The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission is facing new pressure after the Democracy for Citizens Party lodged a formal complaint accusing the IEBC vice chairperson Fahima Arafat Abdallah of interfering in the Magarini Constituency by election scheduled for 27 November.
In a detailed letter to the IEBC chairperson Erastus Edung Ethekon, DCP leader Rigathi Gachagua alleged that the vice chairperson had taken it upon herself to influence the administration of the poll through coercion, intimidation and corrupt dealings.
The Magarini vote was called after the 2022 contest was overturned on grounds of electoral malpractice, placing fresh responsibility on the commission to deliver a credible exercise.
According to Gachagua, the vice chairperson travelled to Magarini on 21 November, where she allegedly confronted electoral officials and demanded full lists and contacts of all presiding officers.
He argued that this behaviour violated the IEBC practice of avoiding deployment of commissioners to regions of personal origin in order to preserve neutrality.
The complaint goes further. Gachagua claimed that Abdallah held a meeting at a hotel in Malindi alongside Dr Alutalala Mukhwana, the commissioner assigned to the coast region.
He alleged that Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung aro attended the meeting and that discussions centred on a bribery arrangement intended to tilt the by election.
He stated that a deposit of the alleged bribe was handed over the following day, after which the vice chairperson allegedly provided the governor with the list and contact details of presiding officers.
The letter also asserts that Abdallah stayed at the hotel for two nights, suggesting that the IEBC chairperson verify the claims through hotel records and CCTV footage.
Gachagua argued that these events, if confirmed, would represent a severe breach of trust for an institution that must oversee the 2027 General Elections.
On behalf of DCP candidate Stanley Karisa Kenga, Gachagua demanded the immediate replacement of all presiding officers in Magarini.
He also called for the suspension of the vice chairperson and a full investigation into her conduct. He warned that public confidence in the commission is already fragile and that any sign of partiality could heighten national tension ahead of 2027.
The commission has not yet responded to the allegations.
