Audio By Vocalize
IEBC chairman Erastus Ethekon addresses a press conference in Nairobi on February 4, 2026. [Benard Orwongo, Standard
The by-election in Ol Kalou, set for July 16, 2026, came with good tidings for residents of the constituency. It began with the launch of train services on the revived Gilgil-Nyahururu line that has been neglected for decades.
The timing of the launch, however, set tongues wagging. But if the sceptics were reading too much in the return of the train that has been inoperational for over four decades, the succeeding generosity, especially by the State, beggars belief.
The stream of goodies; from 'Government of Kenya' branded mattresses, gas cylinders, boreholes, food and cash, has turned a constituency mourning its late Member of Parliament into an arena of State charity. Cabinet secretaries have descended on Ol Kalou with the urgency that, ideally, should be reserved for national disasters.
