Amnesty International Kenya has accused the State of failing to protect voters, journalists and the integrity of the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election, calling for urgent investigations into violence, alleged voter suppression and the death of a 30-year-old man during the July 16 poll.
In a statement released on Sunday, the rights organisation condemned what it described as "state-sponsored terror, voter suppression, and egregious human rights violations" witnessed during the by-election, saying the deployment of armed, masked men in unmarked vehicles represented "a dangerous regression in Kenya's constitutional journey."
The statement follows the violence that marred the Ol Kalou by-election, during which one person was reported dead amid clashes and allegations of attacks on voters and journalists, even as security agencies disputed some of the claims made after the poll.
Amnesty said it had warned authorities days before the election about rising tensions, alleging widespread voter inducement, campaign violence and the partisan deployment of public administrators.
"Just seven days ago, on 12 July 2026, Amnesty International Kenya issued a public warning highlighting widespread voter inducement, campaign violence, and the partisan deployment of public administrators," the organisation said.
"We called upon the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to intervene decisively to safeguard electoral integrity. Regrettably, our warnings went unheeded, culminating in near-anarchy on polling day."
The organisation also demanded an independent investigation into the death of 30-year-old James Muigai Mwathi, who it said succumbed to injuries sustained during the unrest.
"We are deeply saddened and outraged by the tragic death of 30-year-old James Muigai Mwathi, who succumbed to injuries inflicted during violent attacks involving heavily armed actors. We send our deepest condolences to his family and demand a swift, independent investigation into his killing," the rights body said.
Amnesty further condemned what it termed a coordinated assault on journalists covering the election, alleging that several media personnel were profiled, assaulted and robbed by hooded gangs.
"The targeted profiling, beating, and robbery of journalists... by hooded gangs operating with absolute impunity while uniformed police officers looked on, is completely unacceptable," the statement said.
The rights group also pointed to incidents at AC Primary School and Ol Kalou Comprehensive School, where it alleged masked individuals lobbed teargas canisters and fired live ammunition to disperse voters.
"The impunity witnessed at AC Primary School and Ol Kalou Comprehensive School... cannot be swept under the carpet as isolated political skirmishes. It points to a deeply worrying level of complicity or failure within local security commands," it said.
Amnesty called on the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to investigate the conduct of police officers and establish the identities of the masked armed units allegedly deployed during the election. It also urged the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) to prosecute those responsible for violence, voter intimidation and alleged cash handouts.
The organisation further challenged Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen to publicly account for what it termed a security failure in Nyandarua County, while urging the IEBC to enforce the Electoral Code of Conduct against parties and candidates found to have breached electoral laws.
Warning of wider implications, Amnesty said the Ol Kalou by-election should serve as a wake-up call ahead of the 2027 General Election.
"The Ol Kalou by-election serves as a grim and alarming precursor to the 2027 General Election. If the government continues to condone the normalization of state terror and electoral violence, public confidence in democratic institutions will completely erode," the organisation said. "Kenya's constitutional right under Article 38 to free, fair, and peaceful elections is non-negotiable."