Ruto breaks silence over DCP Ol Kalou landslide

President William Ruto. [PCS]

 President William Ruto has urged Kenyans to resist using elections as a tool for division, saying political contests come and go but national unity must remain.

Ruto spoke on Friday during a meeting with grassroots leaders from Bungoma County at State House, Nairobi, led by Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa.

"There will be Kenya after the election, and we must live together as brothers and sisters of one nation," said Ruto.

The remarks came hours after the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) declared Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) candidate Sammy Douglas Kamau Waweru winner of the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election, defeating the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate Samuel Muchina Nyagah by 35,440 votes to 5,450.

The contest, triggered by the death of former Ol Kalou MP David Njuguna Kiaraho, had been framed as an early test of strength between Ruto's UDA and a DCP camp aligned with former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua ahead of the 2027 General Election.

DCP's landslide win, its first parliamentary seat since the party's formation, is expected to sharpen political realignments in the Mt Kenya region.

The President cautioned politicians against splitting Kenyans along ethnic lines and urged leaders to prioritise cohesion over divisive rhetoric.

"Once an election is over, we must remember that this country belongs to all of us," he said.

Ruto told leaders they would be judged on their development record rather than campaign promises.

"The most important thing is to ensure that the lives of the people who vote for us improve," he noted.

He linked Kenya's transformation to sustained investment in development projects and asked citizens to back leaders with concrete economic plans.

"We want to take this country forward," he added.

The President reaffirmed his government's commitment to equitable development, saying no region would be left out.

"We have the means to transform every part of Kenya," Ruto said.