Former Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala has revealed that both the Jubilee Party and the People’s Liberation Party (PLP) have withdrawn their candidates in favour of Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) candidate Sammy Kamau Waweru in the upcoming Ol Kalou mini-poll.

Speaking during an interview with a local television station on Thursday, June 5, 2026, the DCP deputy party leader stated that although Nyandarua County is a stronghold of the Democracy for Citizens Party, they control nearly 90 per cent of the county.

They had initially allowed other parties within the United Opposition to field candidates in the spirit of democracy.

However, Malala noted that after consultations among the coalition’s principals, they agreed that it would be more strategic to rally behind a single candidate to boost their chances against United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate Samuel Muchina, whom he described as a formidable opponent.

“Nyandarua County and Ol Kalou, is dominantly our stronghold. We control around 90%, so we had seen no issues in all the parties fielding in the spirit of democracy, but our principals had a meeting, and they saw it wise to front one individual, and I think the PLP and the Jubilee candidates stepped down in favour of Sammy Waweru Kamau.”

According to Malala, the decision was reached after leaders within the opposition recognised the need to present a united front in the by-election rather than splitting votes among multiple candidates.

Single opposition candidate

His remarks come just days after the principals of the United Opposition agreed to field a single candidate in the Ol Kalou mini-poll.

According to a statement released by the principals, they agreed to use a scientific opinion poll to determine the popular candidate, who would then fly the coalition’s flag in the upcoming Ol Kalou contest.

However, the decision has not been received positively by everyone within the Jubilee Party. Former Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu recently faulted Jubilee deputy party leader Fred Matiang’i for supporting the move, arguing that the party should have remained in the race.

Kioni backs DCP

On his part, former Jubilee Secretary-General and Ndaragwa MP Jeremiah Kioni had earlier indicated that he was not particularly concerned about the Ol Kalou by-election. He argued that if DCP believes that winning the seat and securing Sammy Kamau Waweru as its first Member of Parliament would have a significant political impact, then the party should be allowed to pursue that objective.

Kioni further stated that he was unwilling to invest substantial energy and resources in a by-election, arguing that competing against the current administration in mini-polls can often be a difficult undertaking.

According to him, parties aligned with the government have access to considerable financial resources that opposition parties may not be willing or able to match.

Presentation of nomination papers

DCP’s prospects of outperforming the Jubilee candidate became evident during the presentation of nomination papers at the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) offices.

What particularly caught the attention of Kenyans was the presence of supporters dressed in DCP attire among the crowds accompanying the Jubilee candidate’s procession.

They were seen energising the crowd as the campaign lorry moved around the town, a scene that has since gone viral on social media.