DCP Wins Ol Kalou By-Election in Landslide, Defeats UDA
The Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) won the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election after its candidate, Sammy Douglas Kamau Waweru, secured 35,440 votes.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) declared Waweru the winner ahead of United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate Samuel Muchina Nyagah, who received 5,450 votes. The remaining candidates finished well behind the two leading contenders, reflecting the dominance of DCP and UDA in the closely watched contest.
The IEBC said voter turnout was 57 percent, with 41,656 ballots cast from 73,480 registered voters. The Commission described the election as peaceful and orderly and thanked voters, candidates, political parties, security agencies, observers and the media for supporting a credible process.
The by-election was held after the death of former MP David Njuguna Kiaraho, leaving the Ol Kalou parliamentary seat vacant. The result gives DCP an important parliamentary seat in Nyandarua County, a region that has remained politically significant in the Mt Kenya area.
The race was widely viewed as a contest between supporters of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and President William Ruto’s UDA, with senior leaders from both sides campaigning in the constituency. Waweru’s large margin of victory is expected to strengthen DCP’s position as it seeks to expand its support ahead of the 2027 General Election.
For UDA, the result marks a defeat in a constituency where the party had invested heavily. Speaking a day after the results were announced, President Ruto called on Kenyans to maintain peace and national unity.
Addressing leaders from Bungoma at State House in Nairobi, he said elections should not be treated as matters of “life and death” and urged leaders to avoid deepening political divisions.
“There will be Kenya after the election, and we must live together as brothers and sisters of one nation,” the President said.
He added that leaders should focus on improving the lives of citizens instead of encouraging political rivalry. The Ol Kalou by-election is likely to influence political calculations in the Mt Kenya region ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The outcome strengthens DCP’s presence in the area and provides an early indication of voter sentiment as political parties prepare for the next national polls.
