Ol Kalou by-election: Inside the little-known Nyandarua constituency that could reshape Mt Kenya politics
By Ndiritu Wanjiru, July 18, 2026Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) has won its parliamentary by-election in Ol Kalou in Nyandarua County, and the once quiet constituency has now become one of the biggest political flashpoints in the country after Kenya Kwanza President William Ruto’s administration was outshone by the DCP party in a high-stakes contest.
The by-election called due to the death of the former MP David Kiaraho turned into much more than filling a seat on the ballot. It was a political competition between the government and the opposition that engaged high-ranking political figures, cabinet secretaries, MPs and thousands of followers in a campaign that was a national talking point.
Ol Kalou’s rich political history
One of the five constituencies in Nyandarua is the county headquarters, Ol Kalou. The constituency has been of strategic importance in the Mount Kenya region, but rarely gets national attention other than during general elections.
Ol Kalou Constituency, one of five constituencies in Nyandarua County, was established for the 1997 elections. It has been represented by Karue Muriuki, Erastus Kihara Mureithi and David Njuguna Kiaraho. Following Kiaraho’s death in March 2026, Sammy Kamau Ngotho won the July 16, 2026, by-election on a DCP ticket.
The constituency consists of the five wards, namely Ol Kalou Ward, Rurii Ward, Kaimbaga Ward, Gathanji Ward and Mugumo Ward.
It is an agricultural economy with livestock keeping, potato cultivation, wheat farming and horticulture as the main livelihoods. The area is one of the political strongholds in the Nyandarua district due to its high geriatric population and its location near other counties such as Laikipia, Nakuru and Nyeri.
Ol Kalou has produced leaders from various political parties over the years, indicative of the political landscape in the Mount Kenya region.
The sitting member for the seat was David Kiaraho, who died and triggered the by-election and who was serving a first term in the seat since winning the 2022 general election, having served in the capacity since 2013.
From local contest to national political showdown
The first major political showdown in the area was the 2021 Rurii Ward by-election, held during former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration. The mini-poll was widely viewed as a proxy battle between President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Jubilee Party and then Deputy President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
Five years later, history repeated itself. This time, however, the political roles had reversed. President William Ruto’s UDA was interested in the Ol Kalou parliamentary seat as the party in government, while Rigathi Gachagua’s Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) led the opposition challenge.
Like the 2021 Rurii Ward by-election, the 2026 contest evolved into a nationally watched political showdown, reinforcing Ol Kalou’s reputation as a key battleground for measuring political influence in the Mount Kenya region.
The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) used a very aggressive campaign that involved the mobilisation of high government officials, Cabinet secretaries, Members of Parliament and governors.
On the other hand, former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua lent his entire political muscle to the DCP candidate, making the campaign the most important test of his political career since his rift with the Kenya Kwanza government.
The campaigns were marked by huge rallies, heavy messaging, charges and countercharges, and both sides saw the by-election as a momentous occasion in the future of Mount Kenya politics.
The election was now increasingly seen as a presidential duel between the current president, Ruto, and his former deputy rather than a parliamentary election.
DCP’s commanding victory
The votes were counted, and DCP walked out victorious, making a strong political statement in the area, which has always been seen as a stronghold for Kenya Kwanza, winning with a margin of over 30,000 votes.
The results instantly created a new controversy over the changing allegiances in the Mount Kenya region.
The win for Gachagua was more than just a parliamentary seat. It offered real proof that his new party can take on the UDA in one of the nation’s most key voting blocks.
It also bolstered his claim that he still has grassroots backing in the region, and he still does.
Effects of the by-elections
The win has boosted DCP’s momentum ahead of the 2027 general election and has provided the party with a platform to grow in the general region of Mount Kenya.
UDA’s loss is likely to lead to reviews of its political approach in the region, a place that resoundingly voted for President Ruto in 2022. There are already conflicting opinions within the ruling party on how to move forward with its mobilisation in Mount Kenya following the defeat.
Over the past several years, Ol Kalou was not really part of Kenya’s political conversations. The seat is now associated with one of the nation’s most important political battles.
The by-election has changed the political landscape in Mount Kenya, pushed a test of the political divide between two opposing sides and offered a cheap barometer of the coalitions and conflicts that will be in play during the lead-up to the 2027 general election.
One seat in Parliament was up for grabs, but the political impact has been much greater. The overwhelming win for Rigathi Gachagua’s DCP has elevated the little-known constituency to a status that it seems will shape party strategies, coalition building and election calculations in the coming months and in the Mount Kenya region as a whole.