Beyond the drama that accompanied his swearing-in at the National Assembly, newly elected Ol Kalou MP Kamau Ngotho says he will never forget that two people died during the by-election that delivered him to Parliament.
Speaking to the Nation in an exclusive interview shortly after taking the oath of office, Mr Ngotho said the deaths of two voters during the July 16 by-election would remain a constant reminder of the cost of political violence.
"I will never forget that two people had to die for me to become MP. That is a sad way to win power," he said.
Relatives and friends during the requiem mass for the two victims of goons during the July 16 Ol Kalou by-elections on July 23, 2026.by-elections
Photo credit: Waikwa Maina | Nation
His swearing-in was marked by noisy celebrations from Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) lawmakers and supporters, including senators and East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) member Kanini Kega, all dressed in the party's green colours. At one point, they attempted to sing a freedom song before Speaker Moses Wetang'ula ruled them out of order.
Ol Kalou MP Sammy Douglas Kamau Waweru Ngotho along Harambee Avenue, Nairobi, on July 28, 2026. He's accompanied by DCP colleagues as he heads to take oath of office.
Photo credit: Dennis Onsongo | Nation Media Group
Nyandarua Senator John Methu also briefly occupied the seat reserved for the Deputy President before House orderlies directed him to vacate it.
Mr Ngotho, an agricultural economist trained at the University of Nairobi, won the Ol Kalou by-election by a landslide, defeating President William Ruto's United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate Muchina Nyagah by nearly 30,000 votes.
The election, however, was overshadowed by violence that claimed the lives of James Muigai Mwathi and Zachariah Gakinya Mukora. Mr Mwathi was allegedly assaulted by goons at Mumbi Polling Station, while Mr Mukora died after an attack at Huho-ini Polling Station. No one has been charged over the deaths.
"The blood of those two men is what brought me to Parliament. I will never forget them. Their deaths became my baptism by fire. The government has shown little interest in bringing those responsible to justice. I will honour their memory and the aspirations they represented. Should we form the next government after the 2027 General Election, we shall revisit the matter," Mr Ngotho said.
'A good hyena eats everything except its young'
The MP described the by-election result as more than a constituency contest, saying it reflected the political mood across the Mt Kenya region.
He likened Ol Kalou voters to "a good hyena that eats everything except its own young," saying they accepted campaign gifts from government politicians but ultimately voted overwhelmingly for the opposition.
"He told voters to be like a hen that feeds everywhere but lays its eggs in its owner's homestead. That is exactly what happened in Ol Kalou. People accepted whatever was brought to them during campaigns, but when they entered the polling booth, they voted with their conscience," he said.
According to Mr Ngotho, the by-election became a referendum on former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua's impeachment and what many voters viewed as President Ruto's betrayal of Mt Kenya.
Mr Ngotho said his own political journey mirrored the frustrations many voters associated with the Kenya Kwanza administration. He unsuccessfully contested the Ol Kalou parliamentary seat in 2022 on a UDA ticket, finishing second behind the late David Kiaraho of Jubilee.
"I was promised a government job by President Ruto after the election, but that promise was never fulfilled," he recalled in the interview.
Instead, he said, Mr Gachagua appointed him as his political advisor in 2024.
"When Gachagua was impeached, I also lost my job after the new Deputy President, Prof Kithure Kindiki, took office. My campaign carried two stories of betrayal — what happened to Gachagua and what happened to me. The anger in Ol Kalou reflected what many people across the Mountain feel today," he said, adding that he believes those events strengthened public sympathy for his candidature.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. His candiudate in the Ol Kalou by-election defeated President William Ruto's (inset) candidate by over 30,000 votes.
Mr Ngotho credited his victory to Mr Gachagua's political strategy, Nyandarua Senator John Methu, Kipipiri MP Wanjiku Muhia and the wider DCP leadership.
He also claimed that remarks by former Public Service Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria, who referred to him as "an urchin," unexpectedly energised his campaign, saying: "The voters even organised a fundraiser so I could buy a designer suit and prove him wrong."
Despite his landslide victory, Mr Ngotho says his biggest political challenge is to unite the constituency before the 2027 General Election. Of the 41,656 votes cast, he received 35,440.
"That means 6,216 people voted against me. More importantly, over 31,000 registered voters never turned out. Those are the people I must now win over. That is where my real work begins," he said.
Mr Ngotho declared that his politics remain firmly aligned with the opposition and with Mr Gachagua's leadership. He pledged to play an active role in efforts to defeat President Ruto in 2027, while helping consolidate support for DCP across the Mt Kenya region. He, however, insisted that representing the people of Ol Kalou would take precedence over partisan politics.
"My responsibility is to serve every resident fairly, through proper use of the National Government Constituencies Development Fund, effective representation and oversight of the national government," he told the Nation .
Education, he said, will be the cornerstone of his first year in office. Among his promises are free school uniforms for all Junior Secondary School learners and a bursary programme that removes political patronage.
The son of a primary school headteacher, Mr Ngotho said education, strong families and religious values are essential to building a stable society.
"We cannot continue watching young people finish school only to waste away in villages," he said.
He pledged to push for fair recruitment into the security services, teaching and other public sector jobs, arguing that employment opportunities should be distributed fairly across the country. He also wants youth empowerment to become a central pillar of any future government formed by the opposition.
Mr Ngotho first entered elective politics in 2013, when he was elected MCA for Karau Ward. He lost his seat in 2017, before unsuccessfully contesting the Ol Kalou parliamentary seat in 2022. He finally won the constituency in the July 2026 by-election, following the death of area MP David Kiaraho in March.
