With just hours to the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election, Safina Deputy Party Leader Willis Evans Otieno has accused the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) of failing to stop alleged voter bribery, intimidation and violence, warning that the reported incidents risk casting doubt on the credibility of Thursday's poll.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Otieno claimed the campaign period had been marked by widespread reports of voter bribery, intimidation and destruction of property, saying the incidents were weakening public trust in the electoral process.
"Tomorrow's Ol Kalou by-election is becoming a damning indictment of Kenya's electoral integrity. Reports of rampant voter bribery, intimidation, and destruction of property expose a political culture that has replaced persuasion with coercion and ideas with cash."
Otieno faulted the electoral commission, saying it had not taken firm action to stop alleged electoral offences before voters head to the ballot.
According to the Safina deputy party leader, "The IEBC has once again demonstrated that it is too often reactive when it should be preventive. A regulator that watches electoral offences unfold and responds with timid warnings instead of swift enforcement ceases to be a referee and becomes a bystander. An election cannot be described as free and fair when voters are being terrorised before they even cast their ballots."
He said protecting the integrity of elections goes beyond activities on polling day, arguing that institutions mandated to oversee elections should ensure all candidates compete on equal terms throughout the campaign period.
Otieno further warned that democracy is put at risk when electoral offences are allowed to continue without action.
"Democracy dies long before ballot boxes are opened. It dies the moment state institutions tolerate criminality in the pursuit of political victory. If the IEBC cannot guarantee a level playing field, it risks reducing elections to an expensive ritual whose outcome is shaped by fear, bribery, and impunity rather than the sovereign will of the people."
His remarks come amid heightened political activity ahead of the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election, which has drawn increased attention from political parties, election observers and governance institutions.
The parliamentary seat became vacant following the death of former Ol Kalou MP David Njuguna Kiaraho on March 29, 2026, prompting the IEBC to schedule the by-election for July 16.
Otieno also appealed to residents of Ol Kalou to reject attempts to influence their vote through money or intimidation.
"The people of Ol Kalou must reject every bribe, every threat, and every attempt to steal their voice. A seat won through intimidation is not a democratic mandate."
His appeal adds to a series of calls by institutions and other stakeholders urging candidates, political leaders and supporters to uphold peace, reject violence and respect the Constitution so that the outcome of the by-election reflects the will of the people.