Against all odds: How Ol Kalou guarded the vote

Voters queueing in Ol Kalou on 16th July 2026.

Despite claims by the Opposition that armed men and suspected goons attacked voters in Ol Kalou, the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP)  candidate handed the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) a crushing defeat, winning by an overwhelming margin.

DCP's Sammy Douglas Kamau emerged victorious after garnering 35,440 votes against UDA's Samuel Muchina Nyaga, who received 5,450 votes.

The high-stakes by-election, held on Thursday, was marred by violence after armed men travelling in unmarked vehicles allegedly attacked residents, journalists and political supporters despite the deployment of about 2,000 police officers by Inspector General Douglas Kanja. Teargas was lobbed at several polling stations to disperse crowds, leaving several people injured as tensions flared during the voting process.

According to DCP leaders, the party had anticipated violence similar to that witnessed during last year's by-elections in Mbeere North and Malava, where Opposition candidates alleged, they were assaulted and injured. They therefore devised what they described as an elaborate strategy to safeguard their votes.

Drawing lessons from the Mbeere North by-election, where they claimed Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku stormed Gitiburi Primary School polling station and vehicles belonging to Opposition leaders were burnt, DCP officials convened strategy meetings to prepare for similar scenarios.

The strategy ranged from protecting voters at polling stations and gathering intelligence from sources within government circles to barricading roads in an effort to restrict vehicle movement and reduce the chances of alleged ballot interference.

The Standard has established that across the constituency's polling centres, DCP deployed teams of youths to keep watch outside polling stations with the aim of deterring voter bribery and reporting any suspicious activity.

Medium-sized polling centres, with more than 2,100 registered voters, were assigned about 200 youths, while larger polling centres had up to 300 coordinators.

According to party officials, the youths, most of them local residents, were tasked with identifying strangers, monitoring suspected voter bribery and documenting activities through photographs and videos.

One such incident was reported at St Joseph and Rurii polytechnics, where aides to a Kiambu MP were confronted by residents and ordered to leave the polling station. Police later escorted them away.

The party also established what it described as an emergency response unit comprising 500 motorcycles, each carrying three people. The teams responded to distress calls from polling stations and documented alleged electoral malpractice.

DCP aspirants also adopted what they called an "adopt-a-station" strategy, closely monitoring activities inside polling stations and instructing their agents to livestream the vote-counting process after polls closed.

"From the previous by-election, we learnt that despite the reported electoral malpractices, there was insufficient documentation. That is why we decided to record every incident inside and outside the polling stations," a source familiar with the plan told *The Standard*.

According to the source, the strategy helped frustrate alleged attempts by hooded and heavily armed men to raid polling stations, including St Joseph Primary School, Huruma polling station and A.C. Primary School, the constituency's largest polling centre with about 4,700 registered voters.

"It is at A.C. Primary School that heavily armed men wearing balaclavas stormed the polling station and lobbed teargas at peaceful voters who were unarmed and unprotected, but our supporters endured the ordeal to protect DCP votes," party leader Rigathi Gachagua claimed.

When DCP leaders allegedly received reports that hooded men were heading to Kihoto Primary School, coordinators felled trees to barricade the access road, preventing vehicles from reaching the polling station.

DCP coordinator Pius Kamande said: "We had studied the area and knew there was only one access road. That is why we ferried trees to block our aggressors. We only removed the barriers after the votes had been counted and recorded to allow ballot boxes to be transported to the tallying centre."

Another strategy involved urging supporters to cast their ballots between 6 am and 11 am so that voting would conclude on time and avoid extending into the night, when party officials feared ballot transportation could become vulnerable to manipulation.

"There were cases in Mbeere North where our agents claimed ballot boxes were diverted to unknown destinations at night. To avoid a repeat, our agents escorted the ballot boxes to the tallying centre and

barricaded roads leading to the venue to prevent unauthorised access," another source told *The Standard*.

DCP leaders claimed that without the elaborate strategy, the government would have infiltrated and manipulated the election in favour of its candidate.

Gatanga MP Edward Muriu, who said he was overseeing operations at A.C. Comprehensive School polling station, claimed armed men stormed the polling station and fired indiscriminately before supporters stood their ground.

"The goons caused havoc, but our people stood firm. The President used State resources, bribed voters with public money and violated the Constitution in an attempt to portray himself as popular. The Mt Kenya region has now placed him firmly on the path to political exit, with or without goons and militia," he said.

He added: "The great people of Ol Kalou have set the pace, and it will continue all the way to 2027. We are ready to restore the dignity of this country and return it to the path of prosperity, dignity and true democracy."

Other Opposition leaders also condemned the use of unmarked vehicles.

Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka described the events as "a siege".

"Bribery was deployed without shame and on such a large scale that it can only be described as disgusting. Intimidation became official policy in a desperate attempt to suppress the will of the people. Yet Ol Kalou stood firm. Their message to Kenyans is simple: remain resolute in the months ahead," he said.

He added: "This is not just a parliamentary seat won. It is a message to Mr Ruto, his administration, Kenya and the world: WANTAM. You cannot police away the will of the people. You cannot bribe away their conscience. You cannot force your way into their hearts."