Mining Cabinet Secretary Hassan Ali Joho has hit back at former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua over allegations of a plot to manipulate the 2027 General Election, accusing him of unfairly targeting an IEBC official from the Coast.
Joho rejected claims that Coast leaders were involved in plans to interfere with the election, saying their focus was instead on mobilizing residents to turn out in large numbers and vote.
“We do not have plans to rig the election but plans to vote in large numbers. We will vote like we’ve never voted before as a region,” Joho said.
He also questioned why Gachagua had singled out the electoral commission’s deputy chairperson, describing her as a young woman from Lamu who had overcome a disadvantaged background to rise to one of the most senior positions at the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
“Of all the IEBC commissioners, why have you targeted this marginalized one? Is it because she is from the Coast?” Joho asked.
His remarks followed allegations by Gachagua linking Joho and senior IEBC officials to an alleged scheme to manipulate the 2027 election.
Joho dismissed the claims and accused the former Deputy President of dragging ethnicity into the political contest by targeting an official because of her Coast background.
He said the region had changed politically and that residents would make their choices based on their interests and the performance of those seeking their support.
“Today’s Coast is not the Coast of yesterday,” Joho said.
He maintained that Coast voters were no longer easily influenced by ethnic political mobilization and would scrutinize the records of leaders before deciding whom to support in 2027.
Joho also warned Gachagua against repeatedly mentioning his name in connection with alleged electoral schemes, saying he was prepared to face him politically.
“I have competed with more powerful people than you, Rigathi,” he said.
The Cabinet Secretary sought to turn the focus to the government’s development record, citing increased spending on land-related programmes as one of the areas Coast residents should consider when assessing the administration.
According to Joho, funding for the programmes had risen from Sh5 billion in the previous financial year to Sh9.7 billion in the current financial year.
He urged voters to assess what the government had delivered before making their decision at the ballot box, arguing that development and the region’s long-term political interests should shape its choices.
Joho also linked the Coast’s political calculations to the succession battle expected to take shape ahead of 2032, signalling that leaders in the region were looking beyond the immediate 2027 contest.
The exchange comes as political activity intensifies ahead of the 2027 General Election, with rival camps trading accusations over electoral preparedness and positioning themselves for an increasingly heated race.
Follow our social media pages for breaking news updates, in-depth stories and videos.
news@nairobilens.ke
