NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 16 – Nandi Senator Kiprotich Cherargei has sought to downplay the ruling United Democratic Alliance’s (UDA) defeat in the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election, insisting the result does not diminish the strength of President William Ruto’s broad-based coalition or alter its prospects in the 2027 General Election.

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His remarks came after Democratic Congress Party (DCP) candidate Sammy Douglas Waweru Kamau established an insurmountable lead in the closely watched contest, prompting a wave of concession messages from senior UDA leaders, including Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, Digital Strategist Dennis Itumbi, Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi and the party’s own candidate, Samuel Muchina Nyagah.

In a statement on Thursday night, Cherargei congratulated Waweru on his victory while praising Muchina for mounting what he described as a disciplined campaign.

“Congratulations Sammy Ngotho for winning the Ol Kalou by-elections 2026 as their new Member of the National Assembly,” he said.

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“To our UDA candidate Samuel Muchina, well done. You campaigned valiantly and soberly across the constituency. Your future remains brighter and better.”

The senator, however, dismissed suggestions that the Ol Kalou outcome signalled waning support for the Kenya Kwanza administration, arguing that UDA’s broader electoral record remained overwhelmingly positive.

“To the naysayers, the outcome of the Ol Kalou by-elections 2026 does not in any way affect our broad-based coalition government because of all the recent by-elections we won except this one. This translates to over 99 percent win and this will reflect in the 2027 General Elections.”

Cherargei’s comments reflected a growing effort within the ruling party to contain the political fallout from a by-election widely viewed as the first major electoral test in the Mt. Kenya region since former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s split with President William Ruto.

The Ol Kalou race attracted intense national attention after both UDA and DCP deployed senior political leaders to campaign for their respective candidates over several weeks.

Despite the high-profile campaign mounted by the ruling party, provisional results consistently placed Waweru well ahead of UDA’s Samuel Muchina Nyagah, prompting senior government figures to acknowledge the apparent outcome even before the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) announced the official results.

📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya