A fresh political storm is brewing ahead of the Ol Kalou by-election in Nyandarua County after Kitutu Chache South MP Anthony Kibagendi alleged a well-funded and highly structured mobilisation drive by the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA), raising concerns over campaign financing and electoral integrity.
In a detailed statement, Kibagendi claimed that UDA operatives on the ground have established an expansive grassroots network targeting 75 polling centres across the constituency.
According to the legislator, each polling centre has allegedly identified 80 “opinion leaders,” translating to about 6,000 individuals tasked with influencing voter behaviour.
He further alleged that each of these mobilisers is expected to recruit at least one additional supporter, effectively doubling the network to 12,000 people.
The strategy, if accurate, points to a deeply coordinated effort to consolidate voter support ahead of the mini-poll.
Kibagendi also raised questions over the financial scale of the operation. He claimed that each individual in the network is receiving KSh1,500 weekly for a period of six weeks.
This, he argued, amounts to approximately KSh18 million per week and a cumulative KSh108 million over the campaign period—excluding additional expenses such as fuel, logistics, rallies, and other facilitation costs.
“These figures suggest a campaign of enormous financial muscle, which could tilt the playing field,” Kibagendi stated, without providing documentary evidence to support the claims.
However, in a twist that underscores the fluid nature of Kenyan grassroots politics, Kibagendi highlighted what he described as an “emerging culture of political redistribution.”
He alleged that some beneficiaries of the UDA mobilisation funds have agreed to remit KSh200 weekly to a rival candidate from the Democratic Congress Party (DCP).
The move reportedly follows controversial remarks by senior government official Moses Kuria, who allegedly referred to the DCP candidate as a “chokorah”—a term widely considered derogatory.
According to Kibagendi, the recipients justified their decision as a form of political balancing, arguing that democracy should allow resources to circulate across competing camps.
“Their argument is that if politics is about empowerment, then even the opposition deserves a share,” he noted.