Baringo by-election senatorial candidate Steve David Kipruto has conceded defeat ahead of the official announcement of results.

In a statement posted on his socials on Thursday, November 27, 2025, Kipruto, who was running as an independent candidate against United Democratic Alliance candidate Vincent Chemitei, thanked his supporters for standing with him throughout the race.

He noted that his campaign was put together on short notice and with limited resources, yet they still managed to mount a strong challenge.

He claimed that despite the momentum his team had built, senior government officials, including the President, Cabinet Secretaries, Governors, and Members of Parliament, camped in Baringo to campaign for his opponent. According to him, this last-minute push changed the dynamics of the race.

Kipruto stated that huge sums of money were pumped into the constituency and that votes were bought, saying that handouts are what eventually secured victory for UDA.

“I sincerely thank those who stood with me to the end. On short notice, with limited resources, we ran a swift campaign. The President, Cabinet Secretaries, Governors, and MPs came to Baringo to campaign for their puppet as late as yesterday. We were winning this election until yesterday, when they unleashed millions. They virtually bought all votes,” he said.

 He expressed disappointment that voters had been influenced by short-term gains rather than long-term leadership considerations, adding that one day, Baringo residents would vote with their conscience and not their stomachs.

“One day, our people will use their brains, as Hon. Makilap wisely advised; until then, it is the stomach that will decide Baringo’s leadership,” he added.

Despite conceding, Kipruto remained optimistic about the future, stating that his campaign symbol, the horse, will return again, signalling that he intends to remain active in Baringo politics and possibly make another attempt in the future.

Voter turnout

These come after the voting exercise in Baringo began early in the day and ended at 5:00PM. The turnout was noticeably low across the majority of the polling stations.

Baringo residents attributed the slow turnout to the fact that the election day fell on a weekday, saying a majority of voters are at their workplaces and may only find time to cast their ballots later in the day.