Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) candidate Sammy Kamau Ngotho has been declared the winner of the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election after securing a commanding victory. According to official results released by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) on Friday morning, Kamau garnered 35,440 votes, defeating United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate Samuel Muchina Nyaga, who received 5,450 votes.
Other candidates trailed far behind, with Jubilee Party’s Wilson Kigwa finishing third with 198 votes. He was followed by Stephen Wanyoike Waithaka (NLP) with 103 votes, Timothy Kamau Kariuki (PM) with 51, Edwin Kariiri Muchiri (PNU) with 28, Abdifatah Hussein Abdullahi (FPK) with 19, Edward Mathenge Mwaniki (KMM) with 16, and Rachael Wangui Njoroge (PDP) with 11 votes. The IEBC reported a voter turnout of 57 percent, with 41,656 ballots cast out of 73,480 registered voters.
The high-profile by-election, held on Thursday, was marked by tension and incidents of violence. Reports indicated that unidentified armed individuals in unmarked vehicles disrupted voting in some areas, targeting residents, journalists, and political supporters. Security forces were forced to use teargas to disperse crowds at several polling stations, leaving a number of people injured.
The contest had drawn significant national attention, with analysts viewing it as a political face-off between President William Ruto’s UDA and the Democracy for the Citizens Party led by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. The by-election was necessitated by the death of former Ol Kalou MP David Kiaraho, making it the constituency’s first parliamentary contest since the 2022 General Election.
Campaigns leading up to the vote were intense, with politicians from across the political divide actively mobilizing support. Allegations of voter inducement through cash handouts were also reported from both sides during the campaign period. With the results now declared, attention is expected to turn to the broader political implications, particularly how the outcome may influence strategies ahead of the 2027 General Election.
