Elections Observersation Group (ELOG), National Coordinator Mulle Musau has described the recent by-elections as a “sham,” pointing to widespread violence, abuse of incumbency, voter bribery, and interference by senior government officials.
Speaking to Radio Generation, Musau said the elections “did not come anything close to being credible,” with observers on the ground reporting serious irregularities that undermined the integrity of the process.
While the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) managed some technical aspects inside polling stations, including voter identification, working KIEMS kits, and orderly counting, Musau said these achievements were overshadowed by chaos outside.
“If you look at this election in terms of what an election should be, an election is supposed to be held in a conducive environment,” he said. “Violence of any kind is the first parameter you’d want to use to assess whether an election can be trusted.”
Musau said violence across several polling areas created fear, disrupted campaigns, and even cost lives. “When you have violence, how do the candidates, how do the people who want to listen to these candidates interact?” he asked.
The coordinator also accused public officials of abusing their positions to campaign openly. “How many public officials did you see out there campaigning from the Deputy President all the way to CSs, PSs? They were everywhere, and they were very blatant. Nobody was hiding,” he said, noting that such involvement violates the law.
Voter bribery was another concern. “How much money exchanged hands that we were able to identify? People were told, ‘If you take this money, you must show us you voted this side.’” Musau said this distorted the will of the electorate.
He also highlighted the role of political “super agents” and gangs in creating insecurity. “That is where the goons come in the gunification of these elections. These big players don’t walk alone,” he said, adding that gang confrontations near polling stations scared voters away.
Low turnout, he argued, reflected the hostile environment. Except for Mbeere North, which recorded 61% turnout, “everybody else was nearly below 40%,” he said. One constituency recorded just 24%, which Musau said “cannot be considered a mandate.”
Musau blamed both the IEBC and police for failing to ensure a safe voting environment. “You can’t have gangs carrying rungu and fighting near polling stations. How do people even come to vote?” he asked.
He warned that if such conditions persist ahead of 2027, Kenya is “in for a very rough ride.”
