Martha Karua has issued a blistering indictment of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), accusing the body of "presiding over anarchy" following a wave of violence and bribery that marred last week’s parliamentary and ward by-elections.

The People’s Liberation Party (PLP) leader did not mince words, terming the commission’s handling of the polls a "betrayal of public trust." Speaking from Nairobi, Karua argued that the IEBC’s silence in the face of open voter intimidation suggests the referee has already been compromised ahead of the high-stakes 2027 General Election.

The "First Test" Failed

For the newly reconstituted IEBC, these by-elections in areas like Malava, Kasipul, and Tana River were widely viewed as a litmus test. According to Karua, the commission failed spectacularly.

"We cannot speak of a democratic outcome when the process was riddled with violence, suppression, and outright bribery," Karua noted in a statement backed by PLP Secretary General Asha Bashir. She pointed specifically to the chaos in Chewani Ward, Tana River, where PLP candidate Ezekiel Mchawala lost by a heartbreaking 75 votes amid reports of voters being physically barred from stations.

"This was not an election," Karua charged. "It was the deepening of tyranny."

• The Accusations: PLP monitors reported goons torching vehicles in Malava and police officers standing down as voters were harassed in Banisa.
• The Consequence: Voter turnout plummeted, a sign Karua interprets as "manufactured apathy" designed to favor the ruling coalition.
• The Defense: The IEBC has condemned the violence in a press release but has yet to announce any sanctions against the perpetrators.

Mattresses Over Medicine

Beyond the violence, Karua zeroed in on the weaponization of poverty—a tactic she says is being used to "buy the souls" of struggling Kenyans. During a burial in Kabras, Kakamega, earlier this week, she decried the trend of politicians distributing household goods to desperate voters instead of selling policies.

"Sleeping on a new mattress is comfortable, yes," Karua told mourners, employing a sharp metaphor for the Kenyan voter's dilemma. "But do not allow that comfort to blind you when, tomorrow, you go to the hospital and find there is no medicine."

This economic manipulation hits hard in a country where the cost of living remains a daily crisis. Karua’s argument is simple: a handout worth KES 500 today cannot offset five years of bad governance that leaves granaries empty and school fees unpaid.

The 2027 Shadow

The political undertones of this conflict are impossible to ignore. Karua’s rebranded PLP (formerly Narc Kenya) is positioning itself as the moral backbone of the "United Opposition," a coalition that now includes former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. They are squaring off against the formidable UDA-ODM machinery, which swept most of the by-election seats.

Analysts warn that if the IEBC cannot guarantee safety in a handful of wards in 2025, the prospect of a peaceful general election in 2027 is dim. "If the referee cannot control a village match," one governance expert noted, "how will they manage the World Cup?"

Karua closed her address with a stark warning to the electorate, urging them to see beyond the immediate hunger.

"If you must eat what they offer, eat," she said, acknowledging the harsh reality of survival. "But on election day, remember that a day's hunger will not kill you—but five years of bad leadership surely will."