Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has called for presidential election results to be announced at the constituency level rather than the national tallying centre at Bomas of Kenya, saying the move would enhance transparency and curb electoral malpractice.
Speaking during an interview with KTN News on Sunday night, Gachagua argued that delays in announcing results at the national level have historically created “room for monkey business.”
He suggested that decentralising the process would make it easier to guarantee free and fair elections.
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“Once the results are announced at the constituency, that should be final. Everyone, including the media, can tally them and declare the winner,” said Gachagua.
The former Deputy President claimed that election manipulation was more difficult at the grassroots level compared to the national tallying centre, which he said has been contentious since 2007.
“It is not easy to tamper with results from 290 constituencies, but the national tallying centre has been a problem for years,” he noted.
He added that devolving the presidential tallying process would not only enhance accountability but also speed up the announcement of results.
“Let there be 290 returning officers for the presidential election so that no one can interfere with them, instead of having one officer at Bomas,” he said.
“If we tally the presidential votes first, it’s possible to have the results by morning. That would reduce anxiety and eliminate opportunities for manipulation.”
Turning to the 2027 General Election, Gachagua predicted a two-horse race between President William Ruto and a candidate from what he termed the “United Opposition.”
“If anyone breaks away from the united opposition to form a third force, Kenyans will reject it. In 2027, whoever the opposition unites behind will become Kenya’s sixth President. It will be the one-term movement against President Ruto,” he said.
Gachagua also dismissed reports of personal differences with former Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang’i, accusing President Ruto of attempting to infiltrate the opposition to create divisions.
“There are no differences between me and Dr. Matiang’i,” he said. “What we are seeing is an attempt by President Ruto to plant moles within the opposition and cause division.”
The former DP further downplayed his past political attacks on former President Uhuru Kenyatta, describing them as part of the heat of the 2022 campaigns rather than personal animosity.
“Campaigning was campaigning; when you are campaigning, there are no rules. It’s rough and nothing personal, really. We were just looking for leadership,” he said. “The things that were said then dropped immediately when the election was over.”
Gachagua, who has since fallen out with President Ruto and is now positioning himself for the 2027 presidential race, said politics should not be taken personally, noting that rivals often reconcile after elections.
“Even Uhuru Kenyatta himself said terrible things about Raila Odinga, yet they later worked together. The same goes for Ruto and Raila, who are now calling each other brothers,” he said.
“When people are campaigning and use words against each other, it’s part of the game. There is nothing really personal.”