he is expected to spend about eight weeks.
Gachagua accused the commission, led by Chairperson Erastus Edung Ethekon, of conducting what he described as a sham procurement process designed to create an appearance of competition among bidders.
He questioned how the technical specifications for the tender were developed and whether they had been tailored to favour Miru Systems.
“Can IEBC produce documentary evidence showing who drafted the technical specifications for Tender No. IEBC/OIT/01/2026–2027, including all internal committee minutes, technical working papers, market surveys, and approval records?” he asked.
The DCP leader also alleged that changes had been made within the IEBC procurement department to facilitate the process, claiming the commission’s procurement manager had been removed and replaced with an individual he described as a “puppet”.
Gachagua further questioned whether the commission had undertaken adequate market research to determine how many companies could meet the tender’s mandatory technical requirements.
He raised concerns about Miru Systems’ record in other countries, citing alleged problems involving election technology supplied in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Philippines and Iraq’s Kurdistan region.
“This company should be banned and never allowed to manage any election or supply its equipment and technology,” he said.
Gachagua warned that changing Kenya’s election management technology less than a year before the 2027 polls could undermine public confidence in the electoral process.
“Vulnerable and defective electoral voting technology threatens electoral transparency and the credibility of an electoral process,” he said.
He further claimed that replacing the existing election technology with Miru’s system could expose the voter register to manipulation during the transfer of data.
“The real mischief of IEBC is to interfere with the voter register during the transfer of data from the Smartmatic KIEMS kits to the Miru Technologies Kits,” Gachagua claimed.
He alleged that such a move could result in voter suppression and manipulation of the 2027 election.
Gachagua’s allegations had not been independently substantiated as of Wednesday, while the procurement process remains open ahead of the September 1 deadline.
IEBC’s separate tender for ballot papers, tactile folders, the Register of Voters and statutory election result declaration forms is also scheduled to close on September 1, but at noon.
