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The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has completed final preparations at the Ol Kalou High School tallying centre in Nyandarua County ahead of Thursday’s highly anticipated parliamentary by-election, setting the stage for a closely watched contest involving nine candidates.
Election officials spent the day arranging the main tallying hall, installing communication equipment, verifying election materials and ensuring that all logistical requirements were in place before polling stations open across the constituency.
The tallying centre, located at Ol Kalou High School, will serve as the nerve centre of the electoral exercise where results from polling stations across the constituency will be received, verified and consolidated before the final outcome is declared by the Returning Officer.
The by-election has attracted significant political attention, with major political parties and independent candidates battling to secure the parliamentary seat.
Campaigns officially ended on Tuesday, allowing election officials to shift focus to the smooth management of the voting process.
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Security agencies have also heightened surveillance around the tallying centre and other strategic locations across the constituency to guarantee a peaceful election.
Police officers have been deployed to polling stations, transport routes and the tallying venue to maintain law and order throughout the exercise.
IEBC officials expressed confidence in the commission’s preparedness, saying all election materials had been dispatched to the respective polling stations while election personnel had undergone the necessary training.
Voting materials, including ballot papers, ballot boxes, result declaration forms and electronic voter identification kits, were secured ahead of distribution.
Political parties are also expected to deploy agents to polling stations and the tallying centre to monitor the process and ensure transparency.
Domestic and international election observers, alongside accredited media houses, are expected to follow the exercise closely.
Residents of Ol Kalou are expected to begin voting early Thursday morning, with eligible voters choosing one candidate from the nine contestants seeking to represent the constituency in the National Assembly.
The outcome of the by-election is expected to have both local and national political implications, as parties seek to strengthen their influence ahead of future electoral contests.
Leaders from different political formations have campaigned vigorously over the past weeks, making the race one of the most competitive constituency elections in recent months.
As the final hours before polling tick away, attention now shifts from campaign rallies to the ballot box.
With the tallying centre fully prepared and election officials on standby, voters will have the opportunity to determine the constituency’s next Member of Parliament in what stakeholders hope will be a peaceful, transparent and credible electoral process.
The IEBC has urged all voters, candidates and supporters to uphold peace, respect the law and allow the electoral process to proceed without intimidation or disruption, emphasizing that every valid vote will count in deciding Ol Kalou’s next parliamentary representative.
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