The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has issued a voter advisory ahead of the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election scheduled for Thursday, July 16, 2026.

Through X on Sunday, July 12, the electoral agency reminded voters that they must carry an original identification document to their designated polling stations.

“To vote, you MUST PRESENT YOUR ORIGINAL NATIONAL IDENTITY CARD or a VALID KENYAN PASSPORT at your designated polling station,” the IEBC stated.

The commission said Ol Kalou Constituency has 73,480 registered voters who will cast their ballots across 144 polling stations.

IEBC advisory

According to the commission, the polling stations are distributed across the constituency’s five wards.

Rurii Ward has the highest number, with 33 polling stations, followed by Kanjuiri Ridge with 32.

Karau and Kaimbaga wards each have 27 polling stations, while Mirangine has 25.

The constituency tallying centre will be located at Ol Kalou Secondary School Hall, where results from the 144 polling stations will be received and verified before the final constituency outcome is declared.

IEBC directed voters and other stakeholders seeking accurate information about the exercise to rely on its official website and verified social media platforms.

The latest register of 73,480 voters is 483 higher than the 72,997 voters listed in the constituency during the 2022 General Election.

Inside the Ol Kalou by-election

The contest will determine the successor of the late David Kiaraho, who had represented Ol Kalou in Parliament since 2013.

Kiaraho secured a third term in 2022 after garnering 24,058 votes. His closest rival, Sammy Kamau Ngotho, then contesting on a UDA ticket, received 19,380 votes.

Ngotho is back in the race as the Democracy for the Citizens Party candidate and is seeking to convert his established electoral base into victory.

UDA has fielded Samuel Muchina Nyagah, setting up a major political contest between President William Ruto’s party and former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s DCP.

The by-election has consequently developed into a test of political influence in Nyandarua County and the wider Mt Kenya region ahead of the 2027 General Election.

With four days remaining, attention now shifts from campaign rallies to voter mobilisation, polling-station security, and the ability of each candidate to turn political support into actual votes on July 16, 2026.