OL KALOU, Kenya- Nyandarua Senator and Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) Secretary-General John Methu has intensified grassroots campaigns for the party’s parliamentary candidate, Sammy Douglas Kamau Waweru, ahead of the July 16 Ol Kalou by-election, opting for a community-driven strategy in contrast to the ruling party’s high-profile campaign.
Over the past several weeks, Methu has been hosting dozens of strategy meetings at his Mugumo residence in Rurii Ward, bringing together local opinion leaders, village elders, youth representatives and grassroots mobilisers as DCP seeks to wrest the seat from the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
The by-election, triggered by the death of former MP David Kiaraho, has evolved into a high-stakes political contest widely viewed as an early test of political influence in the Mount Kenya region ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Unlike the UDA campaign, which has been accompanied by visits from senior government officials and the rollout of projects including subsidised LPG cylinders, rural electrification works and other public initiatives, DCP leaders say their campaign is being financed through small donations from residents and local fundraising drives.
Last month, Methu led a symbolic fundraiser in which thousands of residents contributed Sh10 each towards buying a suit for Waweru, saying the exercise demonstrated the campaign’s grassroots nature and community ownership.
The initiative raised more than Sh28,000 and was presented as a show of solidarity rather than a major fundraising exercise.
“The Sh10 movement is not about the money; it’s about the love and confidence people have in our candidate,” Methu said at the time.
Waweru, a former Member of the Nyandarua County Assembly who previously contested the seat in 2022 on a UDA ticket before joining DCP, won the party’s nomination after defeating eight rivals in the primaries.
He is seeking to unseat UDA candidate Samuel Muchina Nyagah in the closely watched contest.
DCP has also relied heavily on local elected leaders and volunteers to campaign across the constituency, holding village meetings and door-to-door engagements instead of large-scale rallies.
Meanwhile, the government’s intensified presence in Ol Kalou has attracted political scrutiny. In recent weeks, residents have witnessed the distribution of subsidised LPG cooking kits, accelerated electricity connectivity projects, free mattresses and other community programmes as senior national leaders campaign for the UDA candidate.
Government officials maintain the initiatives are part of ongoing development programmes, while opposition leaders argue the concentration of projects during the campaign period raises questions about the use of state resources in elections.
With just days before polling, both UDA and DCP have stepped up mobilisation efforts in what analysts describe as one of the country’s most closely watched by-elections, with implications extending beyond Nyandarua to the broader Mount Kenya political landscape ahead of 2027.