Gachagua Blasts Nation For Publishing Wrong  Report

Rigathi Gachagua helping an elderly woman at Sagana Primary School in Nyeri County on August 9, 2022.
Rigathi Gachagua helping an elderly woman at Sagana Primary School in Nyeri County on August 9, 2022.
People Daily

Kenya Kwanza's presidential running mate Rigathi Gachagua, has called out Nation Africa for publishing a report he argued contained false information seeking to tarnish his reputation. 

Gachagua castigated the article which reported that the Kiems kit failed to validate his biometrics at Sagana Primary School on Tuesday morning, August 9. 

In a statement issued after casting his vote at the polling station, the outgoing Mathira Member of Parliament claimed that a plot was hatched several years ago to orchestrate his downfall. 

Nation media, you have run a smear campaign with Kinoti for the last 3 years! Even as I voted in the full glare of the media you are running a false narrative that I was identified manually.

 

Rigathi Gachagua casting his vote at Sagana Primary School on August 9, 2022.
Rigathi Gachagua casting his vote at Sagana Primary School on August 9, 2022.
Twitter
Rigathi Gachagua

“How low can you sink? You have lowered yourself to the level of gutter press and yellow journalism,” his statement read.

Gachagua was accompanied by his family members including his wife Gloria Gachagua and Gathoni Njoroge Mwai, a 91-year-old family friend

However, he was momentarily delayed after the Kiems kit suffered technical hitches. Gachagua, nonetheless, proceeded to vote a few minutes later. 

He lauded the Wafula Chebukati-led Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) team for conducting a well-organized election process.

Meanwhile, the Kiems kit failures were witnessed across several polling stations in the country. 

Roots Party flagbearer, George Wajackoyah and Nairobi County women representative  Esther Passaris complained about the challenges, with the former failing to vote. 

Speaking in Kakamega County, Wajackoyah stated that he was disappointed with the IEBC, questioning why the system failed in one of his key zones. 

“What are these people afraid of? Why couldn’t they test the kits? Does it mean if I don't vote, votes will be counted? I’m not really happy but what can I say?

I was supposed to fly back this afternoon.  My people are disenfranchised. The older generation has gone home,” lamented Wajackoyah.

IEBC also temporarily suspended voting at Farasi Lane Primary School polling station. Nairobi Woman Representative, Esther Passaris, was turned away and urged to return later as IEBC rushed to solve the challenges occasioned by the Kiems kit failures. 

The commission's vice chairperson Juliana Cherera directed a number of affected polling stations to revert to the manual register. 

George Wajackoyah at a polling station in Kakamega County on August 9, 2022
George Wajackoyah at a polling station in Kakamega County on August 9, 2022
Capital Group