Onyonka alleges election rigging and tribal politics are being used to distract voters

Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka has accused allies of President William Ruto of pushing early election rigging narratives and tribal politics to divert attention from Kenya’s economic challenges and governance concerns ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Speaking on Radio Generation on Monday, the senator claimed some leaders were deliberately promoting narratives around electoral manipulation and ethnic divisions to create fear among voters and weaken public confidence in the electoral process.

“What William is trying to do is create this narrative deliberately to suppress voter registration and make Kenyans hopeless,” Onyonka said. “Because if you know the thing is rigged, why would you want to involve yourself?”

Senator Onyonka argued that political debate in the country was increasingly shifting away from issues affecting ordinary citizens, including the rising cost of living, public debt and allegations of corruption, towards divisive ethnic rhetoric.

“They have deliberately made this a topic so they can divert attention from the critical issues,” he said. “Nobody is talking about debt, recurrent expenditure, or money being stolen. Now the discussion is about tribe.”

He also criticised what he described as attempts to profile certain communities in national politics, warning that such rhetoric risked deepening divisions in the country.

“The person they want people to hate now is the Kikuyu community,” he said. “We are moving away from bottom-up economics and now creating narratives that certain communities are the problem.”

He likened the political trends in Kenya to those witnessed in the United States under President Donald Trump, saying race and identity politics were often used to distract citizens from governance failures.

“If you talk about race, then you cannot talk about why people live in poor neighbourhoods or why there is no healthcare,” he said. “It is the same narrative and the same results.”

The senator further alleged that some political operatives were collecting voters’ identification details under suspicious circumstances, claiming the information could be used in future electoral manipulation.

“We are being told people are being asked to give their ID numbers when money is distributed,” he claimed. “So either this information is being taken for pre-rigging or post-rigging.”

Onyonka said Kenya needed an honest national conversation on tribal politics and governance, warning that continued ethnic mobilisation could destabilise the country ahead of the 2027 polls.

His remarks come amid recent controversy sparked by comments from Kakamega Deputy Governor Ayub Savula and Hamisi Member of Parliament Charles Gemose.

https://twitter.com/RadioGenKe/status/2058823037407875184

Addressing party delegates drawn from the vote-rich Western Kenya region, the leaders brazenly instructed their supporters to influence the outcome of the polls at their respective voting stations.

Gimose said his continued presence in Parliament is due to what he described as undemocratic tactics he employs against his opponents.

He claimed he has gained experience in unfair electoral practices that ensure his victories and added that he intends to pass this knowledge on to other members of the UDA support base, with the broader goal of helping President Ruto secure re-election.

"I want you as UDA delegates, during polling, try doing tricks of the highest level. I know what to do. Being in parliament for three terms is not easy, you must know the vote tricks. I am a teacher, so I wil teach others how to do it," Gimose said.

Savula, on his part, stated that the President is in a highly favourable position and would not easily lose the election.

He argued that the Head of State has control over key instruments of power, including the national budget, and suggested that independent bodies such as the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) may struggle to exercise full autonomy.

"We are the ones creating the budget for elections. We are the ones paying the IEBC, we are the ones paying the commissioners, and President William Ruto is the owner of the budget. Even if you were a fool, how would you fail, would make a budget that will fail you?" Savula posed

Opposition leaders have since condemned remarks suggesting possible electoral manipulation, warning against divisive politics and urging the government to ensure transparency in preparations for the 2027 elections.