Ruto's Team Links ICT CS Joe Mucheru to Alleged Elections Rigging Plot

ICT Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru is under fire from Deputy President William Ruto’s presidential campaign secretariat for allegedly being partisan.

The secretariat accuses Mucheru of openly declaring support for the Azimio La Umoja-One Kenya coalition presidential flagbearer Raila Odinga.

Turkana Governor Josphat Nanok, who is the director-general of Ruto’s campaign secretariat, claimed that Mucheru was planning to influence the outcome of the August 9th presidential election in favor of Odinga, citing the role his ministry will play in facilitating the elections. 

The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) which is under the ICT ministry will provide the technological framework for the electoral commission to conduct digital registration, tallying, and relaying of election results electronically.

Nanok argued that the ministry’s role affects the verifiability, transparency, accountability and credibility of the forthcoming elections, hence Mucheru should not take sides.

“We call out CS Mucheru and his colleagues for their open, flagrant and shameless association and promotion of one political coalition and its presidential candidate,” Nanok said.

“We have also noted public statements of their commitment to abuse State office, misappropriate public resources, pervert State institutions and defile the integrity of government in the quest to secure an illegitimate win for their project.'”

Nanok also made reference to a video in which CS Mucheru said that he was working closely with Odinga to ensure the upcoming elections are done in a free and transparent manner.

“What legal framework mandates a presidential candidate to assign, direct, supervise and receive reports on election manipulation from Cabinet Secretaries who are directly involved in elections?” Nanok posed.

“Mucheru's brazen statement highlights an unfortunate trend by Cabinet Secretaries to pursue impunity, circumvent the rule of law, corrupt public institutions, facilitate the commission of criminal offenses and subvert our democracy.”

The secretariat called on the Independent, Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to take stern action against persons planning to commit election offenses.