Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) candidate Sammy Kamau Ngotho has won the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election, defeating United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate Samuel Muchina Nyagah in a heavily contested race.
Ngotho garnered 35,440 votes while Nyagah received 5,450.
Ngotho, who was backed by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, succeeds the late Ol Kalou MP David Njuguna Kiaraho, who died in March 2026 while receiving treatment at The Nairobi Hospital.
The by-election was viewed as a political test between President William Ruto’s UDA and Gachagua’s DCP, with the two parties seeking influence in Nyandarua County and the wider Mt Kenya region.
UDA supported Nyagah, while DCP rallied behind Ngotho in a race that also attracted candidates from several other political parties.
Other candidates who contested for the seat were Edwin Muchiri of the Party of National Unity (PNU), Stephen Wanyoike of the National Liberal Party (NLP), independent candidate Rachael Njoroge, Edward Mwaniki of the Kenya Moja Movement (KMM), Abdifatah Hussein of the Federal Party of Kenya (FPK), Timothy Kamau of the People’s Renaissance Movement (PRM), and Moses Njoroge Macharia of the Jubilee Party.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) recorded 73,480 registered voters across 144 polling stations in Ol Kalou Constituency.
The exercise, however, was disrupted by violence in some areas despite heavy security deployment.
Hooded and masked gunmen travelling in convoy vehicles fired gunshots and lobbed tear gas near the commercial centre and AC Primary School polling station, which was the largest polling centre in the constituency.
Several journalists covering the elections were also injured and had their equipments temporarily confiscated.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen condemned the incidents and ordered investigations to identify and arrest those responsible, including any rogue security officers involved.
Who is Kamau Ngotho?
Kamau Ngotho comes from Ol Kalou Constituency in Nyandarua County and has been involved in local politics for more than a decade.
He attended AC Primary School in the Karau/Kaimbaga area of Ol Kalou before joining Utumishi Boys High School for his secondary education.
After completing high school, Ngotho enrolled at the University of Nairobi, where he graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics.
He began his political career in 2013 after being elected as the first Member of County Assembly (MCA) for Karau Ward on a TNA/DP ticket.
In 2017, he sought re-election as an independent candidate after disagreements over party nominations but narrowly lost the seat by fewer than 200 votes.
Ngotho later served as a Protocol Officer and Political Advisor in the Office of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, a role he held until the period following Gachagua’s impeachment.
He later joined DCP, where he served as Nyandarua County Coordinator and helped build the party’s structures at the grassroots level.
During the campaign period, Ngotho presented himself as a candidate seeking to bring change and improve representation in Ol Kalou.
In his final campaign message before the mandatory cooling-off period, he said voters had already decided on the kind of leadership they wanted.
“The great people of Ol Kalou have made up their minds about the kind of leadership they want. No amount of intimidation or tokenism will shake their resolve to secure a better tomorrow,” he said.
The slogan “Change is coming soon” became a common message during his campaign.
Ngotho received support from senior DCP leaders, including Nyandarua Senator John Methu, who serves as the party’s Secretary General.
His campaign focused on local issues, including support for dairy farmers, improving roads, increasing access to water, creating opportunities for young people and supporting small businesses.
He also used public meetings and door-to-door campaigns across the constituency’s five wards, where agriculture remains a key part of the local economy.
Several leaders including Jubilee Deputy Party Leader Fred Matiang’i congratulated Ngotho, terming the victory “a new page in the story of Kenya’s politics.”
“In the true spirit of democracy, let all who participated in the by-election now cross ranks and, from tomorrow, embark on the journey of supporting Hon. Sammy Kamau Ngotho to move the constituency’s development forward,” he said.
Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro also congratulated Ngotho but raised concerns over violence during the election.
“Congratulations Sammy Douglas Kamau Ngotho on your decisive election as the MP for Ol Kalou. However, it is apparent to all Kenyans that the process was marred with unprecedented state sponsored violence that must be condemned as we head to the next year’s general elections. It is the sole responsibility of the Government to protect citizens and the pattern of lethargy and active condoning of violence was blatant,” he said.
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