By Njeri Irungu,
Nairobi, Kenya, November 26 2025
On the eve of the November 27 by-elections, political tensions soared as former Vice President Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka and former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua issued strong warnings over what they described as a coordinated plot to undermine the credibility of Thursday’s vote.
Kalonzo, speaking for the United Opposition, began by thanking supporters nationwide for turning out in large numbers throughout the campaign period, saying Kenyans were “hungry for change” and ready to use the ballot to express frustrations with the current administration. Yet behind that momentum, he warned, lay a “desperate and well-orchestrated effort” to frustrate the people’s will.
He pointed to the heavy deployment of police officers—many in plainclothes—in areas such as Narok Town, Malava, and Mbeere North, claiming Opposition supporters had been harassed and intimidated. Unmarked Subaru Foresters, he said, were being deployed “not to protect citizens, but to intimidate them.”
Beyond intimidation, Kalonzo accused senior state officials—ranging from MPs and MCAs to Cabinet Secretaries, Speakers of Parliament and County Assemblies, and even top national leaders—of engaging in voter bribery using government machinery. He alleged that state vehicles, relief food, non-food items such as mattresses and blankets, and even diplomatic appointment letters were being used to sway voters. “This is a misuse of public trust and public resources,” he said.
The former Vice President also raised alarm over the serialization of more than 820,000 ballots, saying the process had not been properly verified, creating room for ballot stuffing. He claimed 30,000 pre-marked ballots had already been dispatched to Magarini, Malava, and Mbeere North through compromised presiding officers. He further accused regime agents of conducting illegal extended campaigns and hiring goons escorted by police, alleging that violence was being prepared in several constituencies as a tool to disrupt voting and manipulate turnout.
Kalonzo criticized the IEBC for what he termed weak responses and silence on key issues, warning that the Commission risked eroding the little public trust it still held. He urged voters, agents, civil society, and the media to remain vigilant, document irregularities, and safeguard the integrity of the polls.
Echoing these concerns, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua added his own detailed allegations, claiming ballot papers had been handed over to government agencies and officers in civilian clothing with instructions to infiltrate polling stations as agents, observers, and even security personnel. He alleged that up to 15,000 pre-marked ballots were being circulated around strategic locations, including near Narok Town, and that some officers had been instructed to position themselves inside polling stations.
According to Gachagua, the plan in Mbeere North involved orchestrating chaos outside polling centres to create a distraction that would allow compromised officials to interfere with the process inside. He warned that hired groups were being mobilized to intimidate voters in Narok Town, but urged residents to stand firm. “Kenyans are a learned population who do not buy fear,” he said, adding that the electorate would not be easily intimidated.
Gachagua criticized the IEBC for not asserting its authority, saying the by-elections appeared to be “a trial run” for the 2027 general elections. He urged polling agents to insist that no one inside a polling station carry a weapon except uniformed officers, arguing that firearms could be used to intimidate voters or influence outcomes. Voting, he said, should not begin until all individuals inside the station have been screened.
He encouraged voters to turn out in full and remain at the polling stations even after casting their ballots. “We cannot agree that a few police officers organized by the government intimidate an entire population,” he said.
Together, the statements by the two former leaders paint a picture of deep anxiety, mistrust, and heightened stakes ahead of the by-elections. With both sides calling for vigilance, the spotlight now falls on the IEBC, security agencies, observers, and citizens to ensure that Thursday’s vote proceeds transparently and peacefully.
As Kenyans prepare to cast their ballots tomorrow, both Kalonzo and Gachagua have urged the nation to remain calm, resolute, and united in defending the sanctity of the vote—a reminder that at the heart of democracy lies the unwavering will of the people.
