Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka has accused Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission CEO Hussein Marjan of illegally renewing the Smartmatic contract ahead of the 2027 general election.
Kalonzo made the remarks at the funeral of Mzee Jonathan Kiilu Ng’ata in Kyuluni Village, Kathiani Constituency, Machakos County, on Saturday 10 January 2026.
“We agreed that the CEO of IEBC anaitwa Marjan. When there was no commission, he moved with a lot of speed akaleta watu wanaitwa Smartmatic, akarenew contract yao. Wale watu waliibia Raila kura,” Kalonzo said.
He claimed the renewal was discovered only after new commissioners took office, calling it “an illegal thing” influenced by a former advisor now at State House.
Kalonzo demanded Marjan’s immediate removal, stating: “Marjan cannot… Hawezi kusimamia uchaguzi ujao, as CEO… The best thing hii commission imuunde apatiwe whatever balance yake atoke because he is the problem.”
Smartmatic contract sparks debate
The contract extension has intensified opposition calls for cancellation, with leaders including DAP-K’s Eugene Wamalwa accusing the IEBC of bypassing oversight and linking the deal to alleged 2022 election irregularities.
The controversy is fuelled by claims from former Venezuelan intelligence chief Hugo Carvajal Barrios. In December 2025, from US custody facing narco-terrorism charges, Carvajal wrote to President Donald Trump alleging Smartmatic was created as a tool for the Chávez-Maduro regime to manipulate elections.
“The Smartmatic system can be altered—this is a fact,” he stated in the letter published by The Dallas Express, which noted it had not verified the claims.
Smartmatic denies the allegations, saying it ceased Venezuelan operations in 2017, complies with international standards, and operates independently from the Netherlands and UK. The company has litigated similar claims in the US related to the 2020 election, with cases settled or dismissed.
In Kenya, Smartmatic won the KIEMS contract via public tender in November 2021. The IEBC insists the technology met legal standards and performed efficiently in 2022, despite the Supreme Court challenge to the presidential result.
Public distrust lingers, heightened by the July 2022 arrest of three Venezuelan nationals linked to Smartmatic at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for carrying undeclared election materials; they were later released without charges. Senior Counsel Paul Muite recently called for lifestyle audits of commissioners past and present over the firm’s selection.
With 2027 approaching, Kalonzo’s funeral remarks highlight growing political tension. Opposition figures are threatening legal action and pushing for reforms to restore electoral trust. The IEBC has not yet responded to the latest criticism, leaving the Smartmatic deal and Marjan’s future under heavy scrutiny.
