Tension has arisen in Ol Kalou as residents confronted police officers, demanding to inspect their bags over suspicions of transporting election materials during the ongoing parliamentary by-election.
Videos shared by People Daily Digital on Thursday, July 16, 2026, captured the scene, where a large crowd gathered, insisting on verifying that no election materials were being moved unlawfully.
In one video, residents voiced their concerns, accusing the officers of attempting to sway the electoral process. Some shouted, “Are you a police officer? Why are you bribing people?” as they urged the officers to comply with their requests.
In response to the escalating situation, the officers opened their bags in front of the crowd to restore calm.
Police Presence in Ol Kalou
Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja has deployed over 1,000 police officers to Ol Kalou Constituency to ensure a smooth parliamentary by-election. He reassured the community that robust security measures are in place to facilitate a peaceful, free, fair, and credible electoral process.
During a press conference on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, following a multi-agency security meeting with officials from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), Kanja emphasized that the National Police Service is thoroughly prepared to secure the election and protect voters, election officials, and electoral materials.
“The people of Ol Kalou are encouraged to exercise their democratic rights in a manner that is free, fair, peaceful, secure, and credible, as outlined by our Constitution and the laws of the land,” Kanja stated.
He highlighted that all 114 polling stations within the constituency have been fully staffed with security personnel, adhering to the National Police Service’s standard deployment procedures.
According to the Inspector General, each polling station will feature at least two police officers dedicated to safeguarding election materials, ensuring a secure voting process, and allowing IEBC officials to perform their duties without interference.
“Their responsibility will be to protect the voting materials and the voting process while providing sufficient security at every polling station and ensuring electoral officials can execute their duties seamlessly,” he affirmed.
