Ruto unleashes Cabinet in Ol Kalou as Gachagua’s camp claims grassroots momentum

As the July 16, 2026 Ol Kalou by-election enters the home stretch, the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) has deployed heavyweights including Cabinet Secretaries as it pushes to win over former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, the presumed Mt Kenya kingpin.

Cabinet Secretaries Alice Wahome (Lands), William Kabogo (ICT), Rebecca Miano (Tourism) and Davis Chirchir (Roads), as well as Lands Principal Secretary Nixon Korir are among those who have been at the front of the campaigns, which are sees as a as a dry run for the 2027 General Election in the wider Mt Kenya region as former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua, who heads the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP), seeks to prove has decimated the massive support President William Ruto rode on to secure victory in 2022.

However, the government blitz, which has seen the CSs as well as former presidential adviser Moses Kuria commission projects worth billions of shillings in the constituency as part of an intensive government development drive has attracted criticism from Gachagua allies.

Gatanga MP Edward Muriu accused the CSs and PSs of turning official government programmes into campaign platforms.

“Cabinet Secretaries have now become shameless. They are putting their faces, those of PSs and that of the candidate on government programmes. They are issuing title deeds and building markets using public resources to galvanise support for the UDA candidate. If that is not malpractice, what is it?”

So stormy have been the campaigns with the government being forced to suspend them after chaos erupted on Thursday night with a former Member of the County Assembly being fingered by police.

“We have seen in the last few days incidents involving the destruction of government property and threats. We will not allow people, either verbally or physically, to threaten others. Everyone has the right to campaign without being disturbed,” Nyandarua County Commissioner Abdirisa Jaldesa said.

The by-election is a high stakes game as Ruto is keen end the narrative that Gachagua is the vote-rich region’s kingpin after consolidating support following his impeachment in October 2024.

DCP is backing Sammy Kamau Ngotho for the race while Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) settled on Samuel Muchina Nyagah to fly its flag.

The DCP candidate received a major boost on June 5 after deputy party leader Cleophas Malala announced that Jubilee Party’s Sammy Kigwa and Stephen Wanyoike of the National Liberal Party (NLP) had stepped down in his support.

Earlier there had been confusion after Jubilee deputy party leader Jeremiah Kioni insisted they will defend the seat.

Other candidates cleared by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) are People’s Renaissance Movement candidate Timothy Kamau, Edwin Muchiri of Party of National Unity (PNU), Edward Mwaniki of the Kenya Moja Movement, and Abdifatah Hussein of the Federal Party of Kenya.

While Deputy President Kithure Kindiki was initially expected to lead campaigns for Nyagah, he has not visited the constituency with the task largely being left to Kinangop MP Kwenya Thuku and Nyandarua Woman Rep Faith Gitau with support from Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru.

In their campaigns, they have been dangling goodies such as the construction of a railway line to Nyahururu, revival of Ol Kalou stadium and last-mile electricity connections to woo the electorate.

On the other hand, Ngotho’s campaigns are led by DCP Secretary General John Methu with Gachagua so far keeping off the fray.