Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) Deputy Party Leader Cleophas Malala has urged supporters to remain at polling stations to safeguard the party's votes as counting and tallying got underway in the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election.
Addressing the media on Thursday, July 16, 2026, shortly after voting closed, Malala called on party agents and supporters to stay alert throughout the counting process, saying it was important to ensure every vote cast for the party was protected.
“We just want to encourage our people not to stay at home. Everybody should now regroup at our polling centres to guard our votes,” Malala said.
His remarks came as polling stations across the constituency transitioned from voting to counting after polls officially closed at 5:00 pm. Voters who had joined queues before the deadline were still allowed to cast their ballots in accordance with electoral rules.
Malala also declared that the party was confident of victory, saying its candidate, Sammy Kamau Ngotho, had won the race despite the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) yet to release any official results.
“As we head towards the tallying of votes, we are confident that we have won and that there is no cause for alarm,” he said.
By the time he made the declaration, the IEBC had not announced provisional or final results from the by-election. The electoral commission had earlier urged political parties, candidates and the public to rely only on verified information released through its official communication channels as the tallying process continued.
Ngotho is seeking to capture the seat on a DCP ticket against United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate Samuel Muchina Nyagah and seven other candidates in a race that has drawn national political attention.
The by-election has been widely viewed as an early test of political strength between President William Ruto's UDA and former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua's DCP ahead of the 2027 General Election.
As counting got underway, Malala also warned against any attempts to disrupt the electoral process through violence.
“You will not refund his money through the shedding of blood. We are ready to deal with your goons. Nobody will allow you to do anything you have been planning,” he said.
He did not identify the individuals he referred to as "goons" or provide evidence to support claims that there were plans to interfere with the tallying exercise.
The Ol Kalou contest has remained one of the most closely watched by-elections in recent years, attracting senior political leaders from both camps throughout the campaign period. The outcome is expected to provide an early indication of the political landscape in the Mt Kenya region as parties begin positioning themselves ahead of the next General Election.
Even as party leaders expressed confidence in their respective candidates, the official outcome remained in the hands of the IEBC, which continued overseeing the counting and tallying process while urging patience until verified results are formally announced.