NAIROBI, Kenya Aug 26 – DCP Party Leader Rigathi Gachagua has taken the battle over the IEBC’s disputed election technology tender to diplomats and election observers, alleging that the procurement process was designed to favour a South Korean firm.
Gachagua’s fresh intervention comes as the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission’s procurement of election technology remains on hold following a challenge at the Public Procurement Administrative Review Board.
The former Deputy President has now urged development partners and embassies accredited to Kenya to closely monitor the procurement, warning that the process could undermine confidence in the 2027 General Election.
“We appeal to our development partners and embassies accredited to the Republic of Kenya to take note of this threat to Kenya’s electoral democracy,” Gachagua said.
At the centre of his claims is Miru Systems Company Limited, a South Korean technology firm which Gachagua alleged had been favoured in the tender specifications.
However, he did not provide documentary evidence to support the allegations that the tender outcome had already been predetermined or that specific public officials had influenced the process.
“This tender was tailor-made,” Gachagua claimed. “The specifications were made in a way that nobody else can win this tender other than this South Korean company.”
The IEBC had on August 11 advertised international tenders for election technology and other materials ahead of the August 2027 General Election.
The technology tender covers the supply, delivery, installation, testing, commissioning, support and maintenance of the Integrated Elections Management System and related equipment.
But the procurement was later temporarily halted after a request for review was filed at the Public Procurement Administrative Review Board.
The challenge was filed by Galadirel Investment Limited, which raised concerns over the tender specifications, the undisclosed contract value and what it argued were requirements that could favour foreign suppliers.
The review has placed the multibillion-shilling procurement under fresh scrutiny as Kenya prepares for a high-stakes election less than a year away.
Gachagua alleged that the IEBC’s technical specifications were deliberately crafted around Miru Systems’ technology.
He challenged the commission to make public documents showing how the specifications were developed and whether other suppliers could reasonably meet the requirements.
“I want now to challenge you as the media to go to IEBC, ask for the specifications in this tender,” he said.
“Then go and get what this South Korean firm has, and you’ll find word-to-word, sentence-by-sentence, requirement-by-requirement. It’s a fraud!”
Gachagua further claimed that officials within the IEBC had shared information with him about the procurement.
“This information has been given to me by officials within IEBC,” he said, while insisting that the allegations were based on information from insiders.
The DCP leader also questioned why Kenya should introduce a new election technology provider so close to the 2027 General Election.
He argued that migrating voter data from the current Smartmatic system to another provider could create unnecessary risks and leave little time to test and correct possible problems.
“I want to recommend that the current system of Smartmatic be retained, because already they have the data, they have the experience and we have seen them do elections,” Gachagua said.
“Why do we have to remove data from a company that is already in the country and give it to a new entrant? What is the gain?”
He alleged that the migration process could be used to interfere with the voter register, particularly in regions he claimed were politically hostile to President William Ruto.
Gachagua said his camp could move to court if the IEBC proceeds with awarding the tender to the company he has accused of being favoured.
“If they insist on awarding this tender to this company, we’ll challenge it because it’s not going to happen,” he said.
The DCP leader has also urged diplomats and international election observers to closely follow the procurement process, arguing that Kenya cannot afford another disputed election technology system.
