Milton
November 20, 2025
Wazelendo wenzangu,
Today, we speak to you not just as leaders, but as fellow Kenyans, standing with you, witnessing history unfold. We have seen the courage of our people, the determination of our youth, and the strength of truth when it refuses to be silenced.
There are moments in a nation’s life when ordinary citizens rise. When fear is cast aside and when silence is no longer an option.
Today, we are in one of those moments.
Today, we recognize one such moment, the Gen Z uprising, a peaceful movement born of desperation, and not of violence, not with anger, but with a peaceful call for change. It was a call born out of frustration yet guided by principle and a moral clarity rooted firmly in the Constitution of Kenya, 2010.
Fellow Kenyans,
Our beleaguered youth, shocked by their elected representatives last June, took to the streets and the digital spaces armed with a bottle of water, their phones and our national flag, not in chaos, but in moral revolt against greed, corruption, and injustice.
They said: enough is enough.
They refused to accept Rutopreneurship as the modus operandi.
Our youth rejected the SHA/SHIF mismanagement that cost their loved ones access to healthcare services.
Kenyans from across the country rejected the housing levy that is nothing short of a slush fund; a scam of the highest order.
More so, Kenyans were against the betrayal of Vision 2030. In its place today is bottom-up Rutoism, and one that you will hear of being lauded across town today in Parliament by a man who delivers despair.
Wazelendo wenzangu,
On June 25th last year, a message reverberated not just across Kenya, but across Africa and the world. The creation of a moral movement, a reminder that leadership is service, not self-interest.
Our youth were loud and clear: accountability, transparency, and dignity were the bare minimum acceptable standards from those entrusted with leadership roles.
Today, we gathered here, are aligned to their wishes. Leadership is integrity, courage, and sacrifice.
In this spirit, we focus on a fundamental concern today, that should inform the State of The Nation. And it will not be those long winded self-congratulatory pages that are in a nutshell, empty promises and outright lies.
This afternoon, we turn the nation, indeed our region and partners focus to the Integrity of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
For many years, the IEBC has struggled to earn the trust of Kenyans. This matters deeply, because in any democracy, the people must have faith that their votes count and that the institutions protecting that vote are beyond reproach.
Sadly, the new Commission has not fully escaped this challenge. The way it was appointed, skipping the spirit of consultation and concurrence that the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) stood for, has left many feeling that IEBC is still not above political influence.
For the sake of our country, the Commission must now roll up its sleeves and prove its independence. It must work with honesty and transparency, so that every Kenyan can see that it serves the people, not the interests of the Executive or any political administration.
We had hoped the new commissioners would take office with a single-minded determination to restore IEBC’s credibility. But so far, the signs are not as reassuring as Kenyans deserve. It is time for the Commission to step up, for the sake of our democracy, our stability, and the faith of every voter.
Voter Registration Concerns
We are deeply concerned that the IEBC has not done enough to engage the public or provide the civic education necessary for a smooth and inclusive voter registration exercise.
There are several issues we must raise:
The introduction of iris-scanning as a mandatory requirement was rolled out without talking to wananchi or properly explaining how it works. From what we hear across the country, this new system may actually be putting people off from registering. Worse still, it has created a voter register with two different standards, some with iris data, some without, raising real questions about fairness and consistency.
Limiting voter registration to constituency offices, during working hours only, and excluding weekends is unfair to many Kenyans. Workers, teachers, students, and young people simply cannot access these services in such a short window. The IEBC must therefore change this model and carry out voter registration over the remaining period, on all days of the week and at the Ward level not the constituency level.
The IEBC must be clear and open about where registration kits and personnel are deployed, including the unique identifiers of each kit and their locations. Transparency is critical if the public and all political actors are to trust the process.
Leaving registration kits open without clear safeguards risks misuse. The Commission must explain exactly what data these kits capture and ensure strict quality controls, including independent audits once registration closes.
The transfer of voters must follow the law to the letter. Every transfer should begin with a written request from the voter, and only proceed after full verification of residency and compliance with all legal requirements.
Finally, the IEBC should publish a full list of staff involved in voter registration, together with their roles. Transparency is the foundation of trust, and without it, confidence in the process will remain weak.
Kenyans deserve a registration exercise that is fair, inclusive, and above board. Anything less is a disservice to our democracy.
Fellow Kenyans,
When we raise these issues, let us be very clear, we are not guessing and these are not hypotheticals. We are speaking about one thing: the credibility of the forthcoming November 27 by-elections and the 2027 General Election and sealing the very loopholes that have, in the past, been used to compromise our votes.
Electioneering, fellow Kenyans, is a process and must cover the whole electoral cycle starting from registration.
An election does not need cheating on voting day to be stolen. It can be stolen quietly… in the shadows… during registration, where oversight is weakest.
That, fellow Kenyans, is the danger.
That, friends, is why we must pay attention.
And that, fellow Kenyans, is why your voice, your vigilance, your courage matters.
We must however commend the IEBC Electoral Code of Conduct Enforcement Committee for calling out the perpetrators of the violence at Kasipul and finding both Aroko and Were responsible for inciting/allowing the violence, which eat fined Sh. 1 million, payable within 48 hours of the ruling.
We however note that security elements have been deployed in excessive numbers in strategic places in an attempt to intimidate voters. This must be called out and stopped forthwith.
On vigilance, we have noted with utter dismay, though not surprise, the outright abuse of state resources by public servants during this by-electioneering cycle, in clear contravention of the Constitution of Kenya 2010 (Articles 81 and 232), the Elections Act 2011 (Sections 80 and 83), the Public Officers Ethics Act 2003 (Sections 6 and 10), the Penal Code (Sections 66 and 67), and the Leadership and Integrity Act 2012.
And we must call these officers out:
- Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetengula
- Speaker of the Senate Amason Kingi
- Cabinet Secretary for Mining Hassan Joho
- Cabinet Secretary for Public Service Geoffrey Ruku
- Cabinet Secretary for Energy Opiyo Wandayi
Such conduct erodes public trust, undermines the fairness of our electoral process, and violates the fundamental principles of accountability, neutrality, and integrity that are the hallmark of public service.
Further, in the rogue regime’s desperation to rig the forthcoming by-elections, they have directed voters to take pictures of their vote at the voting booth showing that they have indeed selected their preferred candidate and so as to collect not less than Sh.5,000.00.
If this is not voter bribery and intimidation, then what is? Directing Kenyans to photograph their ballots in exchange for about Sh. 5,000 is a brazen attack on the very soul of our democracy. It is an attempt to buy not just votes, but the conscience of our people. It undermines the secrecy of the ballot, violates the law, and mocks the trust we place in our electoral system. We must call it for what it is: a desperate act of corruption by a rogue regime. We call on the IEBC to educate voters on how to use their phones within and outside of the polling station. Asking voters to taking photos, recording, or asking voters who they support should not only be discouraged, it should be punished.
Even further is the real possibility of flawed ballot papers, missing key details of candidates as we have witnessed in the past. We ask the IEBC to ensure that the correct information is verified by all candidates before the final print of the ballot papers.
Wazelendo Wenzangu,
Our nation stands at a crossroads and we must demand integrity, transparency, and accountability in every institution, especially in those entrusted with safeguarding our democracy.
Our youth have shown us the path and they have reminded us that courage and moral clarity can reclaim the soul of a nation.
Let us heed that call. Let us demand credible elections now and in the future. This is our moral duty.
Let us honour the Constitution, uphold justice, and ensure that every Kenyan’s voice is heard. This is our national calling.
Our democracy, our future, and the hope of generations to come depend on it.
May God bless every Kenyan.
May God bless the work of our hands.
And may God bless the Republic of Kenya.
