Karua reveals parallel electoral oversight team to protect 2027 polls
By William Muthama, July 23, 2025People’s Liberation Party (PLP) leader Martha Karua has launched a parallel electoral oversight team dubbed the People’s IEBC.
Karua has vowed that the 2027 General Election will not be stolen regardless of who chairs the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
Speaking during a local TV interview on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, Karua declared that even if President William Ruto were to appoint himself as IEBC chair and select family members as commissioners, Kenyans would still outvote and oust him.
“Even if Ruto becomes the chairman of IEBC and appoints members of his household as commissioners or returning officers, we will be bumper to bumper. They will not be able to rig,” Karua said. “This election will be better than 2002, when KANU failed to rig.”
Karua stressed the need for citizens to register, vote, and safeguard the electoral process. She said the People’s IEBC will be a grassroots monitoring network created by the united opposition to oversee every step of the election cycle, not just polling day.
“Elections are not an event; they are a process. The People’s IEBC will help us track, forecast, and warn. It’s not just about reacting. It’s about preventing manipulation before it happens,” she explained.
Safeguarding the process
Karua dismissed concerns that the parallel oversight team could further divide the country or erode trust in the official IEBC.
Instead, she argued that the current environment already reflects deep political divisions, with Kenya Kwanza on one side and the United Opposition on the other.
“The constitution provides for multiparty democracy. We must have our own mechanism to protect the people’s voice. If the regime is thieving and chest-thumping about rigging plans, then it’s our duty to prepare. We will meet them at every level,” she said.
She insisted the people’s IEBC would not replace formal processes but supplement them with grassroots vigilance, citizen volunteers, and real-time reporting from polling stations.
No confidence in IEBC
Karua admitted she has limited confidence in the current IEBC but stopped short of calling for its boycott.
“Let it be. But we are ready either way,” she said. “Ruto cannot beat the will of the majority. Kenyans want change, and they will fight for their vote this time.”
She also criticized the government for its refugee ID card policy, citing lack of public participation and fears of potential voter register manipulation.