NAIROBI, Kenya – Amnesty International Kenya has raised concern over electoral offences witnessed in the run-up to the hotly contested Ol Kalou by-election in Nyandarua County, scheduled for Friday, July 17, 2026.
In a statement, the lobby group petitioned the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to urgently investigate and prosecute election offences undermining the integrity of the Ol Kalou by-election scheduled for 16 July 2026.
“Kenya’s Election Offenses Act prohibits bribery, intimidation, misuse of public resources, and the involvement of public officers in partisan campaigns. Yet reports from Ol Kalou reveal widespread voter inducement through cash handouts, mattresses, LPG cylinders, and food items; misuse of government projects timed to sway voters; violent clashes between rival supporters, resulting in injuries and deaths; and allegations that chiefs and administrators are mobilising voters in violation of the law,” the statement reads in part.
Inside Article 38 of the 2010 Kenyan Constitution
These practices, according to Amnesty International Kenya, are not isolated incidents; they represent a systematic assault on the constitutional right of Kenyans under Article 38 to free, fair, and credible elections.
“They also contravene Article 81 of the Constitution, which demands elections be conducted free from violence, intimidation, improper influence, and corruption. Amnesty International Kenya is further alarmed by the July 11, 2026, attack on a campaign truck belonging to the Democracy for the Citizens (DCP) Party in Gilgil by hooded, gun-toting goons,” the statement further reads.
On Sunday, July 12, 2026, Murang’a Governor Irungu Kang’ata announced that his driver Gitari had been shot during the ‘Linda Mwananchi’ Rally in Nyahururu.
Violation of Kenya’s rule of law
While reacting to these forms of electoral offences, Amnesty International Kenya indicated that such brazen acts of violence against political opponents participating in a legitimate, democratic exercise of campaigning highlight the growing climate of impunity and insecurity surrounding the Ol Kalou byelection campaigns.
“These attacks not only endanger lives but also undermine the rule of law, casting aspersions on electoral integrity. The people of Ol Kalou deserve to choose their leaders free from coercion, inducement, and fear,” the statement signed by George Morara, Executive Director, Amnesty International Kenya, also reads.
Against this backdrop, Amnesty International Kenya is now demanding immediate investigations and prosecutions of all individuals, including Members of Parliament, Cabinet Secretaries, and public officers, implicated in bribery, intimidation, and misuse of state resources.
The lobby group has also called for enforcement of campaign regulations, including restrictions on late-night rallies and destruction of campaign materials.
Curbing Kenya’s electoral malpractices
Further, Amnesty International Kenya wants public assurances from IEBC that the by-election will not proceed under conditions of violence and corruption and that postponement remains an option if minimum standards of credibility cannot be guaranteed.
Additionally, the group is demanding the protection of journalists, human rights defenders, and voters exercising their constitutional rights to participate in promoting and protecting Article 38 of the Constitution.
“Kenya cannot afford to normalise electoral malpractice. The credibility of the 2027 General Election begins with accountability in Ol Kalou. The State, together with all players in the political and electoral system, must act now to restore public trust and safeguard democracy,” the statement goes on to read.
The four major contenders in the Ol Kalou race
IEBC has cleared nine candidates to contest in the Ol Kalou Constituency parliamentary by-election. The mini-poll, occasioned by the death of the late MP David Njuguna Kiaraho, is a high-stakes political showdown.
The four major contenders drawing national attention are: Sammy Kamau Ngotho of the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), backed by party leader Rigathi Gachagua. Samuel Muchina Nyaga of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), the ruling party candidate who previously served as an aide to the late MP.
IEBC has cleared nine candidates to contest in the Ol Kalou Constituency parliamentary by-election. The mini-poll, occasioned by the death of the late MP David Njuguna Kiaraho, is a high-stakes political showdown.
The four major contenders drawing national attention are: Sammy Kamau Ngotho of the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), backed by party leader Rigathi Gachagua. Samuel Muchina Nyaga of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), the ruling party candidate who previously served as an aide to the late MP.
Wilson Mwaniki Kigwa of the Jubilee Party is seeking to retain the seat on behalf of the former ruling party, and Timothy Kamau Kariuki, a People’s Renaissance Movement (PRM) candidate, is backed by vocal Saboti MP Caleb Amisi.
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