OL KALOU, Kenya- The late Samuel Muchina Nyaga, the longtime personal assistant to the late David Njuguna Kiaraho, has secured the United Democratic Alliance ticket for the upcoming Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election scheduled for July 16.
Results announced by the party late Friday showed Muchina garnered 3,221 votes, narrowly defeating his closest challenger, George Wambugu Kanuri, who received 3,077 votes.
The tightly contested primaries attracted 10 candidates and recorded a total of 8,258 votes cast, according to party figures. Political observers described voter turnout as relatively low despite heightened interest surrounding the seat.
Other aspirants in the race included Peter Njoroge Mugo, who secured 1,049 votes, Mary Nyokabi Kamau with 406 votes, and Peter Chuchu Njuguna with 158 votes.
Additional candidates were Maina Kiambati, Joseph Ndirangu, Ezekiah Kamweru, Daniel Ndungu, and Stanley Mwangi.
Jimmy Kahindi officially handed Muchina the nomination certificate at Mumbi Primary School after the conclusion of tallying.
UDA conducted the nominations electronically, with party members casting ballots through digital tablets instead of traditional paper voting systems.
Ahead of the exercise, the party directed dissatisfied aspirants to file complaints with the UDA Electoral and Nomination Dispute Resolution Committee within 24 hours after the declaration of results.
“All electoral disputes should be lodged before the ENDRC within twenty-four hours upon declaration of results or nomination decision giving rise to the dispute,” ENDRC Chair Adrian Kamotho said in a statement before the polls.
The Ol Kalou parliamentary seat fell vacant following the death of Kiaraho on March 29, 2026.
The three-term legislator died at the age of 62 while undergoing cancer treatment at The Nairobi Hospital.
The by-election is expected to attract significant political attention in the Mount Kenya region, with the newly formed Democracy for the Citizens Party emerging as a possible challenger to UDA’s dominance in the constituency.
Among those expected to contest the DCP nomination are Kiragu Wathuta and Isaac Ndirangu.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission has set the Ol Kalou by-election for Thursday, July 16, 2026.
