With barely days left before Ol Kalou voters head to the ballot, the ruling UDA party has ramped up its campaign by rolling out household items and fast-tracking development projects, turning the constituency into the centre of one of the toughest political contests in recent years.
The July 16 by-election has drawn intense political attention, with UDA and DCP fighting hard for every vote. As campaigns gather pace, the government side has mounted a larger operation, bringing together senior political leaders, community mobilisation and the launch of projects across the constituency in an effort to strengthen its support.
Leading the UDA campaign is Senior Presidential Adviser Moses Kuria, whose team has been distributing mattresses, subsidised LPG gas cylinders, shoes for women and boats to residents. The party says the exercise is part of an economic empowerment programme aimed at improving the welfare of families.
"The people of Ol Kalou are going home smiling because what they asked for is finally being delivered," Kuria said.
"From Mirangine DC Headquarters in Githima, Mirangine Ward, families are collecting their subsidised LPG cylinders filled with gas. This is the kind of development the people of Ol Kalou asked for, and it is now being delivered."
Kuria rejected claims that the programme was facing resistance, saying residents had fully embraced it.
"Those who spent their time saying the cylinders were substandard have been answered by the people themselves. The long queues and happy faces show that the people of Ol Kalou know what they want and they have chosen development over empty criticism.
"No more smoke-filled kitchens. No more cooking with firewood when there is a better option. This is real change that families can see and experience every day."
Nyandarua Woman Representative Faith Gitau has also been on the campaign trail, handing out blankets, food supplies and other household items to residents.
"Since it is the cold season, I have brought blankets and food. There is rice, beans, porridge flour and many other items, including soap," she said during one of the campaign meetings.
Electricity poles in Ol- Kalau
Nakuru Town East MP David Gikaria also revealed the amount being spent on the campaigns, saying he had used Sh1.2 million in a single day, adding that other leaders had also been allocated funds to support the campaign activities.
The distribution of the items has triggered criticism from political rivals, who argue that the exercise is intended to sway voters ahead of polling day.
Jubilee Deputy Organising Secretary Pauline Njoroge on Tuesday accused the government of using public influence to win support in a constituency that strongly backed President William Ruto in the 2022 General Election.
"During the 2022 General Election, Ruto received 78 per cent of the presidential vote in Ol Kalou. Today, this is the very constituency where he has now deployed senior government officials to bribe voters and literally buy votes by taking people’s ID cards in exchange for mattresses and gas cylinders," Njoroge said.