The simmering tensions in Kenya's political landscape have boiled over once again, this time centering on the coastal constituency of Magarini in Kilifi County, where a parliamentary by-election is set for November 27, 2025. Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, now leading the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) after his dramatic impeachment in October 2024, has accused Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Vice Chairperson Fahima Araphat Abdalla of orchestrating a scheme to undermine the electoral process. The allegations, laid out in a formal letter dated November 24, 2025, and addressed to IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon, paint a picture of high-level interference that Gachagua claims could jeopardize the integrity of not just this by-election but the entire 2027 General Elections.
Gachagua's intervention comes at a critical juncture for the Magarini race, which was necessitated after the Supreme Court annulled the August 2022 results due to widespread irregularities, including voter bribery and discrepancies in tallying. The court, in its July 2025 ruling, ordered a fresh poll, highlighting failures in the original process that involved the late MP Harrison Kombe's victory under the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM). Now, six candidates are in the fray, cleared by the IEBC on November 10, 2025, including Stanley Karisa Kenga of Gachagua's DCP, Harrison Kombe's son Harrison Kombe Junior running under ODM, and others from smaller parties. With official campaigns concluding on November 24, the stakes are sky-high, as this by-election serves as an early barometer for alliances and voter sentiments ahead of 2027.
In his letter, dispatched from DCP headquarters on Musa Gitau Road in Nairobi, Gachagua detailed what he described as "shocking and unacceptable" conduct by Abdalla, who hails from the Coast region, raising questions about impartiality under IEBC's internal policy against deploying commissioners to their home areas. Gachagua alleged that Abdalla traveled to Magarini on November 21, 2025, where she "bullied, intimidated, and coerced" electoral officials tasked with overseeing the by-election. He claimed she spent the night at a local boutique hotel, a detail he urged Ethekon to verify through booking records and CCTV footage.
"Be informed, might it be not within your knowledge, that on Friday, November 21, 2025, your Vice Chairperson Fahima Araphat Abdallah, OGW was in Magarini, where she bullied, intimidated and coerced the electoral officials manning the Magarini by-elections. She spent the night at the same Boutique Hotel, details which you can confirm from the hotel booking list and the CCTV footage," Gachagua wrote in the letter. He further accused her of demanding "the full list and contacts of all presiding officers" in the constituency, purportedly to facilitate compromise and manipulation of the vote.
Gachagua asserted that Abdalla had "assumed the roles of managing the Magarini by-elections through corrupt covert means," bypassing the designated Coast regional commissioner, Dr. something (as per the letter's reference to an unnamed but assigned official). He alleged that following her visit, IEBC field officers were instructed to collaborate closely with Kilifi County officials, including the governor, to bolster support for a preferred candidate—implicitly pointing to ODM's Harrison Kombe Junior, given the party's historical dominance in the area. "Electoral officials in Magarini were then instructed to work closely with the governor and support his efforts in the by-election. The officials felt intimidated and had no choice but to comply," the letter continued, warning that such actions erode public confidence in the IEBC's ability to conduct free and fair polls.
The former deputy president's missive culminated in four pointed demands directed at Ethekon. First, he called for Abdalla's immediate suspension from all election-related duties pending a thorough investigation. Second, an independent probe into her alleged interactions with local officials and presiding officers. Third, the deployment of neutral monitors from outside the Coast region to oversee the by-election logistics. And fourth, a public assurance from the IEBC on the safeguards in place to prevent commissioner-level interference. Gachagua emphasized that failure to act would compel the DCP to escalate the matter to the courts and international election observers, potentially derailing the vote.
Speaking to journalists in Nairobi on the morning of November 24, 2025, shortly after the letter's dispatch, Gachagua elaborated on his concerns during a brief media scrum outside his party's offices. "We were starting to have hope in the IEBC, but I have just received reports this morning that the IEBC vice chairperson is trying to interfere with the elections in Magarini. She is in a hotel where she met with senior County officials and has given out the list of presiding officers, who she wants to compromise the elections," Gachagua said, his voice laced with frustration. He added, "She is doing this, yet she knows that the elections there were nullified because of irregularities, and that is why I want to write to the chairperson of the IEBC to explain to me why the vice chairperson is meddling with the elections in Magarini, because no commission has been deployed there."
Gachagua's accusations strike at the heart of the IEBC's ongoing reconstitution efforts, which have been mired in controversy since the resignation of former Chairperson Wafula Chebukati in late 2022 amid the fallout from the 2022 presidential election. The commission, operating under interim leadership with Ethekon as chair and Abdalla as vice, is still recruiting a full seven-member bench, a process delayed by parliamentary wrangling and legal challenges. Abdalla, sworn in as a commissioner in March 2024, has faced prior scrutiny for her regional ties, but this is the first direct allegation of by-election meddling leveled against her.
The Magarini by-election itself is emblematic of broader political realignments post-Gachagua's ouster. The DCP, positioning itself as a vehicle for Mt. Kenya interests and disaffected Kenya Kwanza members, sees the coastal poll as an opportunity to expand its footprint beyond its Central Kenya base. Stanley Karisa Kenga, the DCP candidate, was cleared alongside five others: Harrison Kombe Junior (ODM), Said Hirsi (UDA), and independents or minor party contenders like Peter Gonzi (Ford People's Party), amid a field that initially drew ten aspirants. Kenga, a local businessman and community leader, has campaigned on promises of youth empowerment and anti-corruption measures, drawing endorsements from Gachagua during a rally in Magarini on November 20, 2025.
The ODM, under interim leadership following Raila Odinga's transition to the African Union Commission, is defending its traditional stronghold. Harrison Kombe Junior, son of the late MP, has invoked his father's legacy, focusing on water projects and education bursaries. ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna, speaking at a campaign event in Magarini on November 22, 2025, dismissed Gachagua's claims as "desperate distractions from a sidelined politician." "Rigathi Gachagua is fishing in troubled waters. Magarini is ODM territory, and no amount of noise from Nairobi will change that. Let the voters decide without imported drama," Sifuna stated, urging supporters to turn out en masse.
Kilifi Governor Salim Mvurya, whose administration has been accused by Gachagua of collusion, responded swiftly on November 24 via a county press release. "The governor's office has no role in IEBC operations. We are committed to a peaceful by-election and call on all parties to desist from unsubstantiated allegations that could incite tensions," the statement read. Mvurya, a key figure in President William Ruto's expanded coalition, has publicly backed the UDA candidate Said Hirsi, framing the race as a test of national unity.
The IEBC, caught in the crossfire, issued a terse statement on November 24 afternoon through spokesperson Joyce Chege. "The Commission takes all allegations of misconduct seriously and is reviewing the claims. We reaffirm our commitment to conducting the Magarini by-election in a transparent and impartial manner, in line with constitutional requirements," Chege said. She noted that no formal commission deployment had been made to Magarini, as per standard protocol for by-elections, and urged parties to channel complaints through official channels. Internally, sources indicate Ethekon has summoned Abdalla for a briefing, with a possible audit of her travel logs underway.
This episode unfolds against a backdrop of multiple by-elections on November 27, 2025, across 24 electoral units, including the Baringo Senate seat, constituencies like Mbeere North (Embu), Malava (Kakamega), Kasipul (Homa Bay), Ugunja (Siaya), and Banisa (Garissa), plus 17 ward races. The IEBC has cleared 181 candidates in total, with voter turnout projected at around 60% based on recent mini-polls. Analysts view these races as proxies for 2027 dynamics: Gachagua's DCP challenging UDA in Mt. Kenya strongholds, ODM consolidating Luo support, and emerging alliances testing Ruto's broad-based government.
In Mbeere North, for instance, Gachagua's United Opposition-backed candidate Newton Kariuki faces off against UDA's aspirant, with the former deputy president accusing state machinery of deploying armed goons to suppress rallies—a claim echoed in a November 21 DCP letter to the IEBC pleading for intervention and an updated voter register. Similarly, in Kasipul and Ugunja, ODM's Boyd Were and Moses Omondi carry Raila Odinga's "last blessings," as articulated by party elder Dr. Oburu Oginga during a Siaya rally on November 23. "Baba approved these candidates personally. This is our fight for equity and devolution," Oginga declared.
Gachagua's broader narrative ties the Magarini allegations to a pattern of institutional capture. Since his impeachment, he has positioned himself as a defender of democratic norms, frequently criticizing the IEBC alongside the judiciary and security agencies. In a September 7, 2025, address in Kipipiri Constituency, Nyandarua County, he lamented, "The institutions we built are being weaponized against the people. From the courts that removed me to the electoral body now plotting in shadows—we must reclaim our democracy." His DCP, polling at 33.1% in Mt. Kenya per a recent Infotrak survey, trails UDA's 38.9% but leads in grassroots mobilization, particularly among Gen-Z voters disillusioned by economic hardships.
Critics, including Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, have rebuked Gachagua's interventions as sour grapes. On November 19, 2025, in Embu, Kindiki labeled him a "failed leader" during Mbeere North campaigning: "Gachagua claims to be Mt. Kenya's kingpin, but look at his track record—division and excuses. The people have moved on; let him too." Kindiki, Ruto's new running mate, sees the by-elections as validation for his elevation, with UDA deploying heavyweights like Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi to shore up support.
Civil society has amplified calls for transparency. The Katiba Institute, on November 24, urged the IEBC to livestream all tallying processes in Magarini, referencing Supreme Court precedents from 2017 and 2022 that emphasized verifiable results. Executive Director Dennis Shirima stated, "Allegations like these, if unaddressed, fuel the very irregularities courts have nullified before. The IEBC must act decisively to restore trust." Similarly, the Elections Observation Group (ELOG) announced plans to deploy 200 monitors to Magarini, focusing on presiding officer conduct and voter intimidation.
In Magarini itself, the atmosphere is charged. The constituency, encompassing Marafa, Gongoni, and Magarini divisions with about 85,000 registered voters, grapples with chronic issues like water scarcity and youth unemployment—key planks in candidates' manifestos. Local resident Amina Juma, a fishmonger from Gongoni, told reporters on November 23, "We've had enough of bought votes and delayed results. If the IEBC is fair, fine; if not, we'll protest like the Gen-Zs did in July." Youth turnout, pivotal after the 2024 protests, could tip the scales, with DCP targeting coastal youth through social media drives.
As polling day approaches, security has been beefed up, with the National Police Service deploying 500 officers under Inspector General Douglas Kanja's directive. The Interior Ministry, on November 24, warned against inflammatory rhetoric, with CS Kipchumba Murkomen stating, "We will not tolerate any attempts to disrupt the process. Peace is paramount." Yet, with Gachagua's letter circulating widely on social media—garnering over 50,000 shares by evening—the stage is set for heightened scrutiny.
Gachagua's gambit in Magarini underscores his reinvention from impeached deputy to opposition firebrand. Whether his demands yield Abdalla's suspension or fizzle into legal limbo remains to be seen, but the by-election's outcome—projected as a tight three-way race between DCP, ODM, and UDA—will reverberate far beyond Kilifi's sandy shores. In a nation still healing from 2022's divisions, this coastal contest reminds all that small polls can cast long shadows over national ambitions, testing the IEBC's resilience and the fragility of Kenya's democratic bargain.
