OL KALOU, Kenya- United Democratic Alliance (UDA) campaign merchandise was left strewn along sections of the Ol Kalou–Nyahururu Road on Monday after supporters attending the party’s final campaign rally abandoned branded items as they dispersed ahead of the close of campaigns.
The discarded merchandise, including UDA-branded T-shirts, caps, banners and other promotional materials, was seen scattered along the roadside in the aftermath of the rally held on the final day of campaigning before the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) deadline of 6:00 p.m.
Images and videos from the area showed the campaign materials littering parts of the road as supporters made their way home after the event.
The development came as political parties made their final appeal to voters before the mandatory 48-hour campaign silence ahead of Thursday’s Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election.
The race has attracted intense political interest, with senior leaders from both the Kenya Kwanza alliance and the opposition-backed Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) holding back-to-back rallies across the constituency in the final days of the campaign.
The by-election campaign has been marked by heightened political activity, allegations of voter bribery, violence, destruction of campaign materials and breaches of the Electoral Code of Conduct.
Both the IEBC and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) have expressed concern over the electoral environment and urged all stakeholders to uphold the law ahead of polling day.
Campaigns officially end at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, after which candidates and their supporters are prohibited from engaging in any further campaign activities until voting concludes on Thursday, July 16.
This version avoids suggesting the merchandise was deliberately dumped and accurately attributes it to supporters leaving the rally.