Njeri Maina: Ol Kalou DCP win signals Mt Kenya has rejected Ruto
By Faith Lagat, July 21, 2026Kirinyaga Woman Representative Njeri Maina has said the Democracy for Citizens Party’s (DCP) commanding victory in the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election reflects a major political shift in the Mount Kenya region, arguing that voters have withdrawn their support for President William Ruto’s administration.
Speaking during an interview on July 20, 2026, Maina described the outcome as more than a routine by-election, saying the margin of victory sent a strong political message ahead of the 2027 General Election.
“The government had anticipated at least 40 per cent even in a bad showing. Instead, it managed only 13 per cent. It was a definitive win. It was a clear-cut communication that the people of Mount Kenya region no longer wanted anything to do with the government that you know they had enthusiastically voted for in 2022,” she said.
She said the result should be viewed alongside other recent by-elections, arguing that opposition-backed candidates have consistently outperformed the ruling coalition.
“The votes majority of them are with the one-term movement, and ultimately it is the final tally that will matter at the presidential ballot,” Maina said.
She maintained that the Ol Kalou outcome demonstrates changing political dynamics in the region as parties begin positioning themselves for the next general election.
Political violence overshadows by-election
Maina also addressed the violence reported during the Ol Kalou by-election, saying the incidents raised concerns about political intolerance.
She criticised Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen’s pledge to investigate the attacks, saying there was already publicly available video footage capturing some of the incidents.
“Reports have already been conducted. Certain members of parliament were placed directly within the precincts of those attacks,” she said.
Maina warned that the growing use of groups linked to political activities could pose a serious security challenge if left unchecked.
“If you have 50,000 persons who are going to be aspirants in the general election in 2027… each of them has maybe 10 goons… you have 1 million young people who are aggravated, ready to cause violence,” she cautioned.
She added that with about 105,000 police officers across the country, such a situation could overwhelm law enforcement. “That is how states like Somalia started,” she said.
Maina’s remarks come days after DCP candidate Sammy Douglas Kamau Waweru defeated UDA’s Samuel Muchina Nyagah in the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election, a contest that attracted national attention as political leaders from both the government and the opposition viewed it as an early indicator of voter sentiment ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Self-defence and Parliament
Maina said individuals have a constitutional right to defend themselves where they face threats to their safety. “Every human being has a right to self-defence,” she said.
“I’m not going to watch again for someone to just come and attack me and maim me for whatever reason when I can also make sure that I defend myself.”
She also questioned Parliament’s ability to hold the Executive accountable, saying oversight had weakened. “Kenyans are on their own,” she said.
Maina further expressed concern over the pace of investigations into previous incidents of political violence, citing the attack at Wima Church as an example.
“It is just the fact that the government, the state is the one perpetuating violence so that they can make Kenya ungovernable for their own selfish reasons,” she said.