Former Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria now says the 20,000 liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders distributed to Ol Kalou residents will be refilled at retail shops designated by the National Oil Company in the Constituency.
In a statement issued on July 18, Kuria, who played a central role in the concluded campaigns, assured that the LPG cylinders distributed to residents would continue to be refilled through selected retail outlets under a government programme.
His statement followed questions on the fate of the cylinders and other pending projects launched during the campaigns for the Ol Kalou parliamentary seat.
“The 20,000 LPG gas cylinders will be refilled at retail shops in Ol Kalou to be designated by the National Oil Company of Kenya,” said Kuria.
Moses Kuria made the announcement after congratulating MP-elect Kamau Ngotho on his victory, saying the people of Ol Kalou had spoken and that the government would continue implementing all ongoing development projects in the constituency.
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“This morning I have called MP-elect Hon Kamau Ngotho to congratulate him for his resounding victory. The people of Ol Kalou have spoken, and it is clear Hon Ngotho has the overwhelming support of the people of Ol Kalou.”
Kuria said that, as the person who had been coordinating government development projects in the constituency, he had assured the MP-elect that none of the projects would be halted.
Olkalou Government Projects to Continue
Among the projects listed by Kuria is the continued construction of Nyandarua University, tarmacking of the Ithagani–Nyaituga–Ngorika–Kanyiriti road and the Lake Ol Bolosat access road.
He also said the Nairobi–Gilgil–Ol Kalou–Nyahururu railway line will continue operating daily for cargo services and every Tuesday and Friday for passenger transport.
Other projects set to continue include the completion of 36 electrification projects, expansion of water connections by the Central Rift Water Works Agency and Ol Kalou Water Company, and the refill programme for the 20,000 LPG gas cylinders.
Kuria further said the government will continue supporting agriculture by distributing 100,000 avocado seedlings, with farmers expected to begin exporting avocados to China in the next two years.
He added that irrigation on 1,000 hectares under the Gwa Kiongo Dam project would continue, alongside Blue Economy initiatives in Gwa Kiongo, Githunguri and Lake Ol Bolosat.
Also Read: Ol Kalou MP-Elect Ngotho Sends Brutal Message to Ruto in His Inaugural Speech
Housing, Markets and Youth Programmes
According to Kuria, several infrastructure and social projects will also proceed, including completion of the Mashujaa Wing at JM Kariuki Hospital, Ol Kalou Stadium, affordable housing developments and hostels at Rurii TVET.
He said the government will also complete the modernization of the Ol Kalou retail market, the Ol Kalou wholesale market, and the Mirangine market, while retaining the Ol Kalou Land Registry and continuing to issue title deeds to residents in colonial villages, including Moa Farm.
In addition, Kuria said five ward-based digital hubs will remain operational, smartboards and laptop teaching aids already supplied to schools will continue to be used, while youths employed under the Climate Workx programme will remain in their jobs until the end of their contractual period.
He concluded by expressing hope that both development and democracy would prevail following the by-election.
“In a nutshell, both democracy and development will win because elections are not a matter of life and death, ” Kuria stated.
UDA Defends Distribution of Campaign Items
The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) admitted that the items distributed to Ol Kalou residents during the campaign period formed part of its election activities, while maintaining that beneficiaries should keep them despite the party’s heavy defeat in the by-election.
Speaking after the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) declared Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) candidate Sammy Kamau the winner, UDA Secretary General Hassan Omar said residents would not be asked to return the gas cylinders and other items issued during the campaign.
“The gas cylinders will remain in Ol Kalou. They will not burst. It is part of what people do in elections. Elections present different opportunities for different people. It happens everywhere,” Omar said.
Omar said the ruling party remained committed to completing the development projects it had initiated in the constituency despite losing the parliamentary seat.
“What we want to assure the residents is that we will finish the projects we had undertaken to deliver,” he said.
In the final days of the campaign, UDA intensified its outreach in Ol Kalou by distributing LPG gas cylinders, mattresses and other household items, while also commissioning projects, including borehole drilling.
At the time, both the government and the ruling party defended the initiatives, saying they were part of ongoing development programmes rather than campaign incentives.
Opposition Criticized the Giveaways Before Poll Victory
The opposition, led by Rigathi Gachagua’s Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), rejected that explanation, accusing the government and UDA of using state resources to influence voters.
Opposition leaders also called on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to investigate what they described as voter bribery.
Even as they criticized the distribution of the items, DCP leaders urged residents to accept the goodies but to vote for the party’s candidate, Sammy Kamau, rather than UDA’s Samuel Muchina Nyaga.
The strategy appeared to pay off.
According to the IEBC, Kamau garnered 35,440 votes to defeat Muchina Nyaga, who secured 5,460 votes, handing the ruling party one of its heaviest by-election defeats in recent years.
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