UDA candidate Samuel Muchina Nyaga has officially been cleared by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to contest the July 16 Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election, setting the stage for what is shaping up to be a high stakes political battle in Nyandarua County.
Muchina was escorted by huge crowds of supporters to PCEA Ol Kalou grounds as he submitted his nomination papers, with the show of numbers underlining UDA’s early confidence ahead of the mini poll.
The by-election was occasioned by the death of Ol Kalou MP David Njuguna Kiaraho, who passed away in March while receiving treatment at Nairobi Hospital.
Speaking after being cleared, Muchina positioned education at the center of his campaign, promising to introduce free day secondary school education for every child in the constituency if elected.
The immediate former Constituency Development Fund (CDF) manager said his experience handling bursaries and community projects under the late Kiaraho had exposed him to the struggles facing families in the area.
“Every child deserves a chance to learn without parents being overwhelmed by school fees,” Muchina told supporters after his clearance.
Muchina has built his campaign around continuity, grassroots mobilization and education, with UDA leaders hoping to retain the seat through the former CDF manager who worked closely with the late MP.
During his time at the CDF office, Muchina became widely known locally for overseeing bursary disbursements to needy students and coordinating development projects across the constituency.
The unique political angle emerging in the Ol Kalou race is UDA’s strategy of fronting local technocrats and grassroots administrators with direct links to development projects instead of relying purely on established politicians.
His clearance now officially kicks off intense campaigns expected to attract major political attention in Nyandarua, especially amid growing succession politics and shifting alliances in the Mt Kenya region ahead of 2027.
The large crowds that escorted Muchina have also given UDA an early morale boost as the party seeks to defend the seat in a constituency considered politically strategic in the Central Kenya region.