Ol Kalou by-election: Residents cast votes as IEBC calls for peaceful election process
The electoral agency urged residents of Ol Kalou to turn out peacefully and exercise their democratic right, while advising the public to rely on its.
A polling station in Ol Kalou Constituency, Nyandarua County. (IEBC)
Polling stations opened at 6 am on Thursday in Ol Kalou Constituency, Nyandarua County, with voters lining up to cast their ballots in a parliamentary by-election to elect a new Member of the Parliament.
The by-election follows the death of former Ol Kalou MP David Kiaraho, who represented the constituency after winning the seat on a Jubilee Party ticket in the 2022 General Election. His death left the parliamentary seat vacant, prompting the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to organise the mini-poll.
The contest has attracted political interest, with nine candidates cleared by IEBC to vie for the seat.
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Among those in the race are Samuel Muchina Nyagah of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), Sammy Kamau Ngotho of the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), and Timothy Kamau of the People’s Renaissance Movement (PRM).
Other candidates seeking to represent the constituency are; Edward Mathenge of the Kenya Moja Movement (KMM), Edwin Kariiri Muchiri of the Party of National Unity (PNU), Stephen Wanyoike Waithaka of the National Liberal Party (NLP), Rachael Wangui Njoroge of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), and Abdifatah Hussein of the Federal Party of Kenya (FPK).
On the polling day, IEBC said voting would run from 6 am to 5 pm, while assuring voters that any lost time during the exercise would be recovered. The Commission added that voters who will be in the queue by 5 pm will be allowed to cast their ballots.
In a statement, IEBC reminded voters that the secrecy of the ballot is a constitutional right protected under Article 38(3)(b) and Article 81(e)(i) of the Constitution, warning against any attempts to compromise it.
“The secrecy of the ballot is a constitutional right guaranteed under Article 38(3)(b) and 81(e)(i) of the Constitution and is a fundamental principle of democratic elections,” the Commission said.
IEBC further warned that photographing or recording a marked ballot paper is an electoral offence, saying such actions undermine the integrity of the electoral process and could expose voters to undue influence, coercion, and vote-buying.
The electoral agency urged residents of Ol Kalou to turn out peacefully and exercise their democratic right, while advising the public to rely on its official platforms for accurate and verified election updates.