Vote Counting Begins In Ol Kalou Parliamentary By-Election
News Updated: 16 July 2026 21:10 EAT
Photo courtesy. Clerks and agents at the ol' Kalou by election start the counting of votes
Vote counting is underway across Ol Kalou Constituency after polling stations officially closed at 5 p.m. in the parliamentary by-election, marking the start of the final phase of an election that has drawn significant national attention. Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) officials began sorting and tallying ballots immediately after the last voters in the queues cast their votes.
At AC Ol Kalou Primary School polling station, election officials opened the ballot boxes in the presence of party agents, accredited observers and members of the media before commencing the counting exercise. The process is being conducted publicly in line with the Elections Act and IEBC regulations to enhance transparency and accountability.
Before counting began, presiding officers completed the required closing procedures, including sealing ballot boxes, reconciling the number of ballots issued and recording the total number of voters who participated at each polling station.
The IEBC directed that votes be counted at the polling stations where they were cast, with each ballot being displayed to agents before being allocated to the respective candidates. The results are then entered into the official declaration forms for verification by agents present.
Once the counting process is complete, presiding officers are required to post signed copies of the official results outside each polling station to allow members of the public and candidates to view the outcome from that station.
Only accredited party agents, election observers, media personnel and authorized IEBC officials have been allowed to remain inside polling stations during the counting exercise. The commission reiterated that unauthorized persons are not permitted to participate in or interfere with the process.
The Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election was called following the death of former area MP David Njuguna Kiaraho, creating a vacancy that prompted the IEBC to organize the poll in accordance with the Constitution and electoral laws.
More than 73,000 registered voters were expected to decide the constituency's next representative in the National Assembly, with polling taking place across 144 polling stations spread throughout the constituency.
The by-election attracted considerable political interest, with major political parties and independent candidates mounting intensive campaigns in what has been viewed as an important contest ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Security officers remained deployed at polling stations and around the constituency tallying centre to maintain order as ballot counting continued. The heightened security followed isolated incidents of unrest reported in parts of Ol Kalou during the voting period.
After counting is completed at each polling station, the results will be transmitted and delivered to the constituency tallying centre, where the Returning Officer will verify and collate the figures from all polling stations.
The IEBC has maintained that only the commission has the legal authority to announce and declare the official results of the parliamentary by-election. Candidates, political parties and the public have been urged to rely solely on the official results released by the commission.
The final outcome of the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election is expected after the completion of tallying and verification, with the Returning Officer set to declare the winner once all statutory electoral procedures have been concluded.
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FELIX MAKONA
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