Ol Kalou voters will head to the polls on Thursday to elect a new Member of Parliament in a closely watched by-election that is expected to offer an early indication of political alignments in Central Kenya ahead of the 2027 General Election.
A total of 73,480 registered voters across five wards are expected to cast their ballots at 144 polling stations beginning at 6:00AM.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has confirmed its readiness for the exercise, with election materials set to be issued to presiding officers before being transported to the 144 polling stations across the constituency.
Ol Kalou Returning Officer Muhiu Njiraini expressed confidence in the security arrangements put in place ahead of the poll and urged residents to turn out in large numbers to cast their votes.
“We are ready for this by-election. All election materials have been packed and are ready for deployment to all 144 polling stations,” said Njiraini.
“We urge everybody to come out and vote. There should be no fear of intimidation whatsoever,” he added.
The Ol Kalou parliamentary seat fell vacant following the death of David Kiaraho on March 29, 2026, while he was undergoing treatment at Nairobi Hospital.
The contest has attracted eight candidates, with the main battle shaping up between Samuel Muchina Nyagah of UDA, Sammy Kamau Ngotho of DCP and the Jubilee Party candidate, as the former ruling party seeks to reclaim a seat it won in the 2022 General Election.
Other candidates in the race are Timothy Kamau of the People’s Renaissance Movement, Edwin Muchiri of PNU, Stephen Wanyoike of the National Liberal Party, Rachael Njoroge, Edward Mwaniki of the Kenya Moja Movement and Abdifatah Hussein of the Federal Party of Kenya.
