NAIROBI, Kenya, July 9 — Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua has alleged that there are attempts to postpone the July 16 Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election, claiming the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is under pressure to delay the vote.
In a statement on Thursday, Gachagua claimed President William Ruto had spent billions of shillings on development projects and voter inducements in Ol Kalou without gaining the desired political support.
He further said that there were plans to trigger violence ahead of the by-election to create grounds for postponing the poll.
Gachagua also accused the IEBC of failing to enforce the Electoral Code of Conduct, alleging that Cabinet Secretaries and Principal Secretaries had openly campaigned for the ruling party’s candidate.
The former deputy president urged the electoral commission to proceed with the by-election as scheduled on Thursday, July 16, saying residents of Ol Kalou have a constitutional right to elect their Member of Parliament.
“If the IEBC has no capacity to conduct a single by-election, then Kenyans will conclude that it cannot conduct the 2027 General Election,” Gachagua said.
His remarks come amid an increasingly heated campaign in the Nyandarua constituency, where the by-election was called following the death of former MP David Kiaraho.
The contest has attracted significant attention from both the Kenya Kwanza administration and opposition leaders.
In recent weeks, senior government officials have launched several development initiatives in the constituency, including a subsidised liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) programme and other projects, which opposition leaders have criticised as politically motivated.
Government officials have maintained that the initiatives are part of ongoing development programmes.
The IEBC has maintained that the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election will be held on July 16, 2026, in accordance with the election timetable published in the Kenya Gazette.