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• President William Ruto’s supporter Dennis Itumbi appears to have indicated that UDA has been defeated by DCP in Ol Kalou, openly praising the latter’s candidate.
• Itumbi’s agreement was announced prior to the IEBC officially releasing the outcomes, indicating a loss for UDA’s Sammy Muchina.
• The Ol Kalou competition was closely followed as an indicator of political power between President William Ruto and DCP leader Rigathi Gachagua.

President William Ruto’s close associate Dennis Itumbi has suggested that the governing United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party has failed in the Ol Kalou by-election.

Through a Facebook post on Thursday evening, Itumbi admitted defeat in the parliamentary by-election, praising the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) candidate Samuel Ngotho on his likely victory.

This was even before the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission announced the official results.

Itumbi, who leads the Presidential Special Projects and Creative Economy portfolio and acts as a key advisor for UDA, shared the concession, calling the competition “well-contested” and encouraging Ngotho to serve Ol Kalou effectively.

“Congratulations Ngotho. Great fight. Great victory. Serve Olkalou well,” Itumbi wrote.

He also spoke to UDA’s candidate, Sammy Muchina Samuel Nyagah, recognizing the work invested in the campaign and accepting the result.

“Excellent campaign by Muchina Samuel Nyagah; we had a strong race. We did our best. We lost today. There is always tomorrow,” the post stated.

In the same communication, Itumbi made comments directed towards Nyandarua Senator John Methu, acknowledging his campaign activities as having played a role in the DCP’s success, and noted that Methu should now concentrate on securing his appointment as DCP secretary general.

The Ol Kalou by-election captured nationwide interest that extended beyond its local area, with experts and political forecasters considering it a preliminary sign of the changing dynamics of power in the Mount Kenya region.

The minipoll was viewed as a rivalry between Ruto and Gachagua, who had a conflict with the president in 2024, leading to his removal from the position of deputy president.

A victory for the DCP in the area would mark a major symbolic setback for Ruto’s government and strengthen Gachagua’s attempts to build an opposition coalition among voters in Mt Kenya ahead of the 2027 national election.

Itumbi’s post, which received over 12,000 likes and 6,000 comments, ended on a quiet note, with the assistant mentioning he had little else to contribute at the moment. “Sina mengi ya kusema kwa sasa,” he wrote, which roughly means “I don’t have much to say for now.”

Additionally, reinforcing Itumbi’s statement was Mathira MP Eric Wamumbi, who also extended congratulations to the DCP candidate.

“Occasionally you triumph, at other times you face defeat. This is the democracy that we all seek. Congratulations Kamau,” Wamumbi said.