The Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) candidate for the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election, Sammy Kamau Douglas Waweru, has revealed that he was forced to shut down his private school after unpaid school fees accumulated to more than Ksh3 million in 2015 while he was serving as the Member of County Assembly (MCA) for Karau Ward in the Ol Kalou constituency.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Kameme FM on Thursday, July 9, 2026, Kamau said his decision to keep learners in school despite their parents’ inability to pay fees was driven by compassion. However, the move eventually pushed the institution into financial distress, making it impossible to sustain its operations.

“When I was serving as MCA for Karau Ward, I closed my school because every morning I could receive calls from parents that their children had been sent home,” Kamau said.

School closed

Reflecting on the experience, the parliamentary hopeful said he could not bear to see children denied an education because of financial hardship.

“I was sympathetic and allowed them to continue in school with debts until my school sank into debts that accrued to more than KSh3 million,” Ngotho said.

He explained that as fee arrears continued to pile up, the school struggled to meet its financial obligations, including paying teachers, purchasing learning materials and meeting other operational expenses.

According to Ngotho, the institution eventually became unsustainable, forcing him to make the difficult decision to close it despite his desire to continue serving the community through education.

Kamau: I understand people’s struggles

The DCP candidate said the experience gave him a personal understanding of the financial pressures facing many Kenyan families, especially parents who struggle to keep their children in school amid rising living costs.

Kamau said his own experience has influenced the way he approaches leadership, arguing that elected leaders should prioritise policies that improve household incomes and create opportunities for businesses to thrive.

As campaigns intensify ahead of the Ol Kalou by-election, the DCP candidate has continued to present himself as a leader who understands the economic realities confronting ordinary members of the public through lived experience rather than political rhetoric.

The Ol Kalou contest has attracted national attention, with both the Kenya Kwanza administration and the opposition viewing the by-election as an important political test ahead of the 2027 general election. Kamau will face UDA candidate Samuel Muchina Nyagah in a race that has been dominated by debates over development, the cost of living, and the government’s heavy investment in the constituency during the campaign period.