Ol Kalou by-election: United opposition decries widespread vote buying, demands IEBC action
By Emmanuel Rono, July 11, 2026The opposition coalition leaders have accused the government of orchestrating widespread voter bribery and misuse of public resources ahead of the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election.
In a joint statement issued on Friday, July 10, 2026, the leaders claimed that cash handouts, government-branded mattresses, gas cylinders and the launch of unbudgeted development projects were used to influence voters in favour of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate.
The opposition said the action is a coordinated government-wide scheme rather than isolated campaign incidents, adding that public officials had been deployed to campaign using state resources.
“The reports coming out of Ol Kalou should alarm every Kenyan who believes in democracy,” the leaders said.
Voter bribery
They argued that the actions represents a voter bribery under Section 9 of the Election Offences Act, as well as violations relating to the use of public resources and participation in elections by public officers.
“Public money is not a campaign tool. Kenyans should rise up against our resources being used to prop up a presidency that the country is counting down to get rid of,” the statement read.
They urged the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to take immediate and impartial action, saying the commission must demonstrate that it has control over the conduct of elections.
Need for investigation
“It must act decisively and without fear or favour. Where there is evidence against specific candidates, parties, agents, or public officers, the law must be enforced against the individuals, including disqualification where appropriate,” the statement read.
They also called on the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to investigate the reported voter bribery and other election-related offences and prosecute those found culpable.
Despite raising concerns over the conduct of the campaigns, the opposition insisted that the by-election should proceed as scheduled, rejecting any suggestion of postponement.
“The people of Ol Kalou must be allowed to exercise their democratic rights without intimidation. The IEBC and government must not punish the people of Ol Kalou by denying them their constitutional right to elect a representative. Nor will we accept any postponement of the election. That’s cowardly,” the leaders stated.
They further warned that failure to address the violations could set a dangerous precedent ahead of the 2027 General Election.
“Kenya cannot normalize electoral crime and then act surprised when public corruption follows it. Leaders who buy votes treat public office as an investment to recover, not a trust to honor. The people of Kenya deserve better. Our democracy deserves better. The sovereignty of the people is not for sale,” the statement read.