Wajir Woman Rep Jehow clarifies election rigging remarks

Wajir Woman Representative Fatuma Jehow has defended herself over remarks that recently sparked uproar on social media, insisting that she never meant to suggest election rigging.

Speaking during a public event in Lagdera Constituency, Wajir, on Sunday, August 24, 2025, where Deputy President Kithure Kindiki was also present, Jehow admitted she had made a “slip of the tongue” in her earlier comments.

“The other day I slipped. I said some words that spread all over social media. Today, I want to correct them,” she told the gathering.

Jehow explained that what she meant to emphasize was the importance of national identity cards and the power of the ballot.

She said her community’s true “weapon” was not manipulation of elections but rather full participation in the democratic process.

“Our weapon is the vote. The President removed the vetting requirement. We will take IDs, we will vote, and that will be our weapon,” she clarified.

The vetting requirement she referred to was a decades-old process that restricted the issuance of ID cards in Northern Kenya, which President William Ruto recently abolished.

The move was widely welcomed in the region, where residents had long complained of discrimination in accessing national documents.

Jehow’s clarification follows a storm that erupted on Saturday, July 12, 2025, after she made controversial remarks at another public meeting.

At the time, she had declared that leaders from the Northeastern region were prepared to rig the 2027 elections in favor of President William Ruto, a statement that quickly went viral and drew heavy criticism.

“We leaders from Northeastern, when it comes to matters of the President, we say we will ensure he wins. Even if we don’t have the votes, we will steal for him… that is not a secret,” she was quoted as saying in July. She had gone on to dismiss concerns over low voter registration numbers in the region, further fueling the backlash.

Now, the Woman Representative says her words were taken out of context and misinterpreted.

She emphasized that her support for the Kenya Kwanza government remains strong and that her focus is on encouraging voter registration and turnout in her region.

Jehow also underlined her backing for Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, suggesting that political leadership within the coalition should follow a clear rotation.

“When the President finishes his five years, the Deputy President should also serve his five years. After that, it will be our turn. Let us not deceive each other,” she said.

Her remarks are the latest in a series of attempts to calm political tensions after her earlier statements sparked a wave of criticism online and raised questions about the integrity of future elections.