The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has threatened legal action against former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua after he alleged that the party, in collusion with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), was scheming to rig the upcoming Magarini by-election.
In a press briefing on Monday, ODM Deputy Party Leader Abdulswamad Nassir condemned Gachagua’s remarks as defamatory and intended to erode public confidence in the electoral process.
Nassir, who also serves as Mombasa Governor, urged Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung’aro to consider instituting a lawsuit against Gachagua, arguing that the accusations amounted to character assassination.
“If I were the governor of Kilifi and such allegations were directed at me, I would seriously consider suing that gentleman who, to me, is simply a former disgraced Deputy President—nothing more. His actions are merely theatrics meant to draw attention to his party,” Nassir stated.
The governor further dismissed claims that Mung’aro had used county funds to campaign for ODM candidate Harrison Garama Kombe, insisting that all campaign activities were supported through personal contributions.
“He should leave us alone. If he had evidence, he should have presented it. His comments are baseless. We have been campaigning openly, just like every other candidate, and we have no hidden agenda,” Nassir added.
On Sunday, Gachagua—who now leads the Democracy for Citizens Party—accused IEBC Vice Chairperson Fahima Arafat Abdallah of meddling in the Magarini by-election scheduled for 27 November 2025.
In a letter dated November 24, 2025, addressed to IEBC Chairperson Erastus Edung Ethekon, Gachagua alleged that Abdallah had stepped outside her mandate and used “corrupt, covert means” to influence the election in favour of a preferred candidate.
“I am aware that your Vice Chairperson, Fahima Arafat Abdallah, OGW, has taken over the management of the Magarini by-election through corrupt and covert means. You are aware that the commissioner assigned to the Coast region is Dr. Alutalala Mukhwana,” Gachagua wrote.
He further claimed that the by-election stemmed from electoral malpractice involving IEBC officials during the 2022 General Election. Gachagua added that it was widely understood that the commission avoids deploying officers to their home regions—an unwritten rule he accused Abdallah of flouting.
According to his letter, Abdallah travelled to Magarini on Friday, November 21, 2025, where she allegedly bullied, intimidated, and coerced electoral officials, even demanding a full list and contacts of all presiding officers in the constituency.
Gachagua also claimed that Abdallah later held a closed-door meeting at a Malindi hotel with Governor Mung’aro and Commissioner Mukhwana.
However, IEBC—through spokesperson Edung Ethekon—dismissed the allegations, assuring the public that the Magarini by-election, along with all other scheduled by-elections, will be free, fair, and verifiable.
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