Royal Media Services (RMS) Chairperson SK Macharia has revealed that former Presidents Mwai Kibaki and Uhuru Kenyatta, as well as President William Ruto, cheated to win elections. Raila Odinga, the opposition leader in all these elections, ended with an egg on his face.

According to the outspoken supporter of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader, Raila Odinga won the highly contested 2007 elections. The election turned out to be the most deadly in the country’s history. But failure to heed advice would cost Raila the 2013, 2017, and 2022 elections.

Speaking during the burial of Col (Rtd) James Gitahi in Machakos on Saturday, he revealed that he was forcefully taken to his office and was forced to change the election outcome in favour of then President Mwai Kibaki.

“We had data. Complete data showed it was Raila who won,” he said. He went on to reveal, “Our data was showing Raila had won with 1.8 million votes.” Initial vote counts suggested a lead for Raila. However, as the tallying progressed, Kibaki overtook Raila, leading to allegations of vote rigging.

From Left: Former Finance Minister Amos Kimunya, Azimio Leader Raila Odinga and Former President Mwai Kibaki.

Photo

Macharia said, “I was picked from my house at night. And all the returning officers from Mt Kenya region were held somewhere and their returning forms taken.”

The head of the country’s largest broadcasting house by viewership and listenship continued to reveal, “I was taken to my office. I found some people whose names I will not mention. And we changed all those figures, and Kibaki won the election.”

On December 30, 2007, the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK), chaired by Samuel Kivuitu, declared Kibaki the winner by approximately 232,000 votes. Kibaki was swiftly sworn in for a second term that evening.

After the announcement, the country would descend into anarchy. 1,000 Kenyans would lose their lives, and thousands of others would lose their homes and property before a truce that could see Raila ascend to the Prime Minister post.

Macharia did not want to wade too much into the 2013 polls, but he talked about how blindsidedness cost Raila the 2017 election.

According to him, he received intelligence that the voter register was being manipulated ahead of the 2017 elections. He alleged that the voter register of 2017 was changed to include people who were already dead.

“When a voter registered, you had your fingerprint, photograph, and full name. They had taken some names from the death register but had no photographs. That is how Raila was beaten,” he said.

Ahead of the 2022 elections, Macharia revealed that he and Raila’s campaign team went for a retreat in Naivasha. During the retreat, he attempted to explain to Raila that the voter register was fraudulent, but Raila would not have it.

“Because of his handshake with Uhuru (Kenyatta), he thought it was a free throw,” he narrated. But as Raila and Macharia would come to learn, the election was not a straight line to the top of the mountain. 

"They were saying they have the deep state. But Ruto would tell them, Which deep state do you have?" asserted, adding, "Because Ruto knew exactly how the extra votes would put."

According to Macharia, he received data showing that the 2022 polls were rigged. According to him, he had data showing the voter register had been cooked to add votes in favour of Ruto.

Macharia revealed that four of the seven members of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) visited his home to see the data showing how the register was fraudulent. "The four commissioners that would resign in the end came to my home, and I showed them how the register is not true," he asserted.

The four who would later be pushed out included Vice-Chairperson Juliana Cherera and commissioners Justus Nyang'aya, Francis Wanderi, and Irene Masit, and after the meeting with Macharia, they would leave with a different view from that of their three colleagues.

As they became known, the ‘Cherera Four’ disputed the presidential election results announced by IEBC Chair Wafula Chebukati, leading to a significant divide within the commission. Chebukati declared Ruto the winner with a difference of 233,211 votes.

IEBC has always maintained that the polls were above board, and the Supreme Court upheld the election of President Ruto.

President William Ruto during his maiden speech at the Bomas of Kenya after the former IEBC Chairperson Wafula Chebukati announced him as President-elect on August 15, 2022.

Photo

William Ruto