By James Murimi - Reporter
Kenya, 10 May 2026 - The battle for the Ol Kalou parliamentary seat has escalated into a fierce political supremacy contest between President William Ruto and his former deputy Rigathi Gachagua, with both camps now rallying behind rival candidates in a showdown expected to shape the political direction of the Mt Kenya region ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The contest intensified after Gachagua’s Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) handed its ticket to his former aide Sammy Kamau Ngotho, while the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) settled on Samuel Muchina Nyagah following bruising party primaries conducted over the weekend.
The by-election is now being viewed as the first direct political duel between Ruto and Gachagua since the former Deputy President’s dramatic fallout with the Head of State and subsequent impeachment.
On Sunday, Gachagua moved swiftly to project confidence after Ngotho secured a landslide victory in the DCP nominations, garnering 12,957 votes against Paul Waiganjo’s 4,978 votes in a crowded field of nine aspirants.
In a statement posted on his X account, Gachagua described the nominations as proof that DCP had emerged as a democratic alternative capable of challenging the ruling party’s dominance in the Mt Kenya region.
“This contest has demonstrated to the people of Kenya that our party is a free and democratic space for all and it is the voice of the Kenyan people that we listen to,” Gachagua said.
The former Deputy President further praised the turnout in Ol Kalou and declared the exercise one of the most transparent nominations since the return of multi-party democracy in 1992.
Behind the celebrations, however, lies a larger political war.
The Ol Kalou seat has become a symbolic battleground in the widening political rivalry between Ruto and Gachagua, with both leaders keen to prove their influence in Nyandarua County and the larger Mt Kenya voting bloc.
For Gachagua, victory in Ol Kalou would hand him a major political boost and strengthen his push to consolidate support in the region after his bitter split with Ruto’s administration.
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For Ruto and UDA, capturing the seat would help neutralize growing opposition influence in Central Kenya and reaffirm the ruling party’s grip on one of its traditional strongholds.
Ngotho himself represents Gachagua’s inner political circle.
The former MCA contested the Ol Kalou parliamentary seat in 2022 on a UDA ticket but lost after finishing second. He was later appointed as a Protocol Officer in Gachagua’s office during his tenure as Deputy President.
Following Gachagua’s impeachment, Ngotho exited government and returned to Nyandarua politics, where he became the DCP coordinator in the county and spearheaded grassroots mobilisation for the party.
On the other hand, UDA candidate Muchina emerged victorious after edging out nine aspirants in a tightly contested primary election.
According to the ruling party, Muchina garnered 3,221 votes to narrowly defeat George Wambugu Kanuri, who received 3,077 votes.
Political analysts now view the July 16, 2026 by-election as more than just a local parliamentary race, warning that the outcome could signal shifting political loyalties in Mt Kenya as the country inches closer to the next General Election.