Battle for Ol Kalou gathers pace as political heavyweights join high-stakes mini-poll
Curiously, Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, initially expected to spearhead UDA's campaign machinery, has maintained a low profile and is yet to tour the constituency, a move political observers interpret as an attempt to avoid personalising a contest whose outcome carries significant political risks.
With less than a month to the July 16, 2026 Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election, campaigns have shifted into top gear, drawing senior political figures into what is increasingly shaping up to be a proxy contest for supremacy in the Mt Kenya region ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The seat fell vacant following the death of Jubilee Party Member of Parliament (MP) David Kiaraho earlier this year, but the race has rapidly evolved beyond a local contest into a test of political influence between former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza administration.
For Gachagua, whose fallout with President Ruto culminated in his impeachment in October 2024, the by-election presents the first major opportunity to demonstrate that he still commands significant support in the vote-rich Mt Kenya region.
Through his Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP), he is backing businessman Sammy Kamau Ngotho in a bid that allies say will validate claims that the former deputy president remains the region’s undisputed political mobiliser.
President Ruto, meanwhile, is keen to dismantle the narrative that Gachagua retains a firm grip on Mt Kenya politics.
A strong showing by United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate Samuel Muchina Nyagah would strengthen the president’s argument that government development projects and the incumbency advantage remain potent political assets despite growing discontent in parts of the region.
The stakes have attracted an array of political heavyweights to the campaigns.
UDA has deployed a team comprising Tourism Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano, Head of Special Projects in the President’s Office Dennis Itumbi, former Public Service Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria, Kinangop MP Kwenya Thuku, Nyandarua Woman Representative Faith Gitau and Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru to rally support for Nyagah.
Their campaigns have largely centred on promises of development, including the proposed extension of a railway line to Nyahururu, revival of the stalled Ol Kalou Stadium project and accelerated last-mile electricity connectivity programmes.
Curiously, Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, initially expected to spearhead UDA’s campaign machinery, has maintained a low profile and is yet to tour the constituency, a move political observers interpret as an attempt to avoid personalising a contest whose outcome carries significant political risks.
On the opposition side, Ngotho received a boost after DCP deputy party leader Cleophas Malala announced that Jubilee candidate Sammy Kigwa and Stephen Wanyoike of the National Liberal Party had withdrawn in his favour.
The endorsement appeared to settle an earlier standoff within Jubilee after deputy party leader Jeremiah Kioni insisted the party would defend the seat.
Ngotho’s campaign has largely been coordinated by DCP Secretary-General John Methu, with Gachagua keeping away from active campaigning after announcing a 45-day retreat at his Wamunyoro residence in Nyeri.
The retreat, which Gachagua describes as a strategic consultation aimed at strengthening DCP structures and helping shape a united opposition ahead of 2027, initially sparked concerns among supporters that he could stay away from the Ol Kalou race.
However, his allies dismiss such fears, arguing that the retreat is largely symbolic and that Gachagua remains available to join the campaign trail if circumstances demand.
They maintain that his political influence in Nyandarua was already demonstrated during Kiaraho’s burial, where he tapped into local grievances over the high cost of living, delayed projects and unfulfilled campaign pledges by the Kenya Kwanza administration.
Besides the two frontrunners, other candidates cleared by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission are Timothy Kamau of the People’s Renaissance Movement, Edwin Muchiri of the Party of National Unity (PNU), Edward Mwaniki of the Kenya Moja Movement and Abdifatah Hussein of the Federal Party of Kenya.
Political pundits contend that the broader significance lies in whether the mini-polls will reaffirm Gachagua’s standing as Mt Kenya’s leading opposition voice or provide President Ruto’s allies with evidence that the region’s political loyalties are shifting ahead of 2027 General Elections.
