Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku has waded into the debate surrounding the just-concluded Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election, estimating that the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party spent approximately Ksh.100 million in its campaign efforts.
Speaking on Hot96 on Sunday, the CS was keen to distance the government from the expenditure, insisting that the money came from the party's own coffers and not from the national exchequer.
He dismissed reports suggesting that a massive Ksh.10 billion had been pumped into the constituency through development projects during the campaign period, questioning the feasibility of such figures. "Even spending Ksh.500 million is impossible.
From where I sit I don't think it was more than Ksh.100 million," Ruku stated. He emphasized that political parties have their own resources, and the funds used belonged to UDA as a party, not to the government.
In the high-stakes race leading up to the July 16 mini-polls, UDA pulled out all the stops in a bid to capture the seat. The party mounted an aggressive last-minute campaign in Ol Kalou, distributing gas cylinders, mattresses, and cash handouts to voters.
They also went big on infrastructure, erecting electricity poles, drilling boreholes, and paving roads in what appeared to be a frantic effort to sway the electorate. The lavish spending, however, did not translate into victory for the ruling party.
When the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) finally announced the results on July 17, it was a landslide win for the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP).
DCP candidate Sammy Kamau Ngotho romped to victory with a commanding 35,440 votes, while UDA's Samuel Muchina Nyaga could only manage a distant 5,450 votes.
The defeat was a significant blow to UDA, especially given the heavy investment and the political importance of the Mt Kenya region.
Despite the humbling loss, CS Ruku was quick to downplay its significance, cautioning the opposition against reading too much into the outcome.
He argued that the result does not reflect the national outlook on UDA's political dominance and urged the opposition not to overestimate its relevance ahead of the 2027 General Election.
In his characteristic no-nonsense style, Ruku brushed off the celebrations from the DCP camp, remarking, "I don't know why people are hyping the results as if it is the only by-election done in the country.
Winning one by-election and you are shouting like that chicken that lays one egg and shouts until the entire village knows about it."
For its part, UDA has officially conceded defeat but maintains that the party remains a formidable force in the Mt Kenya region and is ready to reassert its dominance in the 2027 polls.
The Ol Kalou constituency had been projected to anchor the parties' control of Mt Kenya, one of the country's most electorally consequential regions, making the contest a tight and closely watched political battle.
With the dust now settling, both sides are regrouping and recalibrating their strategies as the countdown to 2027 begins.
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