NAIROBI, Kenya — The ODM-affiliated Linda Mwananchi movement is set to return to the Mt Kenya region this week with a series of political engagements in Nyandarua County, as campaigns intensify ahead of the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election.
Murang’a Governor Irungu Kang’ata announced that the tour will begin with a church service at Kanjuri Church before leaders address residents in Ngorika, Ol Kalou Town and Nyahururu.
The visit marks the movement’s latest push to strengthen its political presence in the Mt Kenya region, following a high-profile rally in Thika held about a month ago.
The planned engagements come as political parties make a final appeal to voters ahead of the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election scheduled for July 16.
The contest has attracted heightened political attention, with rival camps seeking to consolidate support in a constituency viewed as strategically significant in the run-up to the 2027 General Election.
Linda Mwananchi, which has been associated with the opposition and enjoys support from leaders within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), has in recent months expanded its grassroots mobilisation efforts beyond its traditional strongholds.
The Nyandarua visit also follows heightened political tensions after Friday’s attack on a Linda Mwananchi convoy in Kisii County, in which one supporter was killed and several others injured. Police have since launched investigations into the incident and arrested suspects linked to the violence.
Political campaigns for the Ol Kalou by-election are expected to intensify in the coming days as candidates and their supporters seek to sway undecided voters before the July 16 poll.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is expected to oversee the by-election, with security agencies under pressure to ensure peaceful campaigns and safeguard the constitutional rights of all political actors to assemble and campaign freely.