OL KALOU, Nyandarua- A series of brazen security incidents have rocked the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election after masked, armed men attacked several polling stations and targeted journalists covering the high-stakes vote.
The incidents unfolded despite the deployment of more than 1,000 police officers to secure the constituency during the by-election, which has attracted national attention as a key political contest ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Among those affected were journalists from Nation Media Group, who were attacked while covering voting at A.C. Primary School polling station.
According to Nation Media Group, an NTV cameraman was reportedly subdued with a stun gun, beaten and robbed of his camera, while the accompanying reporter had a mobile phone taken away at gunpoint by armed men wearing balaclavas.
The motive behind the attack was not immediately established.
The incidents came against a backdrop of heightened security, with Inspector General Douglas Kanja having announced the deployment of over 1,000 officers—including personnel from the General Service Unit (GSU), Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and Anti-Stock Theft Unit (ASTU)—to safeguard voters, election officials and polling stations.
Despite the security breaches, voting continued across the constituency, with thousands of residents turning out from early morning to elect a new Member of Parliament following the death of former MP David Njuguna Kiaraho.
The by-election has been preceded by weeks of political tension, with human rights groups raising concerns over violence, voter intimidation, alleged bribery and other incidents that could undermine the credibility of the poll.