With just hours remaining before the tense November 27 by-elections, a cloud of uncertainty hangs over Mbeere North and Malava, where rival factions are bracing for a high-stakes showdown. Both constituencies have emerged as battlegrounds in what is shaping up to be a muscle-flexing contest between the government and the United Opposition — a duel the State is determined not to lose, and one the opposition fears will be marred by intimidation and outright fraud.
On Wednesday evening, United Opposition leaders Rigathi Gachagua (DCP), Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper), and Eugene Wamalwa (DAP-K) claimed that an elaborate rigging machinery was already in motion, specifically targeting hot zones like Malava, Magarini and Mbeere North, where contests are expected to be razor-thin. They alleged a covert plan involving ballot stuffing, voter bribery, disruption at polling centres, and government-linked agents planted strategically to tilt the outcome.
According to the trio, thousands of unserialised and pre-marked ballot papers had already been ferried into the two constituencies, a move they say is part of a wider scheme to swing the vote. Kalonzo claimed the serialisation of nearly a million ballot papers was compromised, leaving room for manipulation. “We have credible intelligence that 30,000 pre-marked ballots have been sent to Magarini, Malava and Mbeere North,” he asserted.
Fear for Premarked Ballot papers
The Opposition further alleged that 15,000 pre-marked ballots were delivered to Mbeere North and 10,000 to Malava, where a fierce two-front war between government-backed candidates and opposition hopefuls has heightened political temperatures. They claimed that state-sponsored groups were primed to create chaos at polling centres, giving compromised officials the window to sneak in stuffed ballots.
The leaders also pointed a finger at IEBC CEO Marjan Hussein Marjan, accusing him of playing a behind-the-scenes role in the alleged scheme. Kalonzo warned that violence and intimidation were being prepared as tools to sway the by-elections, demanding that the electoral body demonstrate neutrality and ensure a credible process.
Gachagua vowed that the United Opposition would deploy agents across all critical polling centres to monitor the exercise, instructing them to be extra vigilant and to block any armed plainclothes officers from accessing voting rooms. “No civilian agent should enter with firearms. Voting must not begin until all agents are frisked,” he warned.
The explosive accusations have set the stage for what could be one of the most tension-packed by-elections in recent years. In a swift response, the National Police Service cautioned politicians against interfering with the polls, insisting that security measures had been tightened in all 24 by-election areas. IEBC Chairperson Ethokon Edong also warned candidates against transporting crowds of supporters to tallying centres, saying such moves would not be tolerated.
As Mbeere North and Malava brace for dawn, all signals point to a high-pressure, heavily policed, tension-filled electoral showdown, with both the government and the Opposition digging in as the nation watches closely.