Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has proposed a radical change to Kenya’s electoral process, calling for presidential election results to be tallied and declared at the constituency level rather than at the national tallying centre in Bomas of Kenya.
Gachagua said the move would help curb election malpractice and enhance transparency by decentralising the process and eliminating opportunities for result manipulation.
“Once the results are announced at the constituency, that should be final. Everyone, including the media, can tally them and declare the winner,” he said during an interview on KTN News on Sunday.
He noted that past delays in announcing results at the national level had created room for interference, sparking disputes that have undermined public confidence in electoral outcomes.
“It is not easy to tamper with results from 290 constituencies, but the national tallying centre has been a problem for years,” he added, citing controversies dating back to the 2007 General Election.
The former DP further suggested that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) appoint 290 returning officers for presidential elections, each responsible for declaring results in their respective constituencies.
“Let there be 290 returning officers so that no one can interfere with them. If we tally the presidential votes first, it’s possible to have the results by morning. That would reduce anxiety and eliminate manipulation,” he said.
Turning to the 2027 General Election, Gachagua predicted a two-horse race between President William Ruto and a candidate backed by what he called 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,” he declared.
Addressing speculation of internal rifts within the opposition, Gachagua dismissed talk of a fallout with former Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang’i, accusing President Ruto of attempting to sow division among opposition figures.
