Mudavadi Slams Wajir Woman Rep for ‘Vote Stealing’ Remarks, Urges Respect for Electoral Integrity
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has strongly cautioned political leaders against making inflammatory statements that could stoke electoral tensions or undermine public trust in Kenya’s electoral system.
While addressing residents in Busia County, Mudavadi directly responded to comments made by Wajir Woman Representative Fatuma Jehow, who had recently suggested that leaders from the North Eastern region would “steal votes” for President William Ruto if their numbers fell short in the 2027 General Election.
“Some politicians want applause on stage… Let us stop undermining the integrity of the IEBC by claiming elections will be stolen. That’s not Ruto’s job—his responsibility is to seek votes from Kenyans,”
Mudavadi said, switching briefly to Kiswahili during his remarks.
Jehow had earlier claimed that President Ruto would win the 2027 election “by all means,” openly stating that even if their region lacked sufficient numbers, they would still ensure victory by tampering with votes.
“Our message is simple: just two terms—isn’t that it? Even if we won’t have the votes, we’ll rig the election for him. That’s not a secret,” Jehow had declared.
Mudavadi, visibly displeased, dismissed her comments as dangerous and irresponsible.
“If you have thoughts of stealing votes, don’t drag the President into that thinking. We want a free and fair election,” he said.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has since condemned Jehow’s remarks, calling them reckless, incendiary, and wholly unacceptable in a democratic society. The commission warned that such utterances could erode public trust in Kenya’s electoral process and called on citizens to ignore them.
“We urge the public to continue trusting the IEBC to conduct free, fair, and verifiable elections,” the commission stated.
While Jehow’s comments have sparked widespread public outrage and criticism from fellow leaders, no formal disciplinary or legal action has been taken against her as of now.