KISUMU, Kenya, Sep 5 — Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has urged opposition leaders to stop attacking the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), saying the electoral agency’s independence must be respected ahead of the 2027 General Election.Mudavadi accused opposition politicians of seeking to discredit the commission and taint its commissioners in what he said could undermine public confidence in the electoral process and ultimately delegitimise the outcome of the August 2027 election.“Maintaining the integrity and public trust of the IEBC is critical for ensuring stable democratic processes and peaceful transitions of power. When the opposition attacks the referee, it seems they are not ready to get into the field,” Mudavadi said.He said Kenya should not be drawn into another cycle of political divisions, accusing the opposition of attempting to replicate disputes witnessed during previous elections, particularly under the late IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati.Mudavadi defended the current commission under Chairperson Erastus Ethekon, citing recent by-elections as evidence that it can conduct free, fair and credible polls.He pointed to the Ol Kalou by-election, where the opposition won the seat, questioning why politicians who praised the IEBC after the poll were now criticising the same commission.“When the opposition won the Ol Kalou seat, they praised the IEBC but a few weeks later they are out discrediting the same commission. What has changed all of a sudden? This opposition is scared to face President Ruto on the ballot,” he said.Mudavadi also defended the commission’s authority to deploy its officers, telling political actors not to question administrative decisions concerning where electoral officials are stationed.“Whatever decisions the commission makes are internal and guided by both the Constitution and law,” he said.He said all parts of the country should be treated equally during the electoral process and that voters should be able to exercise their democratic rights without discrimination.Mudavadi links IEBC criticism to 2027 preparationsMudavadi said some of the criticism directed at the IEBC was linked to preparations for party nominations and compliance with electoral regulations expected ahead of next year’s election.“We have seen politicians attacking the IEBC for the fear of compliance. They know that soon they will be a target for compliance with the electoral regulations ahead of the party nominations slated for early next year,” he said.He was speaking at the Tom Mboya Labour College in Kisumu, where he met Western Kenya UDA aspirants from Kakamega and Vihiga counties for a consultative engagement aimed at strengthening the party’s grassroots structures.Mudavadi said UDA, under the broad-based government arrangement, remained strong and would seek to field candidates at all levels in the 2027 elections, from President to Members of County Assemblies.He said the party was working to expand its grassroots support ahead of the election.“We want peace and we want a free and fair election including the victory of President William Ruto whom we are working hard to secure his second term with an undisputed margin against the opposition,” Mudavadi said.Voter registrationThe Prime Cabinet Secretary also called on Western Kenya residents to increase voter registration, saying the region’s numbers remained below the targets set ahead of the closure of the exercise.He described Western Kenya as a vote-rich region and urged political leaders and residents to mobilise more eligible voters to register.“We have to come out as a people and encourage voter registration across all the counties. Our numbers are not looking good and we are ranked as a vote-rich region within the electoral framework,” Mudavadi said.