People's Liberation Party leader Martha Karua speaking on The Explainer on Citizen TV on July 21, 2026/ SCREENGRAB
People's Liberation Party leader Martha Karua has told Kenya Kwanza leaders to accept defeat in the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election, saying the outcome reflected the will of voters and should be respected.
Speaking on The Explainer on Citizen TV on Tuesday night, Karua said the ruling coalition had expressed confidence of winning the contest but was ultimately rejected by voters.
"Be good losers. Accept that you were defeated in Ol Kalou, where you had exuded confidence and claimed you would win. That is democracy. Kenyans have lost patience and faith in you," Karua said.
She argued that although the seat was won by the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), the significance of the by-election extended beyond one political party.
According to Karua, the election demonstrated that citizens could play an active role in safeguarding the integrity of the electoral process.
"The Ol Kalou by-election is a DCP win, but it is significant for the country, especially because the residents were able to prevent any manipulation of their votes. They ensured there was no ballot stuffing and that the results were known in real time. Figures from each polling station were publicly available and aggregated," she said.
Karua also said the conduct of voters during the election reflected declining public trust in institutions.
"When you see members of the public forcing policemen to undergo a search and open their bags and make sure that all they carry is clothing and nothing else that might be suspicious, what does that say about trust in public institutions?" she said.
She further raised concerns over the conduct of security officers during recent by-elections, including Ol Kalou and Malaba, alleging that police failed to act against individuals involved in violence while, in some instances, officers themselves had been implicated in misconduct.
Karua maintained that maintaining law and order during demonstrations and elections remained the responsibility of the police, arguing that failures in policing should not be addressed through additional legislation.
"Law and order, maintenance of law and order on a daily basis, is the police mandate. When you give notification of demonstrations, it is to allow the police to prepare to maintain law and order," she said.
"The police are the ones who must ensure that the roads are not blocked and that people can go freely about their business as demonstrators carry on with their demonstrations and picketing. Failure of policing cannot merit legislation. Let us ensure that the police do their work."
Karua also said the opposition was continuing to organise itself ahead of the 2027 General Election, describing the emerging alliance as a movement united by the pursuit of better governance.
She said work was underway to develop formal rules of engagement and a common agenda that would eventually be presented to Kenyans.
The Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election was won by DCP candidate Sammy Douglas Kamau Waweru, who garnered 35,440 votes against United Democratic Alliance candidate Samuel Muchina Nyagah's 5,450 votes.
