NAIROBI, Kenya Jul 11 – The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has summoned Nakuru Town East MP David Gikaria to appear before its Electoral Code of Conduct Enforcement Committee over allegations of voter bribery during campaigns for the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election.
Speaking during a press briefing in Nairobi on Friday, Committee Chairperson Moses Mukhwana confirmed that disciplinary proceedings had been initiated following complaints and evidence linking the legislator to alleged electoral malpractice in the constituency.
The committee said investigations were triggered by reports and audio-visual material allegedly showing the lawmaker distributing money to voters in Mirangine town in an attempt to influence the outcome of the mini-poll.
Mukhwana warned politicians against violating electoral laws, saying the commission would not hesitate to act against offenders.
“Let this decision serve as a stern and unyielding warning to all political actors across Kenya that if you choose the path of incitement, the law will remove you from the ballot long before the voters do. Any conduct that departs from these principles will not be acceptable,” he said.
The allegations had earlier been raised by Mavoko MP Patrick Makau and opposition leaders, who accused state-backed campaign teams of engaging in widespread voter bribery across the constituency.
Makau claimed households in parts of Ol Kalou were receiving cash, cooking gas cylinders and food supplies in exchange for political support.
“Right now, if you go to Ol Kalou, every household is being given Sh5,000, a gas cylinder and food, and then they are told to surrender their identity cards,” Makau alleged.
He argued that withholding voters’ identification documents effectively denied them the opportunity to participate in the election.
The Ol Kalou by-election was triggered by the death of area MP David Njuguna Kiaraho on March 29, 2026.
The race has attracted major political attention, with the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) fielding Muchina Nyaga, while the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) has fronted Sammy Kamau Ngotho and the Jubilee Party is backing Engineer Wilson Kigwa.
The IEBC’s move signals a tougher stance against electoral offences as the commission seeks to safeguard the integrity of the by-election amid heightened political activity and allegations of misuse of campaign resources.
Makau urged the electoral commission to strictly enforce campaign regulations.
“You are not supposed to bribe voters. President Ruto, this is wrong. You do not have to spend or use bribery on Kenyans with taxpayers’ money to win that seat,” he said.
A video widely shared on social media on July 7 captured Gikaria addressing residents in Mirangine town and discussing campaign expenditures in the area.
In the recording, the legislator said he had spent Sh1.2 million during campaign activities and defended the collection of identity details, describing it as an accountability measure linked to campaign spending allocations.
“Yesterday alone, right here among you, I spent Sh1.2 million and I did not chase anyone away,” Gikaria said in the video.
He maintained that requests for identification documents were solely intended to verify beneficiaries within designated campaign zones and not to interfere with voting.
The controversy has emerged alongside a series of government-backed initiatives in Nyandarua County that opposition leaders have described as indirect voter inducements.
Energy Principal Secretary Alex Wachira, accompanied by Moses Kuria, recently oversaw the distribution of 20,000 liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders to households in the county.
Residents also reported the deployment of two motorised boats to Gwa Kiongo Dam less than two weeks before the by-election.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who is backing DCP candidate Sammy Kamau Ngotho, urged voters to accept any development projects and donations but vote independently.
“Let the government and UDA campaigners give you the gas cylinder and a mattress. Let them deliver speedboats, transformers and water tanks, but do not give away your voting right,” Gachagua said during a campaign rally.
The IEBC has since intensified surveillance and monitoring operations across the constituency, with election observers and officials tasked with documenting cases of bribery, intimidation and other electoral offences ahead of polling day.
