Aspirants in the Ol Kalou Constituency by-election have a hectic week ahead of this weekend's party nominations by the major competing parties – the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP).
Candidates seeking the various party tickets have mounted grassroots campaigns in the constituency that is generating a lot of national political interest to succeed former MP the late David Kiaraho who died on March 29.
Former Ol Kalou Member of Parliament the late David Kiaraho.
Photo credit: Joseph Kanyi | Nation Media Group
President William Ruto , former President Uhuru Kenyatta, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua are expected to turn the by-election into a game of who among them controls the voters in the Mount Kenya region ahead of the 2027 general election.
It will also provide a litmus test to the popularity of Nyandarua Governor Kiarie Badilisha, Woman Representative Faith Gitau, former Governor Francis Kimemia, and former Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki, who are set to face off in the Gubernatorial race in the 2027 general election.
Mr Kiaraho, a third-term legislator and an architect by profession, died at Nairobi hospital, where he was undergoing treatment for an ailment that had seen him travel to India for specialised medication.
He was laid to rest at his Tigoni home in Kiambu county, away from his rural home in Olkalou, as per his wish when he was alive, according to the family members.
President William Ruto pays his last respects to former Ol Kalau MP the late David Kiaraho during the burial ceremony in Nyandarua County on April 8, 2026.
Photo credit: Boniface Mwangi | Nation Media Group
It is expected that the by-election will be one of the most expensive for the candidates, given the ongoing mobilisations at the grassroots level, ahead of the party nominations.
Mr Anthony Mwaura, the UDA National Election Board chairman, has announced that the party nomination will be held on May 8, while the registration period for potential candidates starts on April 27 and closes on May 3.
“Male candidates are required to pay Sh250,000 for the general application fee, while women, youth, and disabled persons are required to pay half the amount,” Mr Mwaura said.
The DCP party has also invited applications from contestants, charging Sh250,000. The deadline for the applications elapsed on May 2. The nomination will be held on May 9.
Nyandarua Senator John Methu said DCP had put in place all measures to ensure the nomination would be a success.
The party officials are currently scrutinising the membership register, which will be used in the nomination, to ensure opponents do not infiltrate the exercise, according to the Senator.
UDA’s local politicians, under the coordination of Woman Representative Faith Gitau, have mounted grassroots campaigns in the area ahead of the nomination with an eye on the by-election date set by IEBC for July 16.
Notably, UDA’s entry point in Mt Kenya was Nyandarua County, during the Rurii Ward by-elections, when Muraya Githaiga was elected to be the first elected leader in Mt Kenya under the UDA party.
The by-election was held after the death of area MCA Mburu Githinji, after a short illness in February 2021. Mr Githaiga garnered 4,303 votes, beating his close rival, Mr Peter Thinji of Jubilee, who got 3,143 votes.
“We are fully prepared for the nominations as UDA party and we do not have a favourite candidate for the position as the people will be left to make that choice for themselves,” Ms Gitau said.
“The campaigns proper will start after the nomination exercise is concluded, as we seek to capture the seat,” she said.
“Our concern right now as a party is mobilising party members to turn up and vote for their favourite candidates to carry the UDA flag in the by election,” Ms Gitau said.
Mr Stephen Mureithi, a UDA-nominated MCA, expressed optimism that UDA will deliver the parliamentary seat in the by-election.
“We won the Rurii Ward when we were in the opposition. We had the Women's Rep as our coordinator; we know the strategies we used. We will apply the same, but more enhanced. This time round, we have supportive team leaders locally and at the national level,” says the MCA.
The six UDA candidates, under the “six brothers” initiative, include Lawyer Ndung’u Wangenye, Bishop Joseph Ndirangu, Dr Kimani Mwangi, Joseph Chuchu, Stanley Kiama, and Engineer Peter Mugo.
The contest has attracted professionals from different fields, most of them engaged in community development in the past, a factor that confuses the electorate even more, in addition to the party factor.
For example, Ms Mary Nyokabi Kamau of UDA is an environmental health and public health professional with over 15 years of experience. She has resigned from the Kiambu County government, where she was the Chief Public Health Officer/Chief Environment Officer, to run for the position.
Mr Samuel Muchina Nyagah, a procurement expert and former Personal Assistant to the late Kiaraho, is in the race and hopes to use his grassroots connection to his advantage in the nomination.
Ms Beatrice Gathoni Kamau of the Jubilee Party and a graduate of Universidad San Juan De La Cruz, where she studied Community Development and Resource Mobilisation, also has a community development track record and is aggressively involved in human rights. She is the chairperson of Women Political Alliance Kenya, a civil society organisation focused on advancing women’s leadership, political participation, and economic empowerment.
Mr Daniel Ndung'u Wangenye from Mirangine Ward is a teacher, an advocate of the High Court, a former County Executive Committee (CEC) Member in Nyandarua County, a former Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet)
Mr Isaac Waithaka Wanjiru of Jubilee is an economist and policy expert who served as a chief officer for Youths, Sports, Gender and Social Services in former Governor Kimemia’s administration and also at the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis.
Lawyer Kiragu Wathuta of DCP was involved in the Gen Z protests, representing them in court, where all those arrested in Ol Kalou were cleared by the court.
Another lawyer, Gabriel Gathure, who is also a former Kaimbaga MCA, is also seeking the DCP party ticket.
Heightened political activities are expected in the course of the week as the parties prepare for the nomination.
Nyandarua Governor Kiarie Badilisha.
Photo credit: Boniface Mwangi | Nation Media Group
Governor Kiarie, Ms Gitau, Mr Kimemia and Ms Kairuki are said to be lining up candidates in various parties to contest in the by-election, in what looks like a precursor to the popularity contest they are expected to have in the 2027 poll.
In the 2017 elections, Mr Francis Kimemia (Jubilee) garnered 52,197 votes, losing to Governor Badilisha of UDA party, who garnered 158,263 votes.
Both Ms Kariuki and Gitau wanted to contest for the seat in 2017 but were prevailed upon by their respective parties to withdraw in favour of Mr Kimemia and Governor Badilisha.
Mr David Kamunya, a politician, said, “The Olkalou by-election will provide a litmus test for the candidates interested in the Gubernatorial position in 2027, especially Governor Badilisha, Kimemia, Ms Gitau and Ms Kariuki – who are seen as the front runners so far.”
“Apart from the candidates fighting among themselves for the position, there will be many forces pulling the strings in the background,” Mr Kamunya said.
