Eugene Wamalwa warns election violence could threaten Kenya’s 2027 polls
By Emmanuel Rono, July 17, 2026Democratic Action Party of Kenya (DAP-K) leader Eugene Wamalwa has described the outcome of the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election as a historic turning point for the opposition, warning that the violence and voter bribery witnessed during the poll pose a serious threat to Kenya’s democracy.
In a statement on his X account on Friday, July 17, 2026, Wamalwa said the opposition has inflicted the first electoral defeat on the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA), following the victory of Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) candidate Kamau Ngotho.
“Yesterday in Ol Kalou, the die was cast, and history was made when the first blood was drawn by the opposition with the devastating first defeat of the ruling UDA Party by DCP and the WANTAM team,” Wamalwa said.
Congratulations to DCP campaign team
He congratulated the people of Ol Kalou for what he termed a decisive victory, praising MP-elect Kamau Ngotho alongside former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, Nyandarua Senator John Methu, Wanjiku Muhia and the broader WANTAM coalition.
“Hongera Watu wa Ol Kalou, Hongera Mheshimiwa Ngotho, H.E. Rigathi, Senator Methu, Wanjiku Muhia and the entire WANTAM Team for showing the rest of Kenya that it can be done,” he added.
Despite celebrating the opposition victory, Wamalwa expressed concern over the conduct of the by-election, alleging widespread voter bribery, political violence and the use of armed gangs during the campaign and polling process.
He claimed the events in Ol Kalou exposed what he described as the emergence of a “Goonverment” phenomenon, alleging that heavily armed masked police officers operated alongside criminal gangs.
“Though the will of the people prevailed against all odds in Ol Kalou, it became abundantly clear that electoral violence and the normalisation of voter bribery, political goonism and state-sponsored militia… is an existential threat to our democracy,” he said.
Loss of public confidence
Wamalwa warned that democratic institutions risk losing public confidence if violence and constitutional violations are allowed to continue unchecked.
“The collapse of democracy is not a dramatic event that happens suddenly or overnight but a process of erosion of public confidence in key democratic institutions due to dereliction of their constitutional duty and general acceptance of violence as a tool of our politics,” he stated.
He further cautioned that Kenya’s democracy was approaching “its hour of utmost peril” unless leaders moved urgently to safeguard constitutional institutions, uphold the rule of law and restore public trust in electoral processes.
According to Wamalwa, the violence witnessed during the Ol Kalou contest should serve as an early warning ahead of the 2027 General Election.
“The violence witnessed in Ol Kalou is a precursor to the expected violence we are being warned about by the Kofi Annan Foundation and other organisations in next year’s general elections unless we seriously start addressing this menace now,” he said.