Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has alleged that residents of Ol Kalou Constituency are being asked to surrender their national identity cards in exchange for free gas cylinders and government-branded mattresses ahead of the July 16 parliamentary by-election.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Gachagua claimed the alleged exercise was aimed at denying eligible voters an opportunity to participate in the upcoming poll.
“Please don’t surrender your Identity Card to anyone. Let the Government and UDA campaigners give you the gas cylinder and a GoK mattress,” Gachagua said.
He added: “Let the cowardly regime deliver even speed boats, transformers, bullet trains, water tanks, milk and potato coolers and all that has not been delivered to Ol Kalou since 1963. It is time.”
Gachagua did not provide evidence to support the allegations.
His latest claims come days after he alleged that groups of hired goons had been mobilised in Ol Kalou to disrupt the by-election.
In a statement issued on July 5, Gachagua claimed that individuals he described as state-sponsored goons had been accommodated in a three-star hotel in the constituency ahead of the vote.
He further alleged that similar groups were involved in attacks earlier in the week, claiming one victim had been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) with serious injuries.
“This particular squad has been booked into a three-star hotel in Ol Kalou, waiting for instructions to cause chaos on the by-election day later this month. As Kenyans fathom how to deal with this new challenge, investors and tourists are keeping off our country,” he said.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has scheduled the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election for July 16, 2026.
Campaigns have intensified in the constituency, with candidates from the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) emerging as the main contenders.
In the same statement, Gachagua renewed claims that the deployment of Kenyan police officers to Haiti was not solely intended to support security operations in the Caribbean nation, alleging that officers had instead been sent to learn how to work alongside criminal gangs.
He further accused the government of sponsoring militia groups to intimidate political opponents and alleged that criminal gangs were operating with the protection of rogue police officers.
According to Gachagua, incidents involving alleged goons had been reported in Mwiki, Kariobangi, Witima, Ol Kalou, Kisii, Thika Road, Keumbu and several entertainment venues in Nairobi.
He also accused Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja of failing to effectively command the National Police Service, claiming that plainclothes officers were working alongside criminal gangs while uniformed officers had been instructed to stay away.
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