OL-KALOU, Kenya — A video of President William Ruto’s digital strategist, Dennis Itumbi, boasting that former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua would face a humiliating political death in the Ol-Kalou by-election has come back to haunt him.
The high-stakes by-election, widely seen as a litmus test for Mt. Kenya’s political kingpin status, culminated in a crushing defeat for the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
The Warning That Backfired
In a video recorded during the intense campaigns in Ol-Kalou, a confident Itumbi was captured warning Gachagua that his political machinery would be dismantled.
Itumbi declared that Gachagua’s candidate would lose the parliamentary seat, effectively marking the end of the former Deputy President’s political career and relevance in the region.
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However, just hours after those bold remarks, the reality on the ground told a completely different story.
High Drama on Polling Day
The voting process was marred by tension. Earlier in the day, Gachagua vociferously raised alarms, accusing state operatives and plainclothes police officers of intimidating voters to force a UDA victory. Despite these alleged state-sponsored hurdles, the electorate delivered a decisive verdict.
When the votes were tallied, Sammy Kamau Ngotho of the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP)—backed by Gachagua—secured a landslide victory, leaving UDA’s Samuel Muchina Nyagah far behind. Candidate Party Status Sammy Kamau Ngotho (Waweru) DCP (Gachagua-backed) WinnerSamuel Muchina Nyagah UDA (Ruto-backed) Defeated
Humble Pie for the Ruling Party
Faced with undeniable numbers, a visibly humbled Itumbi was forced to eat his words. Taking to social media, he conceded the loss, congratulating Ngotho and acknowledging the painful defeat.
“Congratulations Ngotho. Well fought. Well won,” Itumbi wrote. “We lost today. There is tomorrow.”
The unexpected turn of events has left Itumbi and the UDA camp thoroughly embarrassed, signaling a major shift in Mt. Kenya’s shifting political landscape.
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