Petition Filed to Stop Ol Kalou By-Election

A petition has been filed seeking the postponement of the Ol Kalou Constituency by-election scheduled for July 16, 2026, over concerns about the integrity of the electoral environment.

Public interest activist Francis Awino has asked the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to suspend the poll pending investigations into allegations of violence, voter intimidation, bribery and misuse of state resources during the campaign period.

In the petition, Awino argues that the political atmosphere in Ol Kalou does not meet the constitutional threshold for a free, fair, transparent and peaceful election.

He says reports from residents, community leaders, civil society groups and the media raise concerns that could undermine the credibility of the vote.

He further alleges political confrontations and attempts to sway voters through monetary and material inducements, acts that, if established, would amount to election offences.

The petitioner also wants the commission to investigate claims that senior state and public officers, among them Cabinet Secretaries, took part in campaign activities in a manner that could compromise the principle of political neutrality in the public service.

Awino contends that the cumulative effect of the alleged malpractices has created an environment that risks compromising the credibility of the by-election.

The petition cites Articles 10, 38, 73, 81, 86, 88 and 232 of the Constitution, as well as Section 55B of the Elections Act, which empowers the IEBC to postpone an election in the event of a serious breach of peace, electoral malpractice or circumstances that make a credible poll impossible.

Among the orders sought, Awino wants the IEBC to investigate all reported malpractices, obtain reports from security agencies, election observers and civil society groups, and invoke Section 55B to postpone the July 16 poll until a peaceful and constitutionally compliant environment is restored.