Voters queue to cast their ballots in the West Kabras MCA by-election at Bulupi Friends Primary School in Malava. [Benjamin Sakwa, Standard].
Violence claims and low turnout mark Isiolo, Kakamega mini-polls
Counties
By
David Njaaga
| Feb 26, 2026
Voters queue outside Daawa Primary School polling station in Isiolo South Constituency. [Ali Abdi, Standard]
Voters across four constituencies went to the polls on Thursday in by-elections spanning Isiolo, Kakamega and Embu counties, a contest marked by a sibling rivalry in Isiolo South and allegations of violence in West Kabras ward, Kakamega County.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) confirmed that voting is underway for the Member of the National Assembly for Isiolo South Constituency and for Members of the County Assembly in West Kabras, Muminji and Evurore wards, with polls opening at 6 a.m. and scheduled to close at 5 p.m.
The by-elections stem from a mix of transitions and tragedy. The Isiolo South parliamentary seat fell vacant following the death of MP Mohamed Tubi Bidu on November 12, 2025, while receiving treatment in Nairobi.
The West Kabras ward seat opened after Ndakwa won the Malava Constituency parliamentary seat.
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In Embu County, the Muminji and Evurore ward seats were declared vacant after their MCAs, Newton Kariuki and Duncan Mbui, resigned to contest and subsequently lost the Mbeere North parliamentary seat.
In Isiolo South, 22,181 registered voters spread across 61 polling stations faced a choice with no precedent, picking between a brother and his elder sister as their next MP.
Tubi Mohamed Tubi of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) faces Bina Mohamed Tubi of Jubilee in the contest.
The sibling rivalry has been co-opted by the country's dominant political forces, with each offspring becoming a flag-bearer for their respective patron, shaping the local succession contest into a proxy war between President William Ruto and his predecessor, Uhuru Kenyatta, for political influence in northern Kenya.
Polling clerks at several stations reported poor voter turnout across the vast, remote constituency.
In West Kabras ward, Malava MP David Ndakwa alleged that armed goons hired by opponents attacked and injured his supporters and destroyed his vehicle during the exercise.
Ndakwa cast his vote at Mkongolo Primary School. Higher Education Principal Secretary Beatrice Inyangala was among officials overseeing the exercise at Bulupi Friends Primary School in Malava, alongside IEBC officials, as police kept vigil.
In West Kabras, six candidates are contesting the county assembly seat, while Muminji ward has seven candidates, and Evurore ward has 10.
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