NAIROBI, Kenya — Ol Kalou town turned green on Tuesday as hundreds of Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) supporters escorted the party’s parliamentary candidate, Sammy Kamau Ngotho to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) offices to submit his nomination papers ahead of the upcoming by-election.
Supporters dressed in DCP colours thronged the streets singing pro-Rigathi Gachagua slogans and waving party flags as Ngotho formally presented his papers to the electoral commission in a show of political strength that underscored the growing rivalry between former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s DCP and President William Ruto’s UDA in Mt Kenya politics.
The Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election is scheduled for July 16, 2026, following the death of area MP David Njuguna Kiaraho in March this year.
Ngotho, a former MCA and one-time protocol officer in Gachagua’s office, is seeking to clinch the seat on a DCP ticket in what is shaping up to be a politically charged contest viewed as an early supremacy battle between Gachagua and President Ruto in the Mt Kenya region.
The DCP candidate won the party nominations earlier this month after garnering 12,957 votes against Paul Waiganjo’s 4,978 votes.
Speaking after submitting his nomination papers, Ngotho expressed confidence of victory, saying residents of Ol Kalou were ready for change and determined to send a political message ahead of the 2027 General Election.
“This is more than just a by-election. The people of Ol Kalou want leadership that listens to them and stands with them,” he said.
The colourful procession brought business to a temporary standstill in parts of Ol Kalou town as DCP supporters marched alongside motorcycles and vehicles branded in party colours.
The race is expected to attract national attention as DCP seeks to wrestle the seat from UDA, whose candidate, Samuel Muchina Nyagah also submitted nomination papers to IEBC.
Political analysts say the mini-poll will serve as a major test of Gachagua’s influence in the Mt Kenya region following his fallout with President Ruto and eventual exit from government.
The by-election has already generated intense political activity, with candidates embarking on aggressive grassroots mobilisation campaigns as parties seek to consolidate support in Nyandarua County.
