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DCP candidate Sammy Kamau Ngotho won the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard]
Ol Kalou was just one by-election. However, it has heightened the battle of narratives ahead of the General Election next year. The victory by Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) candidate, Kamau Ngotho, will bolster former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s claim to title of “Mt Kenya Kingpin.”
At the same time, the manner of the victory – a landslide (84% vs 13% by early morning Friday) despite enormous investments by the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) in support of its candidate – is a sign for President William Ruto ahead of next year. There is now no denying that UDA has lost much of Mt Kenya, the region that delivered the largest share of votes in 2022.
UDA and President Ruto have strong incentives to downplay the result. They will remind Kenyans of the other by-elections they (and affiliated parties) recently won. They will also argue that turnout was low, or that there is still time to recover ground in Mt Kenya. However, much of this will be clutching at straws.
