Rigathi Gachagua has declared that the upcoming Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election will be a direct contest between his party and the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
Speaking during a television interview on Thursday, Gachagua revealed that leaders of the United Alternative Government coalition have agreed to field a single opposition candidate in the July 16 by-election, which he described as a critical political test.
“We had a meeting with other United Alternative Government leaders, and we discussed the importance of having a single candidate in the Ol-Kalou by-elections,” Gachagua said.
“The Ol-Kalou by-election is clearly between the Democracy for the Citizens Party and the United Democratic Alliance.”
The former deputy president emphasized that while the opposition coalition includes multiple political parties, electoral unity remains essential to defeating government-backed candidates. However, he noted that other opposition parties are not barred from participating in the race.
“It is important to have a single candidate in the upcoming mini-polls, but there is no harm in having many candidates in the United Opposition,” he added.
The by-election was triggered by the death of long-serving MP David Njuguna Kiaraho, who was elected on a Jubilee Party ticket in 2022 and was serving his third term. The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) declared the seat vacant and scheduled the by-election for July 16, 2026.
Political analysts view the Ol Kalou contest as more than a routine by-election. Its outcome is expected to gauge both the growing influence of the opposition movement and the ruling UDA’s popularity in the Mt Kenya region ahead of the next general election.
The race is seen as a major political test for President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza administration and the emerging opposition alliance seeking to challenge his government.
