Kalonzo warns IEBC over Ol Kalou by-election, says 2027 trust is at stake
By Kenneth Mwenda, July 11, 2026Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka has accused the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) of failing to stop electoral offences in the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election, warning that the commission risks losing public confidence ahead of the 2027 General Election.
In a Facebook post on Saturday, July 11, 2026, after attending the burial of William Musili Munyambu Kalisasi in Mwingi, Kitui County, Kalonzo said the events unfolding in Ol Kalou had raised serious concerns about the credibility of Kenya’s electoral process.
He attended the funeral alongside Mwingi Central MP Gideon Mulyungi, Kitui Woman Representative Irene Kasalu and other leaders.
While condoling with the bereaved family, Kalonzo also turned his attention to the July 16, 2026 Ol Kalou by-election, saying reports of voter bribery, intimidation, and electoral malpractice demanded immediate action from the electoral commission.
“The disturbing events unfolding in Ol Kalou must concern all who believe in justice and the rule of law,” Kalonzo said.
Kalonzo’s direct message to IEBC
Addressing the IEBC directly, he added: “We have heard your signals, and we are watching closely. Kenyans are witnessing widespread bribery, intimidation, and blatant electoral malpractice, yet you appear to turn a blind eye. This cannot be allowed to stand.”
The Wiper leader said the commission has a constitutional duty to conduct free and fair elections without favour.
“You carry a constitutional responsibility that demands courage, independence, and integrity,” he said.
Kalonzo further warned that failure to manage the Ol Kalou by-election fairly would undermine confidence in the commission ahead of the 2027 General Election.
“Let it be clear: if you fail to deliver a free and fair by-election, we will have no basis to proceed with you towards the 2027 General Election. The confidence of the Kenyan people is not guaranteed. It must be earned through action, and protected at all costs,” he said.
His remarks come as political tensions continue to rise in Ol Kalou, where rival camps have traded accusations of voter bribery, intimidation and misuse of state resources.
IEBC faces growing pressure
Earlier this week, IEBC chairperson Erastus Edung Ethekon admitted that the commission had received reports of serious electoral offences during campaigns.
“We have witnessed voter bribery, campaigns at night and violence leading to the death of one person,” Ethekon said while launching the 2022 Pre-Election Dispute Resolution Report.
He also raised concern over the involvement of Cabinet Secretaries and Principal Secretaries in campaign activities.
“We have noted Cabinet Secretaries and Principal Secretaries campaigning,” he said.
Ethekon said the IEBC had deployed investigators to establish the facts and warned that candidates found guilty of electoral offences could face disciplinary action.
He also cautioned that the commission could postpone or cancel the Ol Kalou by-election if violence and insecurity made it impossible to conduct a credible poll.
“If conditions are not favourable for IEBC to conduct elections there, we will either postpone or cancel the election altogether. We cannot operate under the kind of violence we are seeing,” he said.
The electoral commission has already taken action against one political leader over the by-election.
On Friday, July 10, the IEBC Electoral Code of Conduct Enforcement Committee fined Kipipiri MP Wanjiku Muhia Ksh1.5 million after finding that remarks she made during a campaign rally breached the Electoral Code of Conduct.
The committee ruled that her statements were capable of promoting intimidation, hostility and violence. It also ordered her to issue a public apology by July 13 and warned that further violations could result in tougher sanctions, including disqualification from future elections.
Kalonzo’s criticism also comes a day after former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i questioned the IEBC’s silence over the involvement of senior government officials in the Ol Kalou campaigns. Separately, the Linda Mwananchi coalition has accused the commission of laying the ground for a possible postponement of the by-election, claims the IEBC has not publicly addressed.
The Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election has become one of the country’s most closely watched political contests, with both the Kenya Kwanza administration and the opposition treating it as an early test ahead of the 2027 General Election.