Speaking to the media on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, Gachagua said the existing system should be retained because it already has Kenya’s electoral data, experience and knowledge of the country’s election processes.
“The elections are here. There is no time to tamper with it. I want to recommend that the current system of Smartmatic be retained, because they already have the data, they have the experience, and we have seen them do elections,” Gachagua said.
Gachagua cites Malawi experience
Gachagua also cited Malawi, where he said he had observed the Smartmatic system being used and found it satisfactory.
“I saw in Malawi, the system was quite okay. I don’t think we have a problem with this system of Smartmatic,” he said.
His remarks come amid growing debate over the procurement of election technology ahead of the 2027 General Election, with political leaders divided over whether the existing system should be retained or replaced.
Gachagua questions new system
The former Deputy President argued that introducing a new electoral technology provider at this stage would create logistical challenges, particularly because existing election data would have to be transferred.
“But it is not possible to have a new system to manage our elections between now and the election, 11 months,” he said.
Gachagua questioned the rationale behind transferring electoral data from a company already involved in Kenya’s election processes to a new provider.
“Why do we have to remove, to get data from a company that is already in the country and give it a new entrant? What is the gain?” he asked.
He further argued that the current provider had already completed significant groundwork and had access to the voters’ register.
“They have already done the donkey work. They have all the data. They have the voters’ register. Why do you want to move that data to a new company?” he said.
Gachagua's position comes as political parties and presidential hopefuls increasingly scrutinise the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission’s (IEBC) preparations for the 2027 election, particularly the procurement and reliability of election technology
