UDA Mt Kenya leaders hint at major political move after Ol Kalou defeat

United Democratic Alliance (UDA) leaders from the Mt Kenya region have signalled a major political move following the party's defeat in the concluded Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election.

Speaking on Friday, the leaders said they will soon announce a decision involving governors, senators, Members of Parliament and Members of County Assemblies from the region.

The announcement came a day after Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) candidate Sammy Douglas Kamau Waweru defeated UDA's Samuel Muchina Nyagah by a margin of nearly 30,000 votes in one of the country's most closely watched by-elections in recent times.

Speaking during a press conference in Nakuru, flanked by Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi, Mathira MP Eric Wamumbi said the party's Mt Kenya leadership was consulting before unveiling what he described as a major political decision.

"With my colleagues who are here and others who are not here — governors, senators, Members of Parliament and Members of County Assemblies from this region — we are going to make a major political decision. God bless Kenya, God bless Nyandarua, and God bless all of us," Wamumbi said.

He did not elaborate on the nature of the planned decision or indicate when it would be announced.

The Ol Kalou contest ended in a landslide victory for DCP, with Waweru garnering 35,440 votes against Nyagah's 5,450.

The remaining candidates trailed by wide margins in the election, which recorded a voter turnout of 57 per cent.

The victory handed DCP its first seat in the National Assembly and strengthened former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua's claim to political influence in the vote-rich Mt Kenya region, setting off fresh debate over the region's role in the 2027 General Election.

Nyagah conceded defeat and congratulated Waweru, pledging to support him in efforts to develop the constituency.

"I would like to tell him that it is now up to him to take our constituency forward, and we will support him anywhere he might need our help to ensure that we work together for the benefit of our people," he said.

The former UDA candidate also welcomed development projects launched by the national government during the by-election campaign, expressing confidence that they would be completed.

"I am sure the projects started by the government will be completed so that our constituents can benefit," he said.

The outcome of the Ol Kalou by-election has fuelled political debate over whether Gachagua's growing influence in Mt Kenya could reshape the contest for State House in 2027.

Murang'a Governor Irungu Kang'ata said the result reflected Gachagua's continued political influence in the region and argued that the DCP leader had earned the victory through strategic mobilisation.

"It is true that Wamunyoro is the voice of that region in terms of his political impact and therefore we all knew DCP would win. They deserved it because of the effort they have put in," Kang'ata said.

The Ol Kalou by-election has become one of the earliest political barometers ahead of the 2027 General Election, with both UDA and DCP seeking to consolidate support in Mt Kenya.

The planned announcement by UDA leaders is expected to intensify political realignments in the region as President William Ruto and Gachagua position themselves for what is shaping up to be a fierce battle for Mt Kenya's support in the next General Election.