Will UDA take back gas cylinders and mattresses after Ol Kalou loss? Hassan Omar answers
UDA Secretary General Hassan Omar speaking during a press briefing in Nairobi on Friday July 17, 2026.
The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) has accepted defeat in the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election while maintaining that the outcome will not derail the party’s nationwide political strategy ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Speaking to the press, UDA Secretary General Hassan Omar congratulated the winner of the contest, Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) candidate Sammy Douglas Kamau Waweru, and commended UDA flag bearer Samuel Muchina Nyagah for what he described as a courageous campaign despite the outcome.
“We wish to congratulate Mr. Samuel Douglas Kamau Waweru on his triumphant victory yesterday in the by-election. But in the same regard also, we congratulate our candidate for the courageous battle that you fought and endured despite all odds, to carry the UDA flag high,” Hassan said.
He said the by-election had reaffirmed the party’s resolve to compete in every part of the country, dismissing suggestions that UDA would retreat to areas where it enjoys stronger political support.
“Unlike other parties that work on this nation based on traditional strongholds, we will not give up any part of the country to our competitors. We will participate everywhere. The President is not giving up, the party is not giving up, we shall compete in every corner of this country in the next General Election,” he said.
Hassan said the party would continue popularising the Kenya Kwanza administration’s development agenda across the country, arguing that its campaigns would remain focused on government projects and service delivery.
“We were selling development while others were selling emotions. And we will continue to sell the work of this government in all parts of this country,” he said.
The UDA Secretary General also praised the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), saying the electoral body had remained steadfast despite criticism from different quarters before and after the by-election.
“The IEBC showed candour. There has not been a single institution, a single human being, who has not spoken against you, but I can tell you the IEBC showed candour,” he said.
Hassan also ruled out the possibility of UDA reclaiming gas cylinders, mattresses and other household items distributed during the Ol Kalou campaign despite the party’s defeat.
He maintained that the items were part of the government’s development agenda, insisting residents would continue benefiting from government programmes regardless of how they voted.
“We are not taking them back because they were never meant to buy votes,” Hassan said, adding that the government’s development agenda would continue.
He said the party had accepted the outcome of the by-election and would instead focus on drawing lessons from the contest as it prepares for future elections.
“Elections are not everything that a nation is going to fight for. We know the overall political landscape in this country and we are confident that the work of this government will ensure a victorious march to the second term,” he said.
The Ol Kalou by-election attracted national attention after an intense campaign that saw political parties deploy senior leaders to rally support for their candidates. The contest was won by DCP’s Sammy Douglas Kamau Waweru who garnered 35,440 votes, with UDA’s Samuel Muchina Nyagah finishing second with 5,450 votes.
