Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Secretary General Edwin Sifuna has called on the newly sworn-in Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commissioners to summon Wajir Woman Representative Fatuma Jehow over controversial remarks she made regarding the 2027 General Election.

The call by Sifuna follows a viral video in which Jehow, while addressing a gathering over the weekend, appeared to warn Kenyans that she would support efforts to rig the elections if the public failed to vote for President William Ruto in the next polls.

''Ours is very brief; all that we can say is that Ruto has to get two terms. Is there any other position? We are just waiting for the ballot to come. Even if it will be empty, we will rig for him, and that is not a secret,'' the MP said in an event attended by dignitaries, among them Health CS Aden Duale. 

Sifuna, who was speaking during a women’s economic event in Bungoma, criticised the comments as a dangerous affront to the country’s democratic ideals and called on the IEBC to take immediate action against any attempts to undermine electoral integrity and summon the lawmaker. 

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairperson Erastus Edung Ethekon during a past event.

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Judiciary

He further accused the ruling administration of encouraging inflammatory rhetoric through some of its close allies, warning that such remarks could erode public confidence in the electoral process and incite political tension.

“We have seen a trend where independent commissions like the NCIC are being used to silence opposing voices,” Sifuna said. “The President is telling us to meet him at the ballot in 2027, yet his allies are already talking about plans to rig the election.”

He added that the new IEBC leadership, under Chairperson Erastus Ethekon, must demonstrate independence by acting against individuals who make statements that suggest manipulation of future electoral outcomes.

“We now have a newly composed IEBC, and as a lawyer, I know the law does not permit anyone to try to undermine the outcomes of the next election,” Sifuna noted. “Ethekon and his team should summon the MPs who are announcing plans to rig elections to go before them and explain how and what they intend to achieve.”

Jehow has yet to respond publicly to the uproar her comments have caused, but the ODM SG insists that the matter cannot be ignored given the sensitive nature of electoral politics in the country.

Sifuna also warned that if such remarks go unchecked, they could fuel further public mistrust in state institutions ahead of what is expected to be a hotly contested 2027 election.

The Senator also slammed the President over his shoot to injure order, which he said was regressive and threatened to cripple the democratic gains made under the Constitution. 

He vowed to ensure that Ruto does not stand a chance for a second term, even as the political tensions continue to simmer, especially with the assumption into office by the new IEBC team.

Among the tasks the new team faces are the by-elections for six parliamentary seats, one Senate seat, and 15 vacant MCA seats.

The boundary delimitation is also another uphill task that the new faces with less than two years to the next elections. 

In addition, the new IEBC must also clean up and audit the voter register and undertake a mass voter registration exercise while procuring new technology ahead of the next elections. This will include replacing the ageing KIEMS and BVRS kits, which have been central to the country's voting system.

Nairobi County Senator Edwin Sifuna speaking in the Senate on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.

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Parliament of Kenya