Chaos erupted during the Ol Kalou Parliamentary By-election on Thursday, July 16 as hooded armed men in posh vehicles clashed with crowds outside polling stations, journalists were assaulted, cameras confiscated, and teargas canisters fired.
The most serious incidents were reported at Ol Kalou Comprehensive School and AC Primary School, where the masked men travelling in Toyota Prado SUVs engaged youths gathered near the polling stations.
At AC Primary School, teargas canisters were launched from vehicles escorting the hooded group, triggering panic among voters and residents in the area.
Radio Africa Group journalist Enos Teche was injured during the confrontations after hooded men allegedly assaulted him and confiscated his camera as police officers watched outside Ol Kalou Comprehensive School.
NTV cameraman George Kieru also reportedly had his camera seized during the same incident.
Videos circulating widely on social media appeared to show masked men armed with guns and batons chasing and assaulting members of the public.
Witnesses also described a police Land Cruiser forcefully making its way through crowds outside Ol Kalou Comprehensive School, where voters had refused to leave after casting their ballots, insisting they wanted to protect the vote.
Earlier in the day, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua had warned of ‘planned violence’, accusing UDA-allied MPs of scheming with what he called rogue police officers to storm polling stations, disrupt voting, and stuff ballot boxes.
“Having sensed defeat, UDA-allied MPs are allegedly meeting with rogue police officers to storm major polling stations, disrupt voting, and stuff ballot boxes,” he said in a post on X.
He directed his criticism at the Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, whom he accused of ignoring earlier warnings to withdraw plain-clothes officers from the constituency.
“Bwana IG, I told you that rogue police officers in plain clothes are your weakest link. They are the source of insecurity in the country. If you are not part of this scheme, you have a duty to order the uniformed police officers to stop them. If you do not, then you are part of the scheme and must take responsibility for any violence that may occur,” Gachagua said.
He urged election observers, the media, and members of the public to head to Huruma, St Joseph, and AC Primary School polling stations to document any attempted disruption, and said the Nyandarua County Security and Intelligence Committee must take full responsibility should any attack occur.
Earlier, Central Regional Commissioner Joshua Nkanatha had warned that vehicles without number plates would be impounded, and ordered that polling stations be left to IEBC officials and voters only.
“Polling station iwachiwe maafisa wa IEBC na wapiga kura. Hawa wageni wengine wakae mbali na polling station, a radius of 400 metres,” he said.
His remarks came amid mounting claims that hooded and heavily armed men in unmarked vehicles were causing disturbances across several voting areas.
Nkanatha also addressed claims by UDA candidate Samuel Muchina Nyagah that one of his campaign vehicles was set ablaze overnight while transporting party agents, saying the matter had not yet been formally reported to police.
The by-election was triggered by the death of longtime Ol Kalou MP David Njuguna Kiaraho, who passed away on March 29, 2026, after serving the constituency since 2013 through three consecutive election victories.
