Too little too late: Ol Kalou's chilling dress rehearsal for 2027

Tomorrow, Ol Kalou residents go to the polls to select their next MP. Whereas the election would not ordinarily be high-stakes as it has turned out to be, massive voter bribery, intimidation, property destruction, and cutthroat competition between government and UDA supporters versus the opposition led by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, have been witnessed in the run-up to the election.

As all these are unfolding, the regulator, IEBC, seems to have woken up too late in the day. It has purred at the threats, slapped offenders on the wrists and buried its head, hoping the issues would dissipate.

As late as yesterday, concerns of goonism and electoral violence were raised, but those in authority skirted around the issues, with IEBC issuing threats and pledges to clamp down on the matter and the Inspector General of police avoiding the discussion, only promising to deploy officers on voting day.

The Inspector General of Police, Douglas Kanja, again failed to address attacks by goons and suspected police officers that have marred the campaigns.

Kanja spoke during a multi-agency briefing convened by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), where security agencies and electoral stakeholders updated the country on preparations for the July 16 by-election.

The Inspector General assured residents that adequate security arrangements had been put in place to safeguard polling stations, election officials, candidates and voters during the exercise but offered no explanation on why police have failed to take action against those engaging in violent conduct.

He urged residents to remain peaceful, obey lawful instructions from election officials and police officers, and allow the electoral process to proceed without disruption.

Despite heightened concerns over the security situation following a string of violent incidents reported during the campaigns, Kanja did not comment on the attacks or indicate the status of investigations into those responsible.

The issue was instead acknowledged by IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon, who said the commission had received reports of organised groups attempting to intimidate voters and disrupt the electoral process.

"There are reports of incidences of goons roaming around and, of course, facilitated by some of the actors or players. We wish to call upon all political parties, the candidates themselves and their political supporters to refrain from any acts that will constitute violence and breach of the Electoral Code of Conduct," Ethekon said.

He said the commission was working closely with the National Police Service, the National Cohesion and Integration Commission and other government agencies to ensure the by-election is conducted peacefully.

"We want this election in Ol Kalou to be the most peaceful and the most successful, conducted in an atmosphere that will allow a credible, free, fair and transparent election to happen in Ol Kalou," he said.

Gachagua wrote to the IEBC outlining what the party felt were electoral misconduct and said there were plans to disrupt the voting. He asked Ethekon to commit, and that should anything happen, he should be prepared to resign. Among the things Gachagua felt needed reaffirmation was that no police in plain clothes will be allowed into

Earlier, former Public Service Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi had also weighed in on the security situation, warning that failure to decisively deal with political violence could have far-reaching consequences for the country's democracy.

In a statement, Muturi called on the IEBC to impartially enforce electoral laws and investigate allegations arising from the Ol Kalou by-election.

"Allegations arising from the Ol Kalou by-election, including incidents of violence and voter bribery, must be investigated thoroughly and transparently. Where sufficient evidence exists, those responsible must be prosecuted and punished in accordance with the law," Muturi said.

He warned that failure to consistently enforce electoral laws risks normalising voter bribery and political violence, thereby laying the foundation for industrial-scale electoral corruption and unprecedented violence during the next General Election.

Muturi also criticised what he termed the culture of using and protecting goons, saying it undermines the rule of law and threatens Kenya's democratic and economic stability.

"The culture of using and protecting goons poses a grave threat to Kenya's democracy, economic stability and international standing," he said.

Even as security concerns dominated discussion ahead of the poll, Ethekon maintained that the commission was fully prepared to conduct Thursday's election.

"The Commission wishes to inform the nation that all preparations for the by-election scheduled for Thursday, the 16th of July 2026, to fill the position of Member of the National Assembly for Ol Kalou Constituency are progressing as scheduled. So far, several critical milestones have already been achieved," he said.

According to the commission, election materials have been procured and delivered, candidates gazetted, polling stations and tallying centres established, election technology configured and tested, ballot papers dispatched to Nyandarua County and election officials trained.

Ethekon also said the voters' register had been certified and displayed at polling stations for public verification.

"We have certified the register that will be used in Ol Kalou. This register is currently displayed at every polling station so that the citizens of Ol Kalou can verify and check if their names are there and if they are eligible to vote in their respective polling stations," he said.

He dismissed claims that the register had been manipulated.

"Anybody who claims that the register has been manipulated is spreading false, misleading and unsupported rumours. We urge the citizens to ignore any such persons, be they politicians or activists," Ethekon said.

The commission reminded voters to carry valid national identity cards or passports for biometric identification and warned that campaigning officially ended on Monday at 6 p.m.

"We request that any form of campaigning or engagement of voters after that time has ended is prohibited and anybody engaged in further campaigns contrary to the laws is committing an electoral offence and is in breach of the Electoral Code of Conduct," Ethekon said.

He further warned against taking photographs of marked ballot papers, saying the offence attracts a fine of up to Sh1 million or imprisonment for up to three years.

The commission also cautioned politicians against acting as ‘super agents’ by accessing polling stations without accreditation or attempting to interfere with the voting process.

Voting in the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election will take place on Thursday from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., with voters in the queue by the official closing time allowed to cast their ballots.