Gachagua unveils parallel tally, accuses IEBC of delaying Ol Kalou vote count
By David Nthua, July 16, 2026Democracy for the Citizens Party leader Rigathi Gachagua has announced a parallel vote-counting system for the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election.
Gachagua said the system would allow Kenyans to follow results from individual polling stations as the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission conducts the official tally.
Speaking on Thursday, July 16, 2026, the former deputy president accused IEBC officials of slowing down voting to push counting into the night.
“I am told the IEBC is now compromised. They are delaying the voting so that after 5:00 pm, they can extend voting hours, allowing the counting process to begin after dark,” Gachagua said.
IEBC had not confirmed any deliberate delay in the voting exercise.
Parallel tally announced
Gachagua said DCP agents would collect results declared at polling stations and transmit them to the party’s parallel tallying centre.
“We will have a parallel counting system on our DCP page so that Kenyans can follow,” he said.
The parallel system will not replace IEBC’s official tally. However, it will allow DCP to compare its figures with the results announced by the electoral commission.
The move signals heightened scrutiny of the counting process in a contest that has become a political battle between Gachagua’s DCP and President William Ruto’s UDA.
Closure time disputed
Gachagua also directed DCP supporters to insist that polling centres close at 5:00 pm.
“My instruction is that polling centres must close at 5:00 pm. If you have not voted by then, do not bother to vote,” he said.
The statement could conflict with election procedures that permit voters already in queues at closing time to cast their ballots.
IEBC earlier said the election was progressing as planned. The commission reported a voter turnout of 38.2 per cent by 1:00 pm.
It also urged eligible voters who had not participated to visit their polling stations and vote.
Night counting fears
Gachagua maintained that counting after dark could expose the process to disruption and manipulation.
He said DCP agents and supporters should remain at polling stations to monitor the handling of ballot papers and the announcement of results.
The DCP leader did not present evidence showing that IEBC intended to manipulate the closing time or interfere with counting.
IEBC had not responded to Gachagua’s remarks by the time of publication.