Ol Kalou residents are heading to the polls, with 73,480 registered voters set to elect a new Member of Parliament in a by-election that has attracted nine candidates. The Kenya Times begins its live coverage as Ol Kalou decides.
The by-election is being seen as a key test of political support between President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA), which backs Samuel Muchina Nyagah, and former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), which backs Sammy Kamau Ngotho.
Other candidates vying for the seat include Edwin Muchiri of the Party of National Unity (PNU), Stephen Wanyoike of the National Liberal Party (NLP), Rachael Njoroge (Independent), Edward Mwaniki of the Kenya Moja Movement (KMM), Abdifatah Hussein of the Federal Party of Kenya (FPK), Timothy Kamau of the People’s Renaissance Movement (PRM), and Moses Njoroge Macharia of the Jubilee Party.
7:30 PM: Latest Provisional Results
These are provisional results based on the DCP Election Results update released at 7:30 p.m. as vote tallying continues.
| Rank | Candidate | Party | Votes | Percentage |
| 1 | Sammy Douglas Kamau Waweru | Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) | 18,186 | 85.5% |
| 2 | Samuel Muchina Nyagah | United Democratic Alliance (UDA) | 2,949 | 13.9% |
| 3 | Wilson Mwaniki Kigwa | Jubilee Party (JP) | 65 | 0.3% |
| 4 | Stephen Wanyoike Waithaka | National Liberal Party (NLP) | 30 | 0.1% |
| 5 | Timothy Kamau Kariuki | People’s Renaissance Party (PRM) | 17 | 0.1% |
7: 18 PM: More Than Half of Ol Kalou Polling Centres Counted
More than half of the Ol Kalou by-election results have now been published, with 74 of the 144 polling centres tallied. DCP candidate Sammy Douglas Kamau Waweru continues to lead with 17,012 votes (85.6%), ahead of UDA’s Samuel Muchina Nyagah, who has 2,744 votes (13.8%)
6: 56 PM: Ngotho Projected to Win Ol Kalou By-Election
Provisional results from the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election show Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) candidate Sammy Douglas Kamau Waweru taking an early lead with 7,600 votes (86.5%) from 35 of the 144 polling centres published.
UDA candidate Samuel Muchina Nyagah is second with 1,144 votes (13.0%). The IEBC portal also shows published voter turnout at 54%, with tallying still underway and results remaining provisional.
6:16 PM: Murkomen Orders Probe Into Claims of Armed Men Causing Chaos
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has said the government will investigate allegations that hooded, armed men disrupted activities in Ol Kalou during the by-election.
The CS said security agencies will establish the facts surrounding the claims and take appropriate action against anyone found to have broken the law.
5: 33 PM: Police Deploy Water Cannons in Ol Kalou as Vote Counting Gets Underway
Police have deployed water cannons in Ol Kalou as security remains on high alert following the close of polling.
5: 26 PM: IEBC Bars ‘Super Agents’ and State Officers From Roaming Polling Stations
The IEBC has reminded stakeholders that there is no legal provision for “super agents” or any unauthorized persons, including political party leaders, to operate inside polling stations or tallying centres.
The commission also said that state and public officers who are registered voters may vote only at their designated polling stations and are not permitted to move from one polling station to another during the election.
5: 00 PM: Polling Stations Closed
Polling stations in the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election have officially closed after a day of voting.
Election officials are now beginning the counting of ballots, with the IEBC expected to provide updates on the tallying process and provisional results as they become available.
4:57 PM: Ol Kalou By-Election Voter Turnout Hits 38.2% by 1 pm
3:45 PM: Gachagua Address
Rigathi Gachagua claims there is a plan to overturn the election results and, if that fails, to cancel the election and order a fresh vote.
Gachagua has said the scenes witnessed during the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election should not be repeated, warning they could lead to what he described as a “civil war” during the 2027 General Election.
According to him, the chaos is being orchestrated by the government after the DCP candidate garnered more votes.
3:30 PM: Running Battles Erupt in Ol Kalou
Running battles erupted in Ol Kalou as police and residents clashed over allegations of voter bribery and claims that unauthorized individuals had infiltrated polling stations.
3:12 PM: Tension Erupts After Masked Armed Men Storm AC Primary Polling Station
Panic erupted at AC Primary School polling station after armed men wearing balaclavas arrived and lobbed teargas at residents gathered outside the polling centre.
3: 07 PM: Nation Media Journalists Attacked While Covering Ol Kalou By-Election
Journalists from Nation Media Group were attacked by armed men wearing balaclavas while covering the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election at AC Primary School polling station.
During the incident, an NTV cameraman was reportedly tased, assaulted and had his camera confiscated, while a reporter was robbed of his phone at gunpoint.
2: 50PM: Residents Celebrate After Sending Away Ant-Riot Police Officers
Anti-riot police officers withdrew from AC Primary School polling station following a brief standoff with residents over the contents of a police vehicle.
Some residents cheered as the officers departed, while voting continued under heightened scrutiny.
2:45 PM: Teargas Lobbed at Voters Camping Outside Polling Station
Tension flared outside Ol Kalou Comprehensive School polling station after teargas was lobbed at voters who had remained outside the polling centre.
Residents alleged that the canisters were thrown by individuals travelling in civilian vehicles.
However, it had not been established by the time of publication whether those involved were police officers or other security personnel.
2:30 PM: Former MP’s Wife Has Cast Her Vote
Jackie Kiaraho, the widow of former Ol Kalou MP David Kiaraho, cast her vote at Gachwe Primary School Polling Station in Karau Ward.
2:20 PM: Police Bags Found to Contain Uniforms
After residents demanded that police officers’ bags be searched, an inspection revealed that the bags contained police uniforms and plain clothes.
2: 05 PM: Gachagua Calls For a Conference
Former Deputy President and DCP Party Leader Rigathi Gachagua announced that he will hold a press conference at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 16, 2026, at his Wamunyoro residence in Nyeri to address alleged police violence and electoral fraud during the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election.
1: 50 PM: Police Forced to Open Their Bags
Police officers were forced to open their bags for inspection after residents at an Ol Kalou polling station alleged they were carrying election materials.
1: 40 PM: Police Denied Entry
Tension flared at Ol Kalou Comprehensive School after residents chanting “Hakuna kuingia!” confronted police officers, forcing them back into their vehicle.
1: 30 PM: Residents Vow to Monitor Voting Process
In the aftermath of the incident, some residents said they would not leave the polling station until voting ended, arguing they wanted to protect the integrity of the electoral process.
12: 50 PM: Vehicle Triggers Security Scare at Ol Kalou Polling Centre
Voting at St Joseph Catholic Comprehensive School polling station in Ol Kalou was briefly disrupted after the unexpected entry of a vehicle into the polling centre triggered concern among voters.
Voters present said a Volkswagen vehicle drove into the polling station compound during the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election, prompting residents and those waiting to vote to confront its occupants, fearing the incident could compromise the security of the electoral process.
Following the intervention of election officials and security officers, the vehicle exited the polling station, easing tensions among voters.
On the issue, Central Regional Commissioner Joshua Nkanatha warned that driving a vehicle without a number plate is illegal during the ongoing Ol Kalou by-election.
12:00 Noon: Voting Continues
Long queues are still being witnessed across polling stations, with even elderly people turning up to cast their votes.
11: 00 AM: DCP Candidate Speaks
Kamau has expressed confidence that he will emerge victorious in the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election, saying his campaign has positioned him well for the seat.
10: 30 AM: DCP Candidate Cast His Vote
DCP Candidate Sammy Kamau casts vote at AC Primary school, Olkalou.
09: 55AM: Ademba Allans Claims He Is Arrested
Photojournalist Ademba Allans has claimed he was arrested in Ol Kalou.
In a post on X, Ademba wrote: “I’ve been arrested. Niko Ol Kalou DCI.”
09: 00 AM: Commissioner on Vehicle Being Burnt
Central Regional Commissioner Joshua Nkanatha said authorities had not received any report of a vehicle being set ablaze, dismissing claims made by UDA candidate Samuel Muchina Nyagah that one of his agents’ vehicles was attacked on the eve of the Ol Kalou by-election.
According to Nkanatha, the alleged incident had not been reported to the police.
08: 32 AM: UDA Candidate Casts His Vote
UDA candidate Samuel Muchina has arrived at Huruma Primary School Polling Station in Ol Kalou to cast his vote.
Nyagah said security had improved on polling day, noting that police officers had been deployed across the constituency.
“I feel today the security is well organized, they are everywhere, the security is quite well today apart from yesterday. One of my vehicles that was ferrying my agent was burnt by goons, but the situation was controlled,” he said.
08:20 AM: Slow Biometric Verification Process Reported
Voting was slowed at several polling stations in the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election after delays in biometric voter identification using the Kenya Integrated Election Management System (KIEMS).
The slow verification process led to long queues, with some voters reporting they had waited for hours after arriving early in the morning.
07: 00 AM: Long Queues Observed
Long queues formed at Rurii Polytechnic and Huruma Primary School, where United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate Samuel Muchina Nyagah is expected to cast his ballot.
DCP Deputy Party Leader Cleophas Malala expressed confidence in the electoral process, saying voting had been peaceful and that residents had turned out in large numbers to exercise their democratic right.
“We are certain that today will be a good day. It has been peaceful, and the people of Ol Kalou have turned out in large numbers to exercise their democratic right,” Malala Said.
O6: 30 AM: Voting Begins
Polling stations opened at 6:00 a.m. and will close at 5:00 p.m. The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) stated that any time lost during polling will be recovered by extending voting hours.
The commission also said that voters who are in the queue by 5:00 p.m. will be allowed to cast their ballots.
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