Political strategist Pauline Njoroge has criticised pro-government bloggers over their messaging before and after the Ol Kalou by-election, saying their claims did not match the reality on the ground.
Njoroge said online voices aligned to the government had painted a picture of an inevitable United Democratic Alliance (UDA) victory ahead of the vote.
She argued that the tone and consistency of the messaging created the impression that the outcome was already decided.
“You have to give it to government bloggers when it comes to chest thumping. Before the Ol Kalou by-election, anyone reading their posts would have been forgiven for thinking UDA was headed for a landslide,” she said.
According to her, that narrative collapsed once the results were known. She described the outcome as a clear rejection of the confidence projected online.
“Then election day came, and they were whitewashed in the most embarrassing fashion,” she said.
Njoroge noted that despite the setback, the same voices have resumed making strong claims about President William Ruto’s chances in the 2027 general election.
She questioned those projections, pointing to what she described as a possible opposition lineup that could pose a serious challenge.
“Now they are back to chest thumping, claiming that Ruto’s victory in 2027 is guaranteed. Ask them how he will defeat a combination of Edwin Sifuna, Kalonzo Musyoka, Rigathi Gachagua and Fred Matiang’i,” she said.
She also criticised remarks circulating online suggesting that election outcomes depend more on vote management than voter choice.
“They will tell you that elections are not about how people vote, but about who counts the votes,” she added.
At the same time, Njoroge accused some bloggers of pushing misleading narratives about opposition figures. She singled out claims involving Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, saying such reports were based on recycled content.
“They are pushing propaganda about who is supposedly being bought by the regime, even resorting to sharing old clips of Kalonzo to manufacture a narrative. It’s called desperation,” she said.
Njoroge maintained that Kalonzo remains firmly in the opposition, dismissing suggestions that he could shift positions.
She concluded that the focus should remain on voter numbers, arguing that political outcomes will ultimately reflect public support.
“Elections are ultimately about numbers, and they simply do not have them. Kenyans are done with Ruto,” she said.